Friday would have been funk legend James Brown’s 80th birthday.
Leitzell said he could not release details.
“I will be at the announcement and I support what these people are trying to do,” he said via email.
This would mean a second funk museum for Dayton.
Dayton resident Michael Sampson says plans for the Land of Funk Museum in the Wright Dunbar Inc.'s Legacy Center on West Third St. are still underway.
“We continue to move forward,” he said. “I am not familiar with the totality of their plan. I wish them well.”
Initially, Sampson’s museum is to occupy about half of the 4,000 square foot Legacy Center with about 100 items connected to Dayton acts as well as those who made it big from other parts of the state and world.
The Legacy Center will be located not far from the The Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center, a 13,000 sq. ft. National Park site.
Sampson said two museum could only help solidify Dayton’s contributions to American music.
Dayton funk bands such as the Ohio Players , Steve Arrington's Hall of Fame, Zapp, Faze-O, Heatwave, Sun, Slave and Lakeside have been applauded nationally, but there is no permanent physical monument to their work here or elsewhere.
Brenda Curtis is listed on the Dayton Funk Dynasty Group press release.
A message was left for Curtis.
The press release says the following about the music:
“Dayton will be the permanent home of Funk Music, paying tribute to legendary artist such as James Brown, George Clinton, Parliament-Funkadelic, Sly & the Family Stone, George Duke, Cameo, The Bar-Kays, Earth Wind & Fire, The Isley Brothers, Average White Band, The Brother’s Johnson, The Gap Band and many other global funk artists. In addition, it will recognize and honor the writers, producers, promoters, radio, DJ’s and others who have made significant contributions to the genre of Funk Music.”
Mayor Leitzell and David Webb boast of the complete funk experience that will only be in Dayton, Ohio. The Funk Hall of Fame Museum is only Phase 1 of the project however; you will have to wait until the May 3, 2013 to find out the exciting plans that will surely make Dayton, Ohio a global entertainment destination. They claim this will be “The Funk Music Announcement of the Year!”
Proponents of a funk museum believe it could draw tourists and be an economic boon.
Contact this blogger at arobinson@DaytonDailyNews.com or Twitter.com/DDNSmartMouth
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