SHERMAN OAKS, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 26, 2019 / Leo Robin Music is indignant over the Hollywood Walk of Fame’s decision at their annual meeting and subsequent announcement last week to not install the star that was awarded to lyricist, Leo Robin, 29 years ago. Ashley Lee from the Los Angeles Times first broke on May 23, 2019 this fascinating story, Leo Robin never got his Walk of Fame star. Now his grandson is fighting for it, about his grandson’s, Scott Ora’s, serendipitous discovery of Leo’s long-lost star which he believes got lost because “[The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce]…made this 30-year-old mistake.” Leo Robin’s wife, Cherie Robin, and actor, Bob Hope, sponsored Leo for a star in 1988 but, sadly, Mrs. Robin passed away slightly more than one year before the letter was sent out from the Chamber announcing that her husband had been awarded the star and so, unfortunately, it was never installed.
In the wake of the release of this story by The Times, Leo Robin Music is outraged to learn what happened 29 years ago. Ms. Lee reported, “The envelope was returned to its sender and has since remained in the Chamber of Commerce’s records” and also tweeted, “at first I didn’t believe that Leo Robin’s star had really slipped through the cracks” with a photo of that acceptance letter and the envelope stamped “RETURN TO SENDER.” Ms. Lee explained the Chamber’s view, “A mistake it was not, noted (Ana) Martinez [Producer of the Walk Of Fame] to The Times. Back in 1989, before the ease of email and cell phones, honorees were not as repeatedly and actively pursued to secure their star as they are today. That means no follow-up letters and no calls to co-signers, even if Robin’s application was co-signed by (Bob) Hope, who has four stars on the Walk.”
The Chamber should live, love and learn the lyrics of the Elvis Presley 1962 hit “Return to Sender,” a song about a man sending a letter by post to his girlfriend after an argument. She continually writes “Return to Sender” and he keeps mailing letters including “sent it special D” and “This time I’m gonna take it myself and put it right in her hand.” Elvis, who recorded “Blue Hawaii,” a classic written by Leo Robin and Ralph Rainger, for his film of the same name and the soundtrack of which stayed at #1 on the album chart for twenty consecutive weeks, would be rock ‘n’ rolling in his… and singing “Suspicious Minds” upon learning that the Chamber only sent it once with no follow-up letter or call to co-sponsor, Bob Hope. No matter when or where — whether it be 1962 when Elvis sang about it or 1990 when the Chamber obstructed delivery of the letter or even today — it has always been true when a letter has been “Return to Sender,” the sender will verify the address and resend it. What the Chamber did after the letter was “Return to Sender” was not customary practice but smacks of disregard for the individuals honored by the Walk of Fame Committee.
Leo Robin Music would like to take this opportunity to express its gratitude for the outpouring of sympathy for Robin to get his star installed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The public also supports Mr. Ora’s position in a disagreement over the price of the star. Mr. Ora believes it should be the original price of $4,000, the fee back in 1990 when Robin was awarded the star, meanwhile, the Chamber believes it should be the current price of $40,000. In a poll conducted by Ms. Lee on Twitter, she asked, “how much do you think Ora should pay for his grandfather’s star?” and the public overwhelmingly supported the original price with these landslide results: “90% (voted in favor of) $4,000 as priced in 1989” while only “10% (voted for) $40,000 as priced in 2017.” This blowout poll with a huge margin (90% to 10%) shows the Hollywood Walk of Fame’s stance is clearly out of step with the mainstream just like the Chamber was back in 1990 when it hindered delivery of the acceptance letter.
When Robin’s grandson called the Chamber and spoke to Ms. Martinez on July 6, 2017, almost two years ago, he told her about his discovery of Leo’s long-lost star. She confirmed it was true and said, “Nothing like this has ever happened before.” Throughout the past sixty years, the Chamber has successfully kept track of 2,665 honorees and has seen to it that each and every one of them received a star and had it successfully installed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame with their name on it — except for Leo. At this point, one can’t help but conclude that Robin, his sponsors, his family and the 1990 Walk of Fame Committee, itself, have been treated unjustly by the Chamber. We are all enthralled by the mystery, romance and glamour that have always surrounded the Hollywood Walk of Fame and it is high time for the Chamber to preserve its integrity and honor the decision of the Walk of Fame Committee and put Leo’s long-lost star in its rightful place on the Hollywood Walk of Fame!
To see the online version of the article, Leo Robin never got his Walk of Fame star. Now his grandson is fighting for it by Ashley Lee released on May 23, 2019 on the website of the Los Angeles Times, please go to: https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-ms-leo-robin-star-walk-of-fame-20190523-story.html.
To see the print edition of this story, A Walk of Fame star still in limbo : The late lyricist behind Bob Hope’s theme song was a victim of bad timing, but ‘Memory’ still irks kin. by Ashley Lee issued on May 26, 2019 in the Sunday print edition of the Los Angeles Times, please see the attached PDF file.
For more information, visit the official website of Leo Robin at http://leorobin.com/.
About Leo Robin Music
Leo Robin Music owns the copyrights of songs written by Leo Robin, who was known as the “Dean of Lyric Writers.” He created lyrics that have inspired popular music and become part of the fabric of our culture. Considered to be one of the most influential songwriters of the 20th Century, he wrote many of the country’s most popular jazz standards including “Blue Hawaii,” “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend,” “Easy Living,” “If I Should Lose You,” “My Ideal,” “Prisoner of Love” and “Thanks for the Memory.”
CONTACT:
Scott D. Ora
President – Leo Robin Music
thanks4thememory@icloud.com
(818) 618-2572
Leo Robin (@LeoRobinMusic) / Twitter
SOURCE: Leo Robin Music
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