Several celebrities were inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame on Sunday, May 7, 2017. The ceremony was held at the Paramount Theater in Asbury Park. That is not the permanent place for the New Jersey Hall of Fame, but it has taken place there for the last three years. Wherever it will end up permanently, there is no doubt that it will be at a popular place in the Garden State.
New Jersey Hall of Fame
It is not hard to figure out that the New Jersey Hall of Fame honors persons from New Jersey who have made significant contributions not just in New Jersey but in the world.
The organization has been in existence since 2005, but there were no inductees until 2008. Persons honored don't have to have been born in New Jersey, but they must have been residents of the state for at least five years before they can be nominated. Individuals are selected from five categories that include general, enterprise, sports, arts & entertainment, and historical.
2017 honorees
This year's honorees include television daytime talk show host Kelly Ripa, journalist Connie Chung, music star Wyclef Jean, singer Tommy James, actor Ray Liotta, and others.
Recently, exciting things have been happening for Kelly Ripa who is from Camden, New Jersey. Last Monday, she welcomed a permanent co-host after not having one for a year.
Ryan Seacrest became her co-host, and her show was renamed "Live with Kelly and Ryan." She said in her remarks that the best part of the evening was being there with her family and friends. Her husband Mark Consuelos was not there because he was working out of town. However, her parents and her three children were there to share in the celebration.
In fact, her father Joe Ripa is the one who introduced her.
Three-time Grammy Award-winner Wyclef Jean was proud to be honored. Many of his family members and friends were there to support him. The 47-year-old musical genius was born in Haiti, but when he was nine-year-old his father moved the family to the United States. They lived in Brooklyn, New York before moving to East Orange and finally settling down in Newark.
Ray Liotta was born in Newark, New Jersey and grew up in Union, New Jersey. After college, the 62-year-old actor moved to New York, but he always considered New Jersey his residence. In Liotta's brief speech, he said he has wanted to be in the New Jersey Hall of Fame since the organization began honoring New Jersey resident in 2008.
