Byron Allen receives star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: ‘You can live your dreams’
The coveted star of TheGrio's Allen is placed next to Johnny Carson's -- who gave the media mogul his big break at 18
Media mogul, CEO of Allen Media Group and owner of theGrio, Byron Allen, has officially received a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Given to many trailblazers and icons throughout the years, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is one of the biggest achievements in the entertainment industry. Byron Allen received the honor on Wednesday, Oct. 20, at the intersection of Hollywood and Vine.
Allen’s star also sits next to the Hollywood star of Johnny Carson, who gave Allen his big break in showbiz years ago. The honor is a major moment for the media mogul.
At the ceremony, Byron Allen was introduced by Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, Funny You Should Ask host John Kelley and Entertainment Tonight‘s Kevin Fraizer.
Allen spent much of his speech dedicating the star to his mother, Carolyn Folks. Speaking directly to his mother, he shared in the speech, “This star is not just my star, this is our star, so I want you to know that.” He also spoke directly to his wife Jennifer Lucas, sharing the story of how they met, calling it “a miracle.”
He added, “I want to thank you for being my best friend and being by my side,” before also honoring their three children, referring to them as his, “greatest accomplishments.”
In his speech, Allen also took the time to speak to and inspire everyone watching the ceremony. “I want to thank you for taking the time to listen to this because I want you to know this one simple thing: I don’t care who you are, I don’t care where you are, if you are alive and are listening to this, you can achieve your goals. You can live your dreams.”
He added, “I’m a testament…it will happen!”
This honor is somewhat of a full-circle moment for Byron Allen, who grew up walking the back lots of NBC. His mother held several jobs in the entertainment industry. Allen remembers sneaking onto the set of The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and sitting at the host’s desk, pretending to be him.
In fact, Allen’s big break was on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson at just 18 years old. He was youngest person to ever make a comedy debut on the show. Allen still credits Carson with helping launch his career, making his positioning next to Carson on the Walk of Fame certainly special.
As the founder and CEO of Allen Media Group, Byron Allen’s global media company enjoys a vast and wide library of family and advertiser-friendly lifestyle content. He also owns several major television networks, giving him one of the largest cable network portfolios in the entire field. Some networks include: The Weather Channel, Comedy.tv, Cars.tv, Es.tv, JusticeCental.tv, MyDestination.tv, Pets.tv, Recipe.tv, Local Now, and The Weather Channel en Español.
Ana Martinez, producer of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, shared in a statement regarding Allen, “Byron Allen has show business in his blood! His impressive career started as a young boy and just kept going. We are very proud to be able to pay tribute to Mr. Allen’s stellar career and add his name to our iconic Hollywood Walk of Fame.”
Allen is joined by other icons and celebrities in his “class” on the walk of fame this year, including the late rapper Nipsey Hussle, and acting titans Michael B. Jordan, Holly Robinson Peete, Tracee Ellis Ross, Regina King, Jason Momoa, Tessa Thompson, and Kenan Thompson. Music artists The Black Eyed Peas and DJ Khaled are also receiving the honor.
Have you subscribed to theGrio’s podcast “Acting Up”? Download our newest episodes now!
TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and Roku. Download theGrio today!
