The Ride of Fame is a continuing series of mobile monuments in New York City honoring public figures for being exemplary “New Yorkers” and representing the city in a positive light over the course of their lives. Ride of Fame alumni have also been bestowed with this honor simply for being the top celebrity in their respective fields of expertise. Each public figure honored by the Ride of Fame is presented with a personalized decal permanently applied to the front of a red double-decker bus as a time capsule in New York City. In 2012, inductees were also presented with a permanent seat decal on the top of the double-decker bus in addition to the front decal. The honorees write a special personal message on these seats to share the moment with all the visitors of New York City.[2][3]

Ride of Fame
Ride of Fame curtain covering the Tracey Bregman double-decker bus prior to its unveiling on April 7, 2014
Map
EstablishedMay 4, 2010
LocationNew York City, New York
TypeCelebrity Career Achievement
Number of inductees56
DirectorDavid W. Chien[1] (2010 - 2019)
Websitewww.rideoffame.com

Non-New Yorkers, such as Australian musical duo Air Supply and Colombian singer Carlos Vives, have also been honored.

History

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Rachael Ray posing with her Ride of Fame decal

The Ride of Fame's inaugural honoree was Emmy Award winner and bestselling author Rachael Ray in 2010. A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place in front of Ray's studio before she led a group of 50 fans on a tour atop her new bus that was dedicated in her honor.[4] Though New York City was Gray Line Worldwide’s second licensed city around the world, the first being in Washington, D.C. in 1910, Gray Line Worldwide chose New York City as the site to celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2010.

Since Rachael Ray, monthly and bi-monthly ceremonies have taken place to present public figures with a decal for their own double-decker bus. Each public figure has had a ribbon cutting ceremony, most of which took place at Pier 78 on the Hudson River, but some ceremonies have taken place elsewhere, including Times Square and Central Park.

On October 13, 2012 during Air Supply's induction ceremony, the band was the first to be presented with a pair of honorary seats on the top deck of the bus along with a decal on the front. Air Supply also became the first to be inducted as an Immortal honoree; part of the IIi categorization in which each nominee is inducted as either Immortal, IT or imminent.[3]

On April 29, 2014, Ride of Fame expanded outside of New York City. Jeff Conine of the Miami Marlins was the first recipient of a Ride of Fame honors in Miami.[5] Since then, the Ride of Fame has honored recipients in Washington, D.C., with plans to be around the world, in cities with double-decker bus service.[6]

List of honorees

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Liza Minnelli posing with her Ride of Fame decal
Honoree Date of ROF Induction IIi Classification*
Rachael Ray[4] May 4, 2010
Donald Trump[7] June 8, 2010
Whoopi Goldberg[8] July 26, 2010
Henrik Lundqvist[9][10] August 31, 2010
Reggie Jackson[11] October 18, 2010
Richard Dreyfuss[12] November 5, 2010
Cyndi Lauper[13] January 27, 2011
Liza Minnelli[14][15] March 8, 2011
Marc Anthony[16] September 8, 2011
Roger Maris[17] September 24, 2011
Kenneth Cole[18] November 18, 2011
Wheel of Fortune[19] May 14, 2012
Bernadette Peters & Mary Tyler Moore[20][21][22] August 21, 2012
Joe Namath[23] September 12, 2012
Walt Frazier[24][25][26] September 19, 2012
Vanessa Williams[27][28][29] September 27, 2012
Air Supply[30][31] October 13, 2012 Immortal
Dionne Warwick[32][33] November 12, 2012 Immortal
Joan Rivers & Melissa Rivers[34][35] March 1, 2013 Immortal
David Wright[36][37] April 3, 2013 IT
LL Cool J[38][39] May 13, 2013 Immortal
The Mowgli's[40][41] July 9, 2013 imminent
Erin Brady[42][43] August 5, 2013 imminent
Mariano Rivera[44][45] September 20, 2013 IT
Carol Alt[46][47] October 7, 2013 Immortal
Susan Lucci[48][49] November 19, 2013 Immortal
The Minions of Despicable Me 2[50][51] November 25, 2013 IT
Patrick Stewart[52][53] December 4, 2013 Immortal
Carly Rae Jepsen[54][55] February 25, 2014 IT
Tracey Bregman[56][57] April 7, 2014 Immortal
Jeff Conine**[5] April 29, 2014 Immortal
Fifth Harmony[58][59] July 11, 2014 imminent
Joe Theismann**[60] September 5, 2014 Immortal
Big & Rich[61] September 26, 2014 Immortal
Tony Danza[62] December 1, 2014 Immortal
Alex Ovechkin**[6] April 7, 2015 IT
Paul Shaffer[63] May 5, 2015 Immortal
Jeff Gordon[64] June 30, 2015 Immortal
David Copperfield[65] September 11, 2015 Immortal
Andrea Pirlo[66] September 22, 2015 Immortal
David Villa[66] September 22, 2015 Immortal
Frank Lampard[66] September 22, 2015 Immortal
John Wall**[67] October 26, 2015 IT
George Takei[68] December 10, 2015 Immortal
Darrelle Revis[69] December 29, 2015 IT
Kendall Schmidt[70] January 19, 2016 IT
Sheldon Harnick[71] May 11, 2016 Immortal
Lang Lang[72] September 20, 2016 IT
Jake Miller[73] October 11, 2016 imminent
Chazz Palminteri[74] December 20, 2016 Immortal
David Mazouz[75] October 4, 2017 imminent
James Maslow[76] December 6, 2017 IT
Carlos Vives[77] September 20, 2018 IT
Shin Lim[78] December 10, 2018 imminent

*The Ride of Fame began honoring nominees as either Immortal, IT or imminent with Air Supply on October 13, 2012.[79]
**Denotes Honorees inducted in a city other than New York City, which began with Jeff Conine in Miami[80]

References

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