Reed Radcliffe/Triple R Photography
Kim Massie, forever in our hearts.
Kim Massie was a true queen of St. Louis soul and blues. When Massie passed away last fall, an already-devastated St. Louis music scene was brought to its knees. At the time, everybody swore that her life and legacy would continue to be celebrated, and that promise has been kept: The city is naming a street after her.
“Kim Massie Way” will be unveiled during a presentation on Saturday, April 17. And April 19, Massie’s birthday, has been declared “Kim Massie Day.”
The new “Kim Massie Way" will begin at the intersection of South Broadway and Cerre Street and will run through the stretch of South Broadway where Massie performed for years in St. Louis’ legendary “Blues Triangle” — an area with a trio of blues clubs that ruled the scene for decades, including Beale on Broadway (which closed in 2019), Broadway Oyster Bar and BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups.
Massie was a legend in St. Louis and beyond, able to harness both her unrivaled singing voice and her magnetic charm to thrill any audience in front of her. In addition to hosting intimate bi-monthly gigs at small local clubs, she’d also play parties and headline music festivals.
“Through her years, Massie morphed from church singer to award-winning karaoke queen before scoring legit gigs singing with St. Louis blues icon Oliver Sain,” we wrote when she passed. “She hustled and struggled for decades to become one of the most respected and trusted artists in town. You knew if you hired Massie for a show that she would give it her all.”
Mayor Lyda Krewson will present the proclamation to Massie’s family during the sign unveiling and proclamation ceremony on Saturday, April 17 at 2:30 p.m. at the intersection of South Broadway and Gratiot Street. The ceremony will be open to the public, with the city's COVID-19 guidelines and restrictions in place.
“We know that she would deeply appreciate this honor, love and above all else the respect she always desired and ‘dreamed’ of,” Autumn Massie, daughter of Kim Massie, says in a statement. “The entire Massie family are so thankful and grateful for this honor that helps her legacy live on in the beautiful city she called home forever.”
Massie joins a proud collection of musical luminaries who have had streets named after them in the places they called home, including Bob Dylan Way in Minnesota, Flaming Lips Alley in Oklahoma, Sam Cooke Way in Illinois, Dave Grohl Alley in Ohio, Joey Ramone Place in New York and Run-DMC JMJ Way in New York.
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