Olusola to receive star on Hollywood Walk of Fame with Pentatonix

Freddie Bourne, Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.
·3 min read

Feb. 17—Owensboro native and musician Kevin "K.O." Olusola will be honored as a member of the three-time Grammy Award-winning a capella group Pentatonix with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Tuesday, Feb. 21.

According to a press release from the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the group will receive the 2,748th star, which will be between Grammy winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Etta James and Grammy and Tony Award-winning composer Cole Porter.

The group's inclusion into the Walk of Fame also marks a first since the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce began hosting the ceremony in 1960.

"We are thrilled to honor our first a cappella group to the Hollywood Walk of Fame," said Ana Martinez, producer of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, in a press release. "Pentatonix's melodic music makes their listeners want more and more."

Born in Owensboro, Olusola, 34, attended Owensboro High School before going to Phillips Academy Andover in Andover, Massachusetts, his junior year.

He eventually enrolled at Yale University as a pre-med student and majored in East Asian Studies.

Olusola found mainstream success with Pentatonix when the group auditioned and won the third season of NBC's "The Sing-Off" in 2011.

The group released its debut EP, "PTX, Volume 1," in June 2012, which peaked at No. 14 on the U.S. Billboard Top 200 Albums chart, followed by the top-10, Christmas-themed release "PTXmas" that November.

In 2015 and 2016, the group had two back-to-back No. 1 albums with its self-titled record and "A Pentatonix Christmas," respectively.

Individually, Olusola was inducted into the Owensboro Walk of Fame during a presentation in June 2017 at ROMP Fest at Yellow Creek Park.

Pentatonix won its first Grammy at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards for "Best Arrangement, Instrumental Or A Cappella" for the song "Daft Punk" before winning the same award for "Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy" the following year.

"It was absolutely amazing," Olusola said in a 2017 Messenger-Inquirer story about the group's first Grammy win. "It was a very surreal experience to actually win a Grammy. I love making music, and the award is a piece of validation to give us the strength to continue doing what we do."

At the 59th Annual Grammy Awards, Pentatonix won the award for "Best Country Duo/Group Performance" with Dolly Parton for a reworking of the latter's hit song "Jolene."

The group nabbed its fourth Grammy nomination for "Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album" for the record "Evergreen" at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards.

Olusola and company have also been recognized by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) by being nominated for "Outstanding Musical Performance in a Daytime Program" on the talk show "Rachael Ray" at the 44th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards.

The Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony will be at 1:30 p.m. (CST) at 7060 Hollywood Blvd. in Los Angeles and will be streamed live on walkoffame.com.