B-52s line up Hollywood Walk of Fame honor ahead of tour finale

The B-52s were scheduled to receive a Hollywood Walk of Fame star outside Amoeba Music on Thursday, ahead of the band's final tour performances in Chula Vista and Palm Desert, according to NBC Los Angeles.

The honor recognizes a band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1976 whose recording career includes Rock Lobster and the commercially successful album Cosmic Thing. The ceremony was scheduled immediately before the closing dates of The Cosmic De-Evolution Tour.

NBC Los Angeles reported that the unveiling was set for 11:30 a.m., with Fred Schneider, Kate Pierson, Cindy Wilson and Keith Strickland scheduled to take part. Members of the Go-Gos and comedian Fred Armisen were expected to speak.

The ceremony was scheduled a day before the band's performance at North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre in Chula Vista. Its tour finale at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert was set for two days after the unveiling, according to the report.

The band came together after drinks at a Chinese restaurant in Athens in October 1976. Its first performance was at a friend's house on Valentine's Day in 1977. The name drew on Southern slang for oversized bouffant hairstyles, NBC Los Angeles reported.

The group's first single, Rock Lobster, arrived in 1978, followed by its debut album, The B-52's, in July 1979. The album sold more than 1 million copies and earned platinum certification. Cosmic Thing, released in 1989, sold more than 4 million copies and peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200.

Founding guitarist Ricky Wilson died in 1985 at age 32 from complications of AIDS, according to NBC Los Angeles. Strickland, previously the band's drummer, took over as lead guitarist.

The B-52s have released seven studio albums, most recently Funplex in 2008, according to NBC Los Angeles. The band received Grammy nominations in 1990, 1991 and 1993.