Sunset Strip To Honor Mötley Crüe

Festival organizers announced today that this year’s “Elmer Valentine Award” will go to the Crüe in recognition of the band’s long association with the Sunset Strip. Valentine, along with Lou Adler and Mario Maglieri, founded the Rainbow Bar & Grill which counted John Lennon, Keith Moon and Janis Joplin among its patrons in the 1970s and served as a launching point for bands such as Guns N’ Roses, Poison and Mötley Crüe during the ‘80s.

Mötley Crüe is joining an impressive list of Valentine Award recipients. The 2010 honor went to Slash and Ozzy Osbourne was its recipient in 2009. When the festival premiered in 2008, it chose to honor Valentine and his Rainbow Bar partners for their contributions to the Strip’s music scene. Festival organizers named the award after Valentine following his death in December 2008.

Taking place Aug. 18-20, the festival will bestow the award onto Nikki Sixx, Mick Mars, Vince Neil and Tommy Lee Aug. 18 during a ceremony at the House Of Blues.

“It’s an honor to be recognized by the Sunset Strip Music Festival,” said Lee. “It means a lot to us that we are recognized for our contribution to this historic place.”

But it’s not just the festival that’s honoring Mötley Crüe this year. As it turns out, the City of West Hollywood is also recognizing the band’s by dedicating a special day in its honor.

While a lineup hasn’t been announced, SSMF will feature live performances in six venues on The Strip – Cat Club, House Of Blues, Sunset Strip, The Roxy Theatre, Viper Room and Whisky A Go-Go and will conclude Aug. 20 with a street festival featuring outdoor stages, a VIP rooftop lounge, beer gardens and interactive experiences. Head over to the Sunset Strip Music Festival website for more information.