*Well, if you haven’t heard, entertainer Melba Moore is the newest star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In fact, her’s is the 2,760th since the completion of the “Walk” 1961 with an initial 1,558 stars.

Before receiving her star at today’s ceremony, Moore was feted by comedians Katt Williams and Luenell as well as singer Freda Payne, who all regaled the audience in person and online about their friendships and connections to Moore. You can watch their speeches below and you can best believe that Katt and Luenell (who was standing in for actress Sheryl Lee Ralph) brought funny without the profane, shall we say. All we’ll say is watch Melba’s facial expressions during the salutes.

Earlier, Moore told the ABC daytime news program, “GMA3: What You Need to Know” that she was “stunned” when she was first informed that she would be receiving a star.

“There are so many incredible artists, people who deserve that award – – not saying that I don’t — but you don’t always get what you deserve,” Moore said.

Moore said a donor, whose name she did not disclose, contributed $55,000 toward the $75,000 sponsorship fee required upon selection. She also received other donations. The fee is used to pay for the creation and installation of the star, as well as the maintenance of the Walk of Fame.

Born Oct. 29, 1945, in New York City, the daughter of big band leader Teddy Hill and singer Bonnie Davis, who had a No. 1 hit on the R&B charts with the song “Don’t Stop Now,” Moore made her Broadway debut in 1968 as part of the opening night cast of the groundbreaking musical “Hair,” initially playing Dionne, then Sheila, a role Diane Keaton also played during its initial Broadway run.

Moore received a best-featured actress in a musical Tony in 1970 for her portrayal of Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins, a naive, innocent, and good-hearted young woman who had been a servant in a white household and attempts to help a preacher Purlie Victorious Judson (Cleavon Little) acquire an old barn that once was used as a church.

Moore’s other Broadway credits were “Timbuktu!” the musical fable based on “Kismet” that ran for six months in 1978, the comedy “Inacent Black,” which closed after 14 previews and 14 performances in 1981, and a nearly three-month stint as Fantine in “Les Misérables” in 1996, the first Black woman to play the role.

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