September 23 is now “Bruce Springsteen Day” in New Jersey: Governor Phil Murphy (65) has now declared the legendary musician’s birthday a holiday. The 73-year-old isn’t the only celebrity to have a holiday of her own.
Musician Prince, who died in 2016, was posthumously given his own holiday – on the anniversary of his death on April 21 in his native Minnesota. Governor Mark Dayton (76) justified his decision with the “phenomenal talent” of the musician, who stood for a music era and “Minnesota showed the world”.
Also in Minnesota, May 23 is officially considered “Beyoncé Day”. Governor Mark Dayton announced this in 2016 at a concert by the singer in Minneapolis. Reason: The 41-year-old “influenced many young girls and women with positive, empowering messages in their songs”.
The legendary singer Diana Ross (79) has two public holidays: In Honolulu, June 12 is officially “Diana Ross Day”, in Los Angeles March 26. Hawaii’s governor Kirk Caldwell (70) dedicated the holiday to Ross on the occasion of her concert in Honolulu in 2015. Her birthday, March 26, was declared a holiday in Los Angeles.
On February 6, the birthday of the reggae star, fans around the world celebrate “Bob Marley Day”. The day started out as a public holiday in Marley’s native Jamaica, with other countries and cities following later. In February of this year, the mayor of Toronto (Canada) also declared February 6 as Bob Marley Day. The musician, who died in 1981 at the age of 36, was a “peace ambassador”.
February 21 is officially Rihanna Day in her native Barbados. Former Prime Minister David Thompson declared the day a holiday on the Caribbean island in 2008 to honor the singer (35).
February 16 has been “Aretha Franklin Day” in Detroit (Michigan) since 1968: The then mayor honored the “Queen of Soul” for her “eternal legacy”. Franklin died in Detroit in 2018 at the age of 76.
In 2011, September 13 was designated “Jimi Hendrix Winterland Day” in San Francisco. This is to commemorate the legendary six concerts the music genius (died in 1970, aged 27) gave at the Winterland Ballroom in 1968.
