Funk music legend honored in Georgia hometown

NEWNAN, Ga. - He's a Newnan native who has played alongside the likes of Stevie Wonder and Diana Ross, not to mention released dozens of albums under his own name, scoring disco and funk classics that are still sampled today.  Now, his name will gain a different kind of fame, as musician Hamilton Bohannon is honored by his hometown.

On Tuesday, August 1st, Newnan's Peachtree Street with become Hamilton Bohannon Drive, honoring the musician born there back when it was just a dirt road.  According to Bohannon, "I remember when I was a little boy, the street was a dirt street and we had to water it to go out and cool off, when it got hot, because we couldn't go to the swimming pool at the time."  Bohannon grew up in Newnan and eventually attended Clark Atlanta University (then-known as Clark College) before moving to Detroit as a drummer and backing every major Motown act, from Stevie Wonder to Marvin Gaye to Diana Ross and The Supremes.  After his time with Motown, Bohannon began releasing his own albums, enjoying several dancefloor hits in the 1970s including "Foot Stompin Music" and "Let's Start The Dance."

Good Day Atlanta's Paul Milliken spent some time chatting with Hamilton Bohannon about his career and how it feels being honored with his very own street.