Council Scheduled to Decide on How to Commemorate Troop, Hometown R&B Group

On Monday, October 21, the Pasadena City Council is scheduled to determine how to commemorate Troop, a local R&B group that achieved national fame in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

The City Council will weigh four options but may also propose an alternative solution:

1. Renaming Dayton Street between Fair Oaks Avenue and Raymond Avenue to “Troop Way”
2. Installing a plaque in Central Park near Fair Oaks Avenue and Dayton Street
3. Renaming a room at Robinson Park Recreation Center to “Troop Room”
4. Placing a plaque at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium entrance

Troop, originally ‘Five of A Kind’, formed by Pasadena High School students in 1984, adopted their name—an acronym for “Total Respect of Other People”—in 1988. The group notched three number-one singles and 10 top-ten hits on the Billboard R&B chart between 1988 and 1992.

Jon Jon Harreld and Rodney Benford, two of Troop’s members, still reside in Pasadena; a third, Reggie Warren, passed away in 2020.

The group’s local roots run deep, with performances at high school talent shows, the Rose Bowl, and community events. They’ve practiced at Robinson Park Recreation Center for over three decades.

Fan Keisha Wilkins initiated the recognition effort in September 2023, proposing to rename a segment of Catalina Avenue. After insufficient resident support, she suggested an alternative Dayton Street segment in December 2023.

The City currently has no formal policy for honoring local residents with a street name.

The proposal has reignited discussions about the neighborhood’s racial history, notably the displacement of Black residents during the 710 freeway construction in the 1960s.

Local residents living near Castle Green vehemently opposed renaming the street after the group, as did residents on Catalina and Morton Avenues,  citing historical significance and logistical concerns.

“We are celebrating our 125th year this year. We had a commemoration in January, and we are going to be celebrating our 125th year all year,” said Michelle Hooker at an earlier meeting regarding the subject. “And we’re very proud of the Dayton Street name. It is historic and we understand the significance of it. We joined with the other streets like Catalina, whose constituency has also said that they did not want their street name changed. And also Morton Street, their constituency also said they didn’t want their street name changed either. I just feel that we’re the same as them. We just want to keep our historic name. We’re in a historic district, we’re in a historic block, and our building is 125 years old. So we’re just really proud of it.”

Stories differ on the origin of the Dayton Street naming. Vice Mayor Steve Madison said the street is named after one of the city’s early families.

The City’s Legislative Policy recently began discussions to establish a formal policy for renaming local streets in honor of residents.

The Recreation and Parks Commission unanimously recommended the Civic Auditorium plaque option, envisioning it as a cornerstone for honoring Pasadena’s musical legacy. The Commission said this is in keeping with the existing Eddie Van Halen plaque and positions the Auditorium as a venue celebrating significant local cultural contributions.

Kris Markarian, Acting Director of Public Works, said, “Recognizing Troop through one or more of the proposed options is an affirmation of Troop’s significance in the music world and a celebration of Pasadena’s pride in nurturing exceptional local talent. Recognition of Troop’s contributions adds to the City’s rich cultural heritage and helps further the City Council’s goals to support and promote quality of life and the local economy.”

Public input was solicited from property owners within a 1,000-foot radius of Robinson Park Recreation Center and nearby neighborhood associations.

Costs range of the options under consideration range from $1,000 for street signs to $4,000 for the Civic Auditorium plaque. The Public Works General Fund Operating Budget has allocated up to $4,000 for this purpose.