Local R&B Group to Be Honored with Two City Plaques

The Pasadena City Council unanimously voted to honor the local R&B music group Troop with plaques at the Civic Auditorium and Central Park.

The group was started by Pasadena High School students and went on to record three number-one singles and 10 top-ten singles on the Billboard R&B Singles chart between 1988 and 1992 and three gold albums and one platinum album.

One plaque will be placed alongside the plaque commemorating Van Halen, whose members also attended local schools.

The item became controversial after a proposal was put forth to rename Dayton Street after the group. However, local residents living there vehemently opposed the proposal.

“While we fully support recognizing Troop for their contributions to Pasadena’s musical heritage, we believe renaming Dayton Street, a historically significant area in Old Pasadena, is not the best approach,” said Bridget Lawlor, Preservation Director of Pasadena Heritage. “We continue to support the Castle Green Homeowners Association in their call to preserve Dayton Street’s name and protect the historical integrity of the District.”

Earlier, the Recreation and Parks Commission noted community concerns regarding the street renaming option and the implications for residents of Castle Green, who voiced objections based on historical and logistical reasons.

The City does not have a policy for renaming streets in honor of local residents, but there is a process.

According to Councilmember Tyron Hampton, organizers were given a policy but that process was later changed after the item came to the City Council.

Hampton expressed disappointment on Monday.

“As an African-American male, when we ask for something, the goal post is always changed,” Hampton said.

Hampton said he was supportive of the plaques honoring the group.

Councilmember Justin Jones called for the Pasadena Unified School District to also consider placing a plaque at Pasadena High School.

Jones seconded a motion by Masuda. Hampton added a friendly amendment for the second plaque.

It is not known if the City will still contact the school district.

The plaque at the Civic Auditorium would recognize the group, while the one in the park would include more of the group’s history.

The Recreation and Parks Commission will vet the details of the plaque.

The item had come to the City Council twice before. The Recreation and Parks Commission voted to recommend the City Council support a plaque to honor a local R&B group at the Civic Auditorium.

The decision completes the City Council’s part in a long process to honor the group.

Dayton Street was not the only street proposed for a name change honoring the group. Local residents living on three different streets expressed opposition to renaming their street after the group.

Residents living on Catalina and Morton Avenues told the City they did not want the names of their streets changed.

Other options included renaming a room at the Robinson Park Recreation Center to “Troop Room” and installing a plaque in Central Park, where the group practiced and performed for many years.

Members of Jackie Robinson’s family opposed naming the room after Troop and instead want it named after Robinson’s mother.

“Dayton Street has Black history,” said Olden Denham.

The area was once a predominantly Black neighborhood before scores of homes and businesses were destroyed to make way for the 710 freeway.

In 1964 the California Highway Commission determined the final five miles of freeway — now known as the SR 710 — would go through Pasadena, South Pasadena and El Sereno to complete the Long Beach Freeway.

At least 4,000 residents were displaced and 1,500 homes and commercial buildings were demolished. A majority of the homes were owned or rented by low-income residents and people of color.

Troop, originally formed in 1984 as ‘Five of A Kind’, has deep ties to Pasadena, having performed at local venues and events, including the Rose Bowl. The group achieved significant success in the music industry with multiple number-one singles and ten top-ten hits on the Billboard R&B chart.

Two members of the group Rodney Benford and Jon Jon Harreld reportedly still reside in Pasadena, while Reggie Warren passed away in 2020.