A Petition to the City of New York
Every Block Has a Hero.
This One Was Ours.
Harlem’s very own Gene Anthony Ray — Tony Ray — Leroy from Fame.
A global star who never stopped being a neighborhood hero.
Harlem, 1962
Born Feet First
Gene Anthony Ray came into this world at Harlem Hospital on May 24, 1962 — the son of Jean Elizabeth Ray and James Ray. He arrived feet first. His mother always said that meant one thing:
Gene grew up on 153rd Street between 8th Avenue and Macombs Place — the very block this petition seeks to name in his honor. He attended PS 46, then graduated to IS 10 on 149th and 7th Avenue. Everyone in the neighborhood knew the kid who couldn’t stop moving. Dancing was his language, and he spoke it everywhere — on stoops, at block parties, anywhere there was a beat and enough room to spin.
After winning every local dance competition he entered, Gene earned his way into the New York High School of the Performing Arts— the legendary institution that would later inspire the very film that made him famous. There, he sharpened raw street talent into disciplined artistry, learning the culture and craft of dance alongside some of the most gifted young performers in the city.
The Audition That Changed Everything
A Day Late. A Legend Early.
At 17 years old, Gene showed up to an open audition for a movie called “Hot Lunch” — a film that would later be renamed Fame. There was one problem: he was a day late. The auditions were closed. Every part had been cast.
Gene did the only thing he knew how to do. He begged them to let him dance. The producers shrugged — what could it hurt?— and gave him the floor.
When he finished, they didn’t just offer him a job. They gave him the lead role. Gene Anthony Ray became Leroy Johnson — the raw, magnetic, unapologetically gifted street dancer who became the soul of Fame.
Fame grossed over $42 million at the box office, won two Academy Awards, and spawned a television series that ran for six seasons and 136 episodes. The show won two Golden Globe Awards, produced UK Top 10 singles, and turned its cast into international superstars. Gene toured the world as part of “The Kids from Fame” — performing live concerts across Europe and beyond. The franchise pioneered the musical television drama genre, paving the way for shows like Glee, and its cultural influence — from legwarmers to headbands — defined 1980s youth culture worldwide.
Gene’s career extended beyond Leroy. He appeared on Broadway in Carrie: The Musical. He starred in Out-of-Sync, directed by his Fame co-star Debbie Allen. He choreographed and acted in Eddie alongside Whoopi Goldberg. He landed national commercials for Dr Pepper and Diet Coke. The world knew his name.
The Measure of a Man
He Could Have Gone Anywhere.
He Chose to Stay.
Through all his success — the Academy Awards, the world tours, the international celebrity — Gene Anthony Ray remained exactly who he had always been: a kid from 153rd Street.
He performed at neighborhood block parties like they were Madison Square Garden. He went into his own pockets to finance programs and ventures brought to him on behalf of the kids in his community. He didn’t write checks from a distance — he showed up. He was present. Always.
Gene gave up a penthouse apartment to live on the Lower East Side — closer to his childhood friends, closer to his roots. He chose stoops over spotlights. He chose Harlem over Hollywood. In doing so, he defined something that no award could ever capture:
Gene Anthony Ray passed away on November 14, 2003, at the age of 41. But his legacy — on screen and on the streets of Harlem — is permanent.
The Case for Co-Naming
Why 153rd Street
New York City has a proud tradition of honoring its cultural legends through honorary street co-namings. In Harlem alone, Cicely Tyson Way, Frederick Douglass Boulevard, and Isaac “Fatman Scoop” Freeman III Place stand as testaments to the people who shaped these blocks.
Gene Anthony Ray’s claim is as strong as any. He was born here. He was raised here. He became a global icon — the star of an Oscar-winning, Golden Globe–winning, internationally beloved franchise — and he chose to come back here. He invested in this community with his time, his money, and his presence until the very end.
153rd Street between 8th Avenue and Macombs Place isn’t just a location on a petition. It is where Gene Anthony Ray became who he was. It is the street that shaped a star — and the star who never stopped shaping it back.
Take Action
Sign the Petition
We are formally petitioning the Manhattan Community Board and the New York City Council to officially co-name 153rd Street between 8th Avenue and Macombs Place as:
Gene Anthony Ray Way
Your information will only be used in support of this petition and will be submitted alongside community signatures to the Manhattan Community Board and NYC City Council.