'Disneyland of music' could come to Vallejo if former Harlem Globetrotter gets his way

Mock-up plans for the National R&B Hall of Fame. Vallejo is being considered as a possible site for the museum, the project's founder and CEO LaMont Robinson said. Mock-up plans for the National R&B Hall of Fame. Vallejo is being considered as a possible site for the museum, the project's founder and CEO LaMont Robinson said. Photo: Courtesy LaMont Robinson Photo: Courtesy LaMont Robinson Image 1 of / 13 Caption Close 'Disneyland of music' could come to Vallejo if former Harlem Globetrotter gets his way 1 / 13 Back to Gallery

The National Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame is seeking a permanent home. It may find one in Vallejo, Calif.

LaMont "Showboat" Robinson, founder and CEO of the project, envisions the hall of fame to span 50,000 sq. ft., which will be filled with interactive exhibits — virtual reality! holograms! — a record shop, recording studio, offices and a 2,500-seat theater for performance and induction ceremonies.

"It won't be your mom and pop's museum," said Robinson, a retired member of the Harlem Globetrotters and owner of the Harlem Clowns comedy basketball team. "It's gonna be the Disneyland of music."

Robinson has sought a location for his grand designs since 2010, when he founded and trademarked the R&B Hall of Fame with his wife, Cheryl Ruffin, who serves as president. Ruffin is the daughter of former Temptations member David Ruffin.

The organization has inducted more than 200 superstars of R&B, including Prince, James Brown and Aretha Franklin at ceremonies in Detroit and Cleveland, attended by the likes Joe Jackson and Morgan Freeman.

In 2012 Robinson told local media he was closing in on a site in Cleveland, where he was born. Later that year, the Sandusky Register reported Robinson had spent $200,000 on 19 acres in Sandusky, near Cleveland, to build a sports hall of fame and recreation complex.

Those plans apparently fell through, and the R&B project later set its sights on Detroit, where Robinson lives currently.

Vallejo is a possible location for the hall of fame, along with Detroit and Atlanta, he said.

The North Bay city was not an obvious choice for the museum at first. Adm. Thomas Cropper, the president of California State University Maritime Academy in Vallejo, changed that.

Three months ago, after reading about the hall of fame, Cropper reached out to Robinson, hoping to put Vallejo on his radar.

"He has been a big supporter of the City of Vallejo, and he has also participated in conversations about the musical history of the city," said Robert King, Cal Maritime's director of communications, speaking on behalf of Cropper. "He thought it could be a natural fit."

Robinson, who previously lived in Sacramento, seems to think so, too. He cited Vallejo as the former home of Sly Stone — of Sly Stone and the Family Stone — and touted its proximity to San Francisco and Silicon Valley.

Cleveland and Nashville house two major music hall of fames, he said, why not Vallejo?

Robinson envisions his museum along Vallejo's waterfront.

Reinvigoration of the Vallejo waterfront stalled during the recession, but with the economy on the upswing, development applications have been trickling in, said Ron Gerber, the economic development manager of Vallejo. The city recently approved a master plan for development of the area.

"There is land to do it," Gerber said of the proposed hall of fame. He characterized the project as being in the "pre-preliminary" stage.

"In terms of interaction with the city, the city manager had one phone conversation with Mr. Robinson last week. That's what happened so far."

In an interview with the Times-Herald, Vallejo Mayor Bob Sampayan said he had also spoken with Cropper and Robinson.

Gerber isn't writing the hall of fame off by any means. "A lot of folks are interested in seeing the waterfront enhanced," he said, and that vision could very well include an entertainment complex, along with shops, housing and restaurants. Gerber reminisced about a time, not long ago, when the city hosted vibrant jazz and R&B festivals.

He said the city is "looking at the opportunities as they come forward, and taking it from there."

Robinson hopes to settle on a location by the end of the year. If all goes as planned, the nation will have an R&B Hall of Fame in the "next 24 months."

Read Michelle Robertson's latest stories and send her news tips at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com.

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