The City of West Hollywood has announced that Thursday, August 18, 2011 will be declared MÖTLEY CRÜE Day in West Hollywood. In addition, Mötley Crüe will be honored as the 2011 recipients of the Elmer Valentine Award for their contributions to the history of The Sunset Strip. The invitation-only award ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. at the House of Blues and kick off the fourth annual Sunset Strip Music Festival, a three-day celebration of music held along the iconic 1.6 mile stretch of Sunset Boulevard on Thursday, August 18 through Saturday, August 20.

“So many of us native Angelenos consider Mötley Crüe to be our ‘home boys,’” said West Hollywood Mayor John Duran. “It will be an honor to recognize the ‘Saints of Los Angeles’ in our hometown and thank them for the incredible contribution they made to hard rock, glam and Southern California music,” continued Mayor Duran.

Mötley Crüe is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in the early 1980s. Mötley Crüe vocalist Vince Neil, guitarist Mick Mars, bassist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee are one of the most enduring musical ensembles in history. Mötley Crüe has sold more than 80 million album copies worldwide. Mötley Crüe got their start on The Sunset Strip, as they performed many nights at the Whisky A Go-Go and The Roxy Theatre. The band also filmed their 'Kickstart My Heart' video at the Whisky and for a while lived just up the street from the venue on Clark Street, making The Sunset Strip their official home.

This marks the fourth installment of the award ceremony and the Sunset Strip Music Festival, which celebrates the music and icons that have made an impact on the legacy of The Strip. The event debuted in 2008 with the recognition of Lou Adler, Mario Maglieri and Elmer Valentine, founders of cornerstone Sunset Strip venues The Roxy Theatre, Rainbow Bar & Grill and Whisky A Go-Go. In 2009, OZZY OSBOURNE received the Elmer Valentine Award, which was thusly named after the passing of original honoree Valentine. 2009 also marked the first closure of Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood for a music event, with Ozzy Osbourne, KORN and others performing outdoors at the street festival. The 2010 award went to SLASH, who also headlined the SSMF’s outdoor stage along with THE SMASHING PUMPKINS.

For more details visit Sunsetstripmusicfestival.com.