View 30 exclusive photos in the Miles Davis Way Photo Gallery

For the sake of commemorating the numerous accomplishments of jazz legend Miles Davis, the street sign on West 77th Street between Riverside Drive and West End Avenue in New York City could have been renamed Miles Davis Road or Miles Davis Court, but Miles Davis Way seems more appropriate. “Miles Davis was a man with a lot of pride and a whole lot of creativity in his music and his style – hence the name Miles Davis Way – and he did have his way,” said veteran saxophonist Jimmy Heath, who played with Davis in 1959. “He knew exactly what he wanted and he was always evolving his music and changing things.”

“This is wonderful,” his son Erin Davis told Yahoo Music before the event. “To me it’s about recognizing him as being a New Yorker and celebrating him for the city he lived in and matriculated through.”

“He’s a man who changed the course of music four or five different times and it’s nice that the city is paying homage,” Davis’s nephew Vince Wilburn, Jr. told Yahoo Music. “This was the city he loved.” – Yahoo! Music

A block on New York City’s Upper West Side where Miles Davis composed some of jazz’s greatest works has been renamed in his honor. On May 26, hundreds came out for the unveiling ceremony of a street sign titled “Miles Davis Way,” officially marking a stretch of 77th Street between Riverside and West End. For nearly 25 years, up until the mid-1980s, the legendary jazz trumpeter lived in an apartment building at 312 West 77th Street. – The Hollywood Reporter

Fans, friends and family at Miles Davis Way. Photo credit: Earl Gibson

Miles Davis now officially has his own street in New York City. A block where the legendary jazz trumpeter lived on Manhattan’s Upper West Side got new signage in his honor during a ceremony earlier this week. …The unveiling came on what would’ve been Miles Davis’ 88th birthday, on May 26. He died in 1991. Davis’ ex-wife Cicely Tyson was among the dignitaries on hand for a block party celebrating the new sign. – SPIN

Cicely Tyson and the Miles Davis Family. The string broke during the unveiling and Cicely kept it as a memento. Photo credit: Earl Gibson

The man pictured on top of the pole who helped unveil Miles Davis Way sign is nicknamed “Muscles,” who details Vince’s car and just happened to be on the scene near the pole. The string broke and Muscles hopped up the pole and saved the day with the unveiling, as the crowd cheered!

Cheryl Davis, Erin Davis and Shirley Zafirau at the Miles Davis Way reception at Minton’s following the Block Party. Shirley, a neighbor of Miles, was instrumental in helping the block get re-named.Photo credit: Earl Gibson

WABC-TV’s Art McFarland reported on the celebration.