STATUS QUO Unveils Plaque At Wembley's SQUARE OF FAME

Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt (photo) — the original members of STATUS QUO — have unveiled a plaque of their handprints in Wembley's Square of Fame, which lies at the heart of Quintain Estates and Development PLC's Wembley regeneration project. STATUS QUO are the third entrants into the Square of Fame, in Arena Square. The concept of the Square of Fame was inspired by Hollywood's famous "Walk of Fame" and will include a strictly limited number of plaques incorporating the handprint, footprint or signature of iconic music stars.

Rossi and Parfitt join Madonna and Cliff Richard in having a permanent cast of their hands in the Square of Fame. The STATUS QUO members unveiled their plaque ahead of their performance at the Wembley Arena, as they near the close of their "Just Doin' It" U.K. tour in this, their 40th anniversary year.

QUO first played Wembley Arena in 1969 and have now performed at the venue no less than 40 times — a record matched by no other rock band. A previous gig at Wembley put them into the Guinness Book of Records when they played four British shows in 11 hours and 11 minutes, in Sheffield, Glasgow, Birmingham and Wembley.

QUO hold several other records — they have made more appearances on BBC TV's "Top of the Pops" than any other group (106),hold the record for more hit singles than any other band in U.K. chart history, and are second only to THE ROLLING STONES for the number of hit albums in the British chart (33). It is estimated that QUO have played over 6000 live shows to a total audience in excess of 25 million people. In doing so, the band has travelled some four million miles and spent 23 years away from home.

Nick Shattock, Deputy Chief Executive of Quintain Estates and Development PLC commented: "Wembley is a venue for legends and I am delighted to see these legends of rock taking their permanent place in the Wembley Square of Fame."

The Square of Fame, which fronts the transformed Wembley Arena, incorporates Europe's largest interactive fountain, lighting and music experience.

The Square of Fame (which is the size of Leicester Square) sets the scene for Quintain's transformation of the area with the regeneration of over 70 acres of land around the new Wembley Stadium into up to 8 million sq ft of residential, retail, commercial and leisure space. The scheme will form the largest regeneration project undertaken in London by a single developer and is unique in providing true mixed-use development on an unprecedented scale. The development will see the creation of up to 7,000 new jobs, provide high quality housing, improve facilities for the local community and attract an estimated £150 million per year into the local economy.