21st Annual South Shore Legends Induction
The South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority (SSCVA) is pleased to announce Deniece Williams and Nick Popovich as the 2025 inductees to the South Shore Legends. The induction ceremony will take place on Thursday, December 11, at 5:00 p.m. at the Indiana Welcome Center (7770 Corinne Dr, Hammond).
The South Shore Legends program is sponsored by BP and Legacy Foundation and recognizes individuals whose achievements embody the values of courage, exploration, creativity, and innovation. Honorees are selected by a panel of judges representing colleges and universities throughout Northwest Indiana. Past inductees include Octave Chanute, Jean Shepherd, Orville Redenbacher, The Jackson 5, and Dean White.
This year’s ceremony will also honor the 2025 Legends Scholar, Marisa Winslow of Indiana University Northwest, who was selected for her outstanding academic achievement and commitment to community excellence.
The event is free and open to the public. For more information, read about past inductees, or to register, visit: alongthesouthshore.com/legends.
2024 Legends Induction
About the 2025 Inductees
Deniece Williams – International Recording Artist
Gary native Deniece Williams is one of the most influential voices in contemporary music. A four-time Grammy Award winner and fifteen-time nominee, Williams rose from singing part-time while working as a nurse and telephone operator to performing with Stevie Wonder’s Wonderlove. She went on to achieve global success with Columbia Records, releasing timeless hits such as “Free,” “Let’s Hear It for the Boy,” and “Black Butterfly.” Her career spans R&B, Pop, and Gospel, marked by her signature four-octave range and uplifting artistic vision. Williams remains deeply connected to her roots, crediting Gary for inspiring her early dreams.
Nick Popovich – Aviation Entrepreneur and Philanthropist
A global leader in aviation, Nick Popovich founded Sage-Popovich, Inc. in 1979 and built it into a premier aviation consulting and asset management firm headquartered in Gary. The company’s services include aircraft inspections, appraisals, repossessions, and liquidation. Popovich’s accomplishments have earned him induction into the Living Legends of Aviation (2017), recognition from the U.S. Army Golden Knights, entry into the Indiana Business Hall of Fame, and the Circle of Corydon from the State of Indiana. A strong advocate for veterans and first responders, Popovich and his team received the Hero Flight Zero Award for their work with the Veterans Airlift Command.
