FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 6, 2015
Rhode Island
Music Hall of Fame announces 2015 inductees,
two-day event
RIMHOF PHOTO BY
KEITH FAYAN
At a Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame press
conference held Friday, February 6, thirteen
2015 Inductees were announced at the R.I. Music
Hall of Fame museum space in Pawtucket's Hope
Artiste Village. It was also announced that this
year's induction ceremony and concert will take
place on two days, April 20 and April 26. From
left are Mike Patalano, Jimi Berger, Emerson
Torrey, Rick Coutu, Brenda Bennett, Paco Zimmer,
Dick Reed, Joe Parisi, Rick Desilets, Duke
Belaire, Mark Cutler, Peter Mayhew, Darren Hill,
Mark Vinbury, George Masso, Bob Petteruti.
PAWTUCKET – The
Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame (RIMHOF) held a
press conference on Friday, February 6,
announcing its 2015 inductees. The press
conference took place in the RIMHOF Museum space
located at Hope Artiste Village, 999 Main St.,
Pawtucket. Members of the RIMHOF Board of
Directors, several past inductees, and fans and
family were on hand to welcome the 13 new
inductees into the Hall of Fame.
The R.I. Music
Hall of Fame's 2015 inductees are: The Schemers/Raindogs,
Brenda Bennett, Nelson Eddy, George Masso,
George Wein, Duke Belaire, Paco Zimmer, along
with Georgie Porgie & The Cry Babies, The
Others, and The Ascots (recognizing the great
Rhode Island garage bands of the sixties) and
Bob Petteruti, Marty Ballou, and Marty Richards
(in the new "MVP sideman award" category).
2015 inductees
in attendance at the press conference were the
five current members of The Schemers, Brenda
Bennett, George Masso, Duke Belaire, Paco
Zimmer, Bob Petteruti, and several members of
both The Others and The Ascots.
"To be inducted
into the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame is the
proudest moment of my music career. I'm honored
and proud to be in such esteemed company,” said
Mark Cutler. Fellow inductee Brenda Bennett
added, "I am tremendously flattered to find that
my home state of Rhode Island has chosen to
recognize my achievements and contributions to
the music industry. Rhode Island is so very rich
in its musical and artistic talent. I take pride
in saying this is where my career began.”
Robert
Billington, Chair of the RIMHOF noted, "This
year's class of inductees is especially amazing
due to the variety of music styles and musical
periods that we are recognizing. The thousand
Saturday nights that these musicians spent on
the road throughout their careers will be
recognized this April as their colleagues
throughout Rhode Island stand to applaud their
successes."
It was also
announced that this year's induction ceremony
and concert event will take place on two days,
April 20 and April 26, and will take place at
two separate locations. The jazz inductions will
take place on Monday, April 20, 7:00 p.m. at
Bovi’s Tavern, 287 Taunton Avenue, East
Providence, before the weekly performance by the
Bovi’s big band led by John Allmark. Being
honored on April 20 will be George Masso, Bob
Petteruti and Duke Belaire, the founder of the
Bovi’s band.
The 2015 RIMHOF
Induction Ceremony and Concert is set for
Sunday, April 26, 2:00 p.m. at The Met and Hall
of Fame itself, both located within the Hope
Artiste Village complex, 999 Main St.,
Pawtucket, RI. Sunday's afternoon event will
include the unveiling of nine new exhibits as
well as performances by The Schemers and
Raindogs, Brenda Bennett, The Ascots, The
Others, and an all-star jam session led by two
of this year’s MVP sideman award winners, Marty
Ballou and Marty Richards. Sunday's concert will
be preceded by the unveiling of all nine 2015
inductee exhibits. Tickets for the April 26
event at The Met are $20.00 in advance and
$25.00 at the door. The 2 p.m. unveiling of the
inductee exhibits is free and open to the
public; a ticket will be required for entrance
to the 3 p.m. concert in the Met. Tickets can be
purchased at www.rhodeislandmusichalloffame.com
starting February 25.
The Rhode
Island Music Hall of Fame, formed in 2011, is a
nonprofit organization dedicated to celebrating,
honoring, and preserving the legacy of Rhode
Island musicians, educators and industry
professionals who have made significant
contributions to both the national and Rhode
Island music scene. At last year's sold out
induction/concert event, the public saw nine
displays unveiled honoring the inductees in the
museum space located in the hallways of Hope
Artiste Village. This year's induction ceremony
on April 26 will see nine more displays unveiled
celebrating the 2015 inductees and bringing the
total to 35 inductee exhibits in just four
years. Eventually, the museum will hold more
than 100 displays as well as assorted Rhode
Island music history memorabilia and interactive
components for visitors to enjoy.
The Music Hall
of Fame initiative," says Rick Bellaire, vice
chair of RIMHOF, "provides a great opportunity
to not only acknowledge Rhode Island's musical
greats and celebrate their achievements, but to
finally have an organization whose primary goal
is to promote and preserve Rhode Island's rich
musical heritage in all its forms. With actual
exhibit space, coupled with our online archive,
we have in place the tools to curate and
showcase the best of Rhode Island's musical
artistry."
All proceeds
from RIMHOF's annual induction events go toward
creating the museum displays, acquiring
recordings and memorabilia, and digitizing that
collection for permanent online access for
future generations. All organizational work has
been donated by members of the Board Of
Directors and a staff of volunteers.
Chairman Robert
Billington added, "Our Induction ceremony in
April has become the place for a 'who's who' in
Rhode Island music. The Rhode Island Music Hall
of Fame Induction Ceremony and Concert is the
place to be and be seen at as we continue to
showcase the history of Rhode Island's musical
heroes."
PAST RIMHOF INDUCTEES
-
The Hall of Fame's inaugural
inductees in 2012 were John Cafferty & the
Beaver Brown Band, Roomful of Blues, Dave
McKenna, Eileen Farrell, Oliver Shaw, Ken
Lyon, Anders & Poncia, and Gerry Granahan.
-
2013 inductees were Steve
Smith & The Nakeds, The Cowsills, Paul
Geremia, Eddie Zack & The Hayloft Jamboree,
Bobby Hackett, Jimmie Crane, Bill Flanagan,
Sissieretta Jones, and George M. Cohan.
-
2014 inductees were Tavares,
Duke Robillard, Cheryl Wheeler, Paul
Gonsalves, The Castaleers, The Mark II
(Winston Cogswell & Ray Peterson), Freddie
Scott, Francis Madeira, and Randy Hien.
For press
release questions or bio info contact Russell
Gusetti at
rgusetti@gmail.com
For inductee
interviews and questions about the music
archive, contact Rick Bellaire at 401-751-5351
or at mederick1@verizon.net
For general
information regarding the Rhode Island Music
Hall of Fame, call 401-225-8860 or contact Dr.
Robert Billington at 401-724-2200 or at
bvri@aol.com.