PAWTUCKET – The Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame (RIMHOF)
held a press conference on Friday, February 12,
announcing its 2016 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, many past
inductees, and fans and family were on hand to
welcome the eight new inductees into the Hall of
Fame.
The R.I. Music Hall of Fame's 2016 inductees are:
Greg Abate, Frankie Carle, Bill Harley, Carl Henry,
Carol Sloane, Sugar Ray & The Bluetones, Richard
Walton, and The Young Adults / The Fabulous Motels /
Rudy Cheeks.
2016 inductees in attendance at the press
conference were Greg Abate, Bill Harley, Rudy Cheeks
and several members of the Young Adults and The
Fabulous Motels, and Sugar Ray and the Bluetones.
Carol Sloane was unable to attend.
Robert Billington, Chair of the RIMHOF noted,
"Our Induction Ceremony and concert in April has
become the place for a 'who's who' in Rhode Island
music. It is the place to be and be seen at as we
continue to showcase the fascinating history of
Rhode Island's musical heroes."
It was also announced that this year's induction
ceremonies and concert events will take place on
three days – April 21, April 24 and April 30 – and
will take place at three separate locations as
RIMHOF celebrates its fifth year of operation.
This year's jazz inductions will take place on
Thursday, April 21, 7:00 p.m. at Chan’s, 267 Main
St., Woonsocket. Being honored on April 21 will be
Greg Abate, Carol Sloane and Frankie Carle. Tickets
for the April 21 event at Chan’s are $15.00 and the
evening will include inductions and a performance by
Greg Abate and Carol Sloane backed by an all-star
trio consisting of pianist Tim Ray and 2015 Rhode
Island Music Hall of Fame inductees Marty Richards
on drums and Marty Ballou on bass.
The 2016 RIMHOF Induction Ceremony and Concert is
set for Sunday, April 24, 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 eight new exhibits as well as
performances by The Young Adults, Sugar Ray & The
Bluetones, and Bill Harley who will be performing a
set of his adult folk music. Sunday's concert will
be preceded by the unveiling of all eight 2016
inductee exhibits. Tickets for the April 24 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.
On Saturday, April 30, 2:00 p.m., Bill Harley
will be presenting a family show featuring music
from his award-winning children’s recordings at the
Blackstone River Theatre, 549 Broad St., Cumberland.
Tickets for the April 30 event are $6.00 for
children and $12.00 for adults with a family cap of
$36.00.
Tickets for the April 21 and April 24 events can
be purchased here
starting February 25. Tickets for the Bill Harley
family show on April 30 which will be a benefit for
the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame can be reserved
by calling Blackstone River Theatre at 401-725-9272.
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 11 displays
unveiled honoring the inductees in the museum space
located in the hallways of Hope Artiste Village.
This year's induction ceremony on April 24 will see
eight more displays unveiled celebrating the 2016
inductees and bringing the total to 43 inductee
exhibits produced in just five 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 digital
archive, we will 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.
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.
- 2015 inductees were The
Schemers/Raindogs/Mark Cutler, Brenda Bennett,
Nelson Eddy, George Masso, George Wein, Duke
Belaire, Marty Richards, Marty Ballou, Georgie
Porgie & The Cry Babies, The Ascots, The Others,
Bob Petteruti and Paco Zimmmer.
Class
of 2016 Bios
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