Each year the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame (BMHF) pays tribute to Buffalonians who have taken great strides in the local and national music industry. Yesterday the newest inductees to the Hall of Fame were announced at a ceremony that took place at the Buffalo History Museum.
Taking a look at the line-up of talents, it is easy to see that the group is a powerhouse of names that not only left an indelible mark on the music industry, they also forged their own marks on mainstream culture as we know it. BMHF has compiled a short bio for each of the local music legends, as follows:
Robin Adair, a singer, songwriter, recording artist and actress who appeared on Broadway, in television and film as well as radio, used her teen idol status and philanthropic interests as an ambassador in The Civil Rights Movement campaign. Robin joined forces with a Capital Records subsidiary, Powertree Records’ president Curtis Reginald Lewis, one of the first black composers and lyricists to own a music publishing company in the 1950s.
Dr. Joe Baudo, big band leader and keyboardist. The former Sweet Home High School music teacher has played a major role in keeping big band jazz alive in Western New York, directing a band playing weekly for the last several years and also recording four albums of big band and jazz.
Joe Bompczyk, one of Buffalo’s original punk rockers. A giant of a man, he was guitarist and songwriter for the Enemies and later recorded on Mercury Records with The Restless, a supergroup of Buffalo new wave era rockers.
Tom Calderone, president of the VH1. He started his media/music career in Buffalo as program director of Buffalo State College’s WBNY-FM and went on to lead one of the nation’s most popular music media companies.
Mike Campagna, a songwriter and guitarist for stars such as Chaka Khan, Maxine Nightengale and Jennifer Holiday. Campagna has gone on to record with avant garde rock outfit Psychic TV and more recently has done jazz recordings and provided music (along with fellow Hall of Famer Gary Mallabar) for the Dan Patrick national radio sports talk show.
Anne Fadale, the matriarch of what has been called “Buffalo’s First Family of Jazz.” She was the house pianist for WBEN radio and TV (known as “Aunt Annie”), studied with the legendary Oscar Peterson and was the regular solo pianist at E.B. Green’s in the Hyatt Regency for several years before her death in 1990.
Gary Keller, a nationally known saxophone player and teacher at the University of Miami. He was a founder of the Miami Saxophone Quartet, has recorded multiple CDs and has toured/recorded/performed artists such as Frank Sinatra, Woody Herman, Dr. Lonnie Smith and Jaco Pastorious.
Geno McManus, guitarslinger for hire. He has built up a following in Japan (18 tours so far), managed and served as music director for a Japanese Beatles tribute band that played at Madison Square Garden, done backing vocals for Ian Gillan (Deep Purple), and recorded on a wide variety of CDs and records in Western New York.
Bob Meier, the founder of the Hitmen Horns and a musical force in his own right. A trombonist, Meier first recorded in 1970 and has been on dozens of records and CDs since.
Jeff Miers, the pop music critic for The Buffalo News since 2002. He is a critic who has both reported on the Buffalo area’s music scene and participated in it as guitarist in bands such as the Tails and the Dollywatchers.
David Musial, a prolific producer and performer. Musial, a Buffalo-area native, has performed electronic music with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, designed studios, created positive music programs for schools, recorded LPs and performed in a variety of venues.
Joe Parisi, trumpet player and teacher. In addition to a long career as music teacher at Lake Shore High School, he has performed with jazz and big band outfits for decades.
Marty Peters, performer, producer, writer, inventor. After performing through his high school years at most of Buffalo’s bigger venues, he went to Colorado, where he ran his own studio, performed for 20-plus years, was a long-time writer for Recording Magazine and invented the Slider Instrument Support System. It has become widely used by guitarists with back problems.
Jack Prybylski, jazz saxophonist and teacher. A long-time teacher in the Niagara Falls schools, he has also recorded numerous albums with Them Jazzbeards and several of his own smooth jazz recordings.
Theresa Quinn, keyboard player, singer and music director. She can regularly be found performing and arranging for musical theater, playing worship music at churches or performing jazz or any of several other genres. She’s even a former member of the Gordon Highlanders marching group.
Spoon & the Houserockers, blues rockers. Elmo Weatherspoon’s Houserockers combo served as a launching ground for any number of performers – including Jay Beckenstein of Spyro Gyra – before Spoon’s death in 1975.
Kenny Thomasula, singer, percussionist. He has sung and played percussion with bands from National Trust in the 1970s through Breakthru today, plus done vocals on innumerable radio commercials.
Denton, Cottier & Daniels, piano and organ store. This store traces its history to 1827, when James D. Sheppard first displayed his instruments at the old Eagle Tavern on Main Street in Buffalo. It has been on Dodge Road in Getzville since 1999.
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