Long Island has long been a hotbed for music talent,
producing some of the most well-known artists in the world.
Since 2004, the Long Island Music Hall of Fame has shed a
spotlight on some of the brightest stars that have called Brooklyn, Queens,
Nassau and Suffolk County home. Every two years, the hall holds a ceremony
inducting a handful of Long Island artists who have made a lasting impact on
the area’s music scene, as well as music as a whole. Previous inductees have
included Debbie Gibson, Pat Benatar, Tony Bennett, Blue Oyster Cult, Mariah
Carey, Barbra Streisand and Simon & Garfunkel, as well as Taylor Dayne,
Dream Theater, Arlo Guthrie, Joan Jett, Billy Joel, Cyndi Lauper, LL Cool J,
Public Enemy, Ramones, Lou Reed, Run DMC, Salt-N-Pepa, ¾ of Kiss and Twisted
Sister, among many others.
During a press conference on Tuesday, September 13, the
LIMHoF announced their 2016 class of inductees. Included on this list are
hip-hop artist Big Daddy Kane, film composer Carter Burwell, music executive
Charles Koppelman, singer/songwriter Garland Jeffreys, songwriters Santo &
Johnny, guitarist Steve Vai, bandleader Vince Giordano and music venue the
Westbury Music Fair. The special Harry Chapin Award will be going to Steven Van
Zandt.
With so much talent being inducted this year, here are some
reasons why these artists (and venue) are worthy of such an honor.
1.
Big Daddy Kane: Kane has had a long and
innovative career in the hip-hop game. Before Kanye was making all those
artistic fashion and stage choices, Big Daddy Kane was there to do it first.
According to the LIMHoF website, he played two sold-out shows at the Apollo to
an audience of only women, as well as incorporated elaborate theatrics and
costumes to his shows. He’s also had a many hits and worked with the biggest
names in the hip-hop game, including LIMHoF alumn Public Enemy.
2.
Carter Burwell: Burwell has scored many classic
films, including ‘Fargo,’ ‘Gods and Monsters,’ ‘Being John Malkovich,’ ‘Where
the Wild Things Are’ and ‘Twilight.’
3.
Charles Koppelman: Working behind the scenes of
the music industry for more than five decades, Koppelman has been a key player
in music publishing and entertainment law. He is also responsible for signing
artists like Wilson Phillips and Vanilla Ice to his SBK Records label, and for
aiding in the success of artists such as Barbra Streisand, Dolly Parton, Diana
Ross, the Four Tops, Cher, Michael Bolton, New Kids on the Block, Eric B. &
Rakim and more.
4.
Garland Jeffreys: For more than four decades,
Garland Jeffreys has been releasing socially conscious rock music. His single “Wild
in the Streets” became a youth anthem in the mid-1970s. The singer has also
seen somewhat of a renaissance in the last five years, releasing his first
album stateside in 19 years, ‘The King of In Between,’ in 2011.
5.
Santo & Johnny: You may not know it, but
Santo & Johnny have recorded some of your favorite instrumental classics.
They had a huge hit in the late 1950s with a song called “Sleep Walk,” and in
1973, they recorded a cover of the theme to ‘The Godfather,’ which earned them a
gold record in Italy.
6.
Steve Vai: Vai is best known as one of the
greatest guitarists in the world. He has worked with innumerable famous
musicians, such as Frank Zappa, David Lee Roth, Whitesnake, Mary J. Blige and
Ozzy Osbourne, as well as released eight studio albums on his own (he is
currently working on number 9).
7.
Vince Giordano: A multi-instrumentalist on his
own, Giordano has been working with his band, the Nighthawks, since the
mid-1970s. He’s played at galas and events all over New York, as well as
composed music for and appeared in television shows such as ‘Boardwalk Empire’
and ‘Grey Gardens,’ and movies such as ‘Revolutionary Road,’ ‘The Aviator,’ and
more. The band still plays out weekly in Manhattan.
8.
Westbury Music Fair: Now known as the NYCB
Theatre at Westbury, the venue started out as the Westbury Music Fair, a venue
meant to bring Broadway to the island. Over the years it became a more permanent
fixture of the local touring music scene, holding performances from top acts
such as Jack Benny, Judy Garland, The Who, Bruce Springsteen, Tony Bennett and
more.
9.
Steven Van Zandt: Though he’s best known as a
guitarist for Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, Van Zandt has had a pretty big
music career outside of that. He’s produced and written countless songs for big
name artists, worked on television shows and movies, started his own record
label and created an internationally syndicated radio program. ‘Little Steven’s
Underground Garage’ has helped to launch the music careers of many unknown
artists.
This year’s induction ceremony will take place at The Space
at Westbury on November 3. Tickets for the event are available now.
Find music from many of this year’s nominees, as well as
from previous Long Island Music Hall of Fame inductees at Vinyl Bay 777! We’re
helping make music history with one of the largest collections of new and used
vinyl, CDs, cassettes and more on Long Island!
No comments:
Post a Comment