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Inductee Ceremony Inductees

Ron Altbach

Ron Altbach is an accomplished pianist and songwriter from Olcott, New York. He is co-founder of the American-French rock band King Harvest singing backup vocals and playing the recognizable piano intro to their hit ‘Dancing in the Moonlight’. In 1965, while attending...
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Charles Reedy 2022 Legacy

May 5 1931 – Aug 9 2022 Charles Reedy was a well-known jazz musician who played for 75 years at the historic Colored Musicians Club in Buffalo New York. Born in Alabama, and later raised in Niagara Falls New York, he was a member of the NFHS Class of 1950, where he...
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Marva (Holland) Frails 2022 Legacy

Sep 22 1935 – Sep 30 2021 Marva Frails, a lifelong resident of Niagara Falls New York, was the first black music teacher in the Niagara Falls Public School District. Hired in 1960 at Gaskill Junior High School, Mrs. Kincannon was a well-respected and celebrated music...
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Lee Wallace 2022 Sam Morreale Music Award

Lee Wallace is a life-long resident of the Town of Niagara, who attended Niagara Wheatfield Schools, studied at Niagara County Community College and Niagara University earning an undergraduate degree in Physical Education/History and a Master’s degree in Education. He...
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The Veltones 2022

The Veltones was the original name of the popular Doo-Wop group from Niagara Falls New York consisting of Calvin ‘Cal’ Briggs, Neal Davis, Emilio Giondomenico and Ernie Vendetti. In the late 1950’s, they performed at many dances in the greater Niagara Falls area to...
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Peter Zito 2022

Peter J. Zito, Sr., a native of Niagara Falls New York, also known as Pete Zito or ‘ZEETS’, has made significant contributions to the music history and excellence in the Western New York area. He was born September 28 1948 and started lessons and playing the accordion...
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Thurman Brothers 2022

Since 1990, the four oldest Thurman brother musicians; Dave, Jack, Randy and Rob have been entertaining music fans as The Thurman Brothers Band. Throughout their 30+ years performing, other Niagara Falls musicians have been added to their group starting with the...
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Chris Tedesco 2022

Niagara Falls native Chris Tedesco is a 1978 graduate of Niagara Wheatfield and is one of the top call trumpet players in Los Angeles since 1987. Equally at home performing classical trumpet or jazz, Chris’s sound has been heard on numerous recordings for movies, TV...
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Lawrence ‘Larry’ Ghougasian 2022

Larry Ghougasian was born on January 13 1938, in Niagara Falls New York. He lived here for 36 years and is most notably known for owning and operating The Main Restaurant on Main and Falls Streets in the 60s and early 70s. In 1964, Larry began featuring live music at...
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Michael Civisca 2022

Niagara Falls native Michael Civisca is a singer and songwriter often referred to as a ‘traditional pop crooner’. He is noted for his skill with American standards and love songs evoking the iconic male vocalists and timeless standards of the 50's and 60's. Growing...
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Gary Baker 2022

Gary Baker, a 1970 graduate of Lewiston-Porter, is a nationally acclaimed country music singer and songwriter, who won a Grammy in 1995 for the ‘Best Country Song’ ‘I Swear’ co-written with Frank Myers. The song was a #1 country hit for John Michael Montgomery, a #1...
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Donald Shrimpton 2021 Legacy

1938-2020 Donald Shrimpton, a Niagara Falls New York native, was a musician, vocal music teacher and music director for over 50 years. He began playing piano at the age of four. While growing up in the fifties, he studied piano with Livingston Gearhart, Ned Rorem,...
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Greg ‘Bubba’ Rinker 2021 Legacy

1972-2018 Greg Rinker; known as ‘Bubba’, was born in Lewiston New York and was a lifetime resident of Niagara County. For over 25 years, he was an extraordinary soundman on the Western New York music scene. From 1996 until his untimely passing in 2018, Bubba was the...
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James ‘Pappy’ Martin 2021 Legacy

1933-2015 James, popularly known as Pappy, was a legendary jazz musician, bandleader and community organizer. Born in Ashville, North Carolina and raised in Niagara Falls New York, he began his love of music as a trumpet player, later changing to upright bass. As a...
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William ‘Pete’ Hankinson 2021 Legacy

1941-2021 Pete, a native of North Tonawanda, New York had a wonderfully successful and varied musical career, in spite of being told at a very young age by one of his music teachers that he wouldn’t amount to anything. He picked up a guitar that was sitting on his...
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Harrietta A, ‘Hank’ Hamam 2021 Legacy

1928-1990 Harrietta, popularly known as ‘Hank’ was an admired jazz vocalist for over forty years. Born and raised in Niagara Falls, New York, she began her singing career as a member of the glee club at St. Mary’s High School, where she studied music and phrasing...
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Alred DiRocco 2021 Legacy

1912-1989 Alfred, a Niagara Falls New York native, at the age of five began violin lessons, changing to piano the same year, taking lessons from his grandfather Maestro Giuseppi Russo. He later came under the tutelage of Dr. Edward D’Anna, a prominent local musician...
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Thomas Proctor 2020 Sam Morreale Music Award

Tom Proctor, who is a native of Niagara Falls New York has been playing guitar for over 33 years. For the past 15 years, he has performed  throughout Western New York as a solo act and with acoustic groups in clubs, festivals, special ceremonies and national sporting...
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Thomas Nelson 2020

With over 50 years of musical experience, Thomas Nelson is a bassist and vocalist currently located in the Niagara Region of Ontario Canada. He has performed in clubs, concert halls and festivals across Canada, Europe and the United States, and has appeared on many...
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Marsha McWilson 2020

Marsha is a talented singer, recording artist, actress and entrepreneur from Niagara Falls, New York. She attended local schools and was listed in the 1984 book, ‘Who’s Who in America’. As a singer, Marsha has performed in many venues from clubs, churches, concerts,...
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Seven Day Faith 2020

Seven Day Faith began in the 1980’s when Rob Bilson (vocals & guitar) and John Rosini (guitar) met at LaSalle Middle School in Niagara Falls New York. As they entered high school, they jammed together on their guitars, started writing songs, and soon the energy...
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Thom Rotella 2020

hom Rotella, born in Niagara Falls New York, started playing his grandfather’s guitar for fun when he was six years old and began serious lessons at the age of ten. During his teen years, he played in rock-n-roll bands with fellow local musicians at dances, clubs and...
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Michael Hatalak 2020

Mike Hatalak, a native of Niagara Falls New York, is a producer, engineer, composer, singer, guitarist specializing in hard rock and heavy metal genres. Since he was a child he has been playing guitar and as a teenager started playing in various Western New York...
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D’amico Music 2020

D’Amico Music has been a pillar business in the Niagara Falls community since 1972. Jerry D’Amico opened the first store on Pine Avenue and 19th Street which became the largest musical equipment store in the Niagara region, servicing local, national and international...
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Charles Chiarenza 2020

Charlie was born April 13 1930 in Niagara Falls, New York. At a young age, he learned to play the guitar, studied under local musicians Vince Brundo and Pete Cicero, and later also became a guitar teacher. He also played the mandolin, banjo and other string...
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Al giambattista 2019 Sam Morreale Muisc Award

Albert Giambattista, born in 1928, is a lifelong resident of Niagara Falls NY. Al played the saxophone for over 70 years throughout Western New York starting in the Gaskill Junior High School Band, then Trott High School Band followed by the Niagara Falls Concert Band...
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John Marasco 2019 Legacy

John Marasco was a left-handed guitar player born in Niagara Falls, NY, who had a love of music at an early age, being surrounded by manymusical family members. He began taking his first guitar lessons at the age of eight from Peter Cicero and continued studying music...
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Ralph Fava 2019 Legacy

Ralph Fava, a 1981 graduate of Berklee College of Music, dedicated his life to music with joyful enthusiasm. His great love for music and love of family brought him back to Western New York in 1985. He and his wife, Kathleen settled in Lockport and soon after founded...
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Bob Volkman 2019

Bob Volkman has been performing with various musical entities in and beyond Western New York since the 1970’s, and has participated in many projects as a studio musician at Select Sound Studios in Buffalo, as well as several other area recording facilities. He...
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Nino Tempo 2019

Nino was born in Niagara Falls New York with the given name Antonio (Anthony) LoTempio. He was a musical prodigy, singing and dancing in recitals at age three and winning a national radio talent show at age four. A few years later, he took up the clarinet, inspired to...
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Ed Supple 2019

Ed Supple has been playing the guitar publicly & privately since 1965. In the 70's he was a member of the groups Backstreet, Street Noise, Avalanche & Lunch to name a few. Over the years he has performed with many bands, as a solo performer, and as a featured...
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April Stevens 2019

Caroline LoTempio (stage name April Stevens) was recognized at a very young age as an extremely talented singer in her hometown of Niagara Falls New York. With her brother Antonio (Anthony/stage name Nino Tempo), they started out when they were young children singing...
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STEMM 2019

STEMM is an American metal band from Niagara Falls, New York formed in 1998. Within four months, their first album sold over 600 copies & their first concert was opening for major label recording group Sevendust. STEMM was soon endorsed by ESP Guitars, Dream...
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Bobby Previt 2019

Bobby Previte began his life onstage at the 1956 Niagara Falls Talent Show, belting out a solo rendition of Elvis Presley’s ‘Hound Dog’ while draped in an over-sized suit thinking music might be a good way to meet girls, he fashioned a drum set from a rusted garbage...
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Mary Nero 2019

It's hard to believe that I've lived over six decades since the time I first stepped onto a stage to sing my first solo at the annual Mt.Carmel talent show in the late 50's. I was about 5 or 6 years old at the time. Talent shows turned into battle of the bands'...
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Bobby Minicucci 2019

Robert “Bobby” Minicucci was the owner and manager of the popular Ontario House jazz club for over 40 years. Opened during WWIIby his parents Frank and Julia Minicucci, the Ontario House, a local tavern located at 920 Ontario Avenue in Niagara Falls, New Yorkevolved...
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Alfred D Ligammari II 2019

Immediately out of high school Alfred Dominic Ligammari II (also known as Alimar) started on his journey as a visual artist. Having devoted his wonder years as an aspiring artist, it was time to apply what he had learned. After two years in Fine Arts at Niagara County...
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Ron W. Laster, Sr. 2019

Ron ‘Rock’ Laster Began his musical career playing violin under the teachings of Wilbur Hatch, who was musical director for the I love LucyShow! After six years of violin training, he developed a feel for the guitar and cried until his dad bought him a guitar and...
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Bob Hillman 2019

Bob Hillman, has been a go-to soundman and stage production manager in Western New York for over 40 years. As a student at Niagara Falls High school he had roles as an actor, soundman, lights, stage as well as technical director for the drama club. He played clarinet...
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God’s Children 2019

God’s Children was born in 1989 in the backstreets of Niagara Falls, New York where they quickly became the torch bearers of original rock and roll music, standing out among the many cover bands populating the area. Through incredible radio support and widespread word...
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