The Rochester Music Hall of Fame held its fifth annual induction ceremony and show Sunday night at the Eastman Theatre.
The 2016 inductees spanned several musical genres, including jazz, musical theater, classical, and punk rock.
The inductees are:
· Pee Wee Ellis, acclaimed saxophonist and musical director/band leader for James Brown and Van Morrison
· Howard Hanson, Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and
40-year director of Eastman School of Music
· Joe Locke, world-renowned vibraphonist
· James Rado, Grammy & Tony-winning creator of “Hair”/rock-musical pioneer
· The Rustix, Rochester’s blue-eyed soul band signed by Motown
· Wendy O. Williams, Grammy-nominated punk rocker and performance artist and leader of The Plasmatics
Guest artists who performed during the induction ceremony included: Pee Wee Ellis
-5th Dimension singer Florence Larue and The Cowsills along with original Broadway cast members from the play “Hair”
-Jazz vibraphonist Joe Locke.
-The Plasmatics drummer and guitarist joined by Cherrie Currie on vocals, paying tribute to Wendy O. Williams.
-The Rustix reunited at the event.
And Eastman School of Music students honored Howard Hanson by performing two of his original compositions.
