Monday, March 10, 2014

HISTORY OF SYRACUSE MUSIC "OFFICIAL SITE"- CHAPTER 124 - RONNIE JAMES DIO - "LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD" INDUCTION SPEECH GIVEN BY RON WRAY AT SYRACUSE AREA MUSIC AWARDS - MARCH 6, 2014

SYRACUSE AREA MUSIC AWARDS - HALL OF FAME EVENT HELD MARCH 6, 2014 AT THE DINOSAUR BAR B QUE, SYRACUSE, NY.



2014 -Syracuse Area Music Awards - Syracuse New Times  "Lifetime Achievement Award". Note- this award is the highest honor one can received from our CNY Music Community.

Present to - RONNIE JAMES DIO


SAMMY's MC- Dave Frisina intros Bill Brod Syracuse New Times owner-publisher who sponsored  this award.  Bill says a few words about the long relationship the New Times has had with the Sammys Awards and that shortly the New Times would be going to a new publishing format..part newspaper part magazine. Bill then announced that Ronnie James Dio's family and friends have requested that Syracuse Music Historian Ron Wray make this presentation and induction this evening  (Ron Wray enters stage to podium)

RON WRAY's  RONNIE JAMES DIO's  INDUCTION SPEECH...

## First I would like to thanks Ronnie James Dio's family and friends for allowing me to make this historic presentation this evening.

To everyone of us Ronnie James Dio's career may mean something different. To some of us, Ronnie was family, other a friend, a bandmate, a neighbor, lead singer of The Redcaps, Prophets, Electric Elves, Elves, ELF, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell and of course DIO.

I first met Ronnie back in 1963 and his musical relationship with Syracuse lasted close to 50 years. From 3 Rivers Inn, Sports O Rama, Yellow Balloon, Brookside, War Memorial, Landmark Theater to the largest stages and arenas in the world as he performed in over 41 different countries.

A truly amazing singer who easily could have been performing in Las Vegas, but lucky for us, he chose the Rock & Roll path.

A fantastic recording career with many awards, gold & platinum albums and selling over 41+ million recording. Ironically a new Ronnie James Dio Cd tribute will be released by Rhino Records on April 1, 2014, featuring Metallica, Motorhead & some of the biggest names in the music industry.

I've invited some of Ronnie's family and special bandmates to join me on stage this evening..

 I'd like to introduce- his son, a good friend to the Syracuse Music community- Dan Padavona

David "Rock" Feinstein- SAMMY'S Hall of Famer and Ronnie's cousin who teamed with Ronnie in the Elves, ELF and played on Ronnie's final recording "Metal Will Never Die" and is currently still tours the World with The Rods.

Mickey Lee Soule - great keyboardist and member of ELF & Rainbow and is still touring the World with Deep Purple.

Dick Bottoff - longtime Dio guitarist with both Ronnie Dio & The Redcaps & Prophets..

Jim Pantas - famed Dio & The RedCaps & Prophets manager and brother of the guitar great Nick Pantas who was Ronnie's best friend and started there very first band together in 1958.

Also would also like to mention some of Ronnie's special friends who are with us this evening- Harold Hyde, Carl Canedy, Ron Kaussner & "Mr 805" Dave Porter.

If I have any regrets in my music career, one would be that Ronnie is not here this evening to enjoy this great Central New York salute.

We will end this great evening with Ronnie's own words that he spoke to me in one of our last interviews- "Ron it was a pleasant surprise for me knowing I was going to speak to you and to Syracuse."

"The best to everybody there. Gold bless for being as nice to me as they have been and in a great way making all this possible for me" (Ronnie James Dio).

It is my great honor to welcome the great Ronnie James Dio into the Syracuse Area Music Hall of Fame by honoring him with our highest honor- the Syracuse NewTimes "Lifetime Achievement Award"

(Ron Wray then presents the SAMMY to David "Rock" Feinstein & Dan Padavona, who both say a few words)

Ron then intro's longtime manager Jim Pantas who managed Ronnie's first band back in 1958. (Jim says a few words and tell a very quick story about become Ronnie first band manager)...

Ron then  invites back SAMMY's MC- Dan Frisina who ends this historic evening....

Many photos are taken of all on stage. Pantas, Bottoff, Soule, Feinstein, Padavaona & Wray.


Friday, March 7, 2014

HISTORY OF SYRACUSE MUSIC "OFFICIAL SITE" - CHAPTER 123 - SYRACUSE AREA MUSIC AWARDS RESULTS FROM PALACE THEATER- MARCH 7

Results of the Syracuse Area Music Awards presented March 8 at the Palace Theater

Best Pop-    Sir Magnus

Best Country-   Mike Fury & Midnight Moonshine

Best Jazz-     Jesse Collins Band

Best Hip-Hop-   Tall Bucks

Best Blues-    Mark Doyle & Maniacs  "Pushin"

Best R&B-    Erika Lovette

Best Metal-    Era

Best Americana (Tie)  Ruddy Wells Band
                                      Loren Barriger & Mark Mazengarb

Best Alternative-   4 Point 0

Best Rock-   Elephant Mountain

Best Recording Other Styles-  Duo L'Adour

People's Choice - Best Artist-   Buddy Well Band

People Choice- Best Venue -    Shifty's

Brian Bourke Award- Best New Artist -  Rabbit in the Rye

Founder Award  -    The Madisons

Live Music Performances
          Mike McKay Band
          Brownskin Band
          The Goonies
          Pale Green Stars
          Flashcubes (Reunion w/ special guest Tom Kenny)

2014 Sammys Hall of Fame Class
                       
         The Flashcubes (Freany, Lenin, Armstrong, Allen)
         Gerber Music
         Homel-Alaniz Band
        Art "Legs" Robins
        Tiffault Family (Sox, Mark, Lee & Suzanne)

2014- Sammys "Music Educator Award"-

         John Spillett

2014 Sammys "Lifetime Achievement Award

         Ronnie James Dio


MC-  Sammys Hall of Fame 3/6   - Dave Frisina

MC-  Sammys Awards Show 3/7  - Skip Murphy