Buffalo Music Hall of Fame Announces Class of 2024

The Buffalo Music Hall of Fame (BMHOF) has announced the Class of 2024. 10 inductees who have been singing and playing their hearts out in Buffalo for decades have been recognized for their exceptional efforts.

A formal induction ceremony will be held at Samuel’s Grande Manor on October 9, 2024, with BMHOF Executive Board Member Carolyn Moser as Chair.

The induction ceremony will be followed by a live concert on October 10, 2024 at Cove Seafood & Banquets. BMHOF President Anthony Casuccio and Vice President Tom Lorentz will be in attendance, along with members of the Board of Directors.

For more information about this event, please visit www.bmhof.org.

Phil Aguglia – A passionate, award-winning, Grammy-nominated music educator who has significantly impacted the lives of his students in the WNY school system through his unique teaching methodology. He is a sought-after conductor, clinician, and lecturer and has proudly served on the Board of Directors for the Music isArt organization since 2008. His numerous awards and nominations include: The Grammy Foundation (2015 Semifinalist/2023 Finalist), People Magazine, Walt Disney Corporation, Erie County Music Educator Association, The Conn/Selmer Corporation, SUNY Buffalo State, and the Buffalo Bills. He is the owner of PaGu Batons, featured at the 2020 Academy Awards, and Leonard Bernstein’s drumsticks in the film “Maestro.”

Anthony Casuccio-Grammy Award-nominated musician, songwriter, composer and educator. He has produced, mixed and remastered projects for Tony Bennett, Roy Orbison, Linda Ronstadt, Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Les Paul, Johnny Cash, Glen Campbell, Jim Croce, The Stylistics and Betty Buckley. His original music has been featured in publications such as Billboard, Gramophone, New York Times, Business First, Buffalo News, Rock Era Magazine, The Industry Times and MIX Magazine. He has had nine songs in the top 20 of various UK independent music charts. With a #1 position in the UK Independent Charts in the fall of 2023. Anthony is the Chair of the Music Department at Villa Maria.

Hank D’Amico – The “premier” jazz clarinetist was a notable figure in the Buffalo jazz scene. His extensive discography and concert career allowed him to play alongside many legends
in the world of jazz music, including Bob Crosby, Bing Crosby, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Tommy Dorsey, Steve Allen, Peggy Lee, Benny Goodman and many others. His recording, Holidays with Hank, released on Bethlehem Records, was met with widespread acclaim.

The Krew Brothers Group – They were a tight-knit family group whose big break came in 1961 when they appeared nationally on the Ted Mack Amateur Hour. After releasing their debut album, “A Lively Polka Session” and three more albums, “Krew Brothers Mix It Up,” “Polka Recipe,” and “Yes, We Are All Brothers,” they gained national recognition within the national polka community throughout the United States and Canada. They continue to carry on the spirit of polka music to this day.

Rishon Odel – Multi-talented, Grammy-nominated bassist who has established his skills as a composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist. He is the musical director for Julius Wilson and has collaborated with such renowned artists as Cissy Houston, Marvin Winans, Phil Perry, Donnie McClurkin and “Love & Hip-Hop” star “Stevie J” Jordan. He is the author of “Bass Volume 1,” conducted his first orchestra in 2009 and was nominated for “Best Classical Musician” by Voice of ArtHe composed the music for the film Less than perfect, produced by Reuben Santiago. In 2010 he released a documentary DVD on the history of jazz with members of Charles Mingus’ touring band.

Donna Rose – A powerhouse vocalist whose wide-ranging singing career has taken her from the 1960s to today – performing locally and regionally throughout the Northeast. She fronted bands in the 1970s – Voyage, Brothers Plus, Rose Fever and Pinnacle. She has shared the stage with many Buffalo Music Hall of Fame inductees including Jim Wozniak, Wally Jederman, Bobby Jones, Nick Veltri, Sam Guarino. Currently fronting her own band “The Donna Rose Band,” she has appeared with 12 Pack Jack, James Anthony, Dolly Dee, Jack Civiletto and others, and has been a featured artist at the Tacoma Performing Arts Center, after six decades of service to Buffalo’s music community.

Tom Russo – One of the most sought-after drummers in the Buffalo music scene in the 1970s and 1980s, Tom Russo was known for playing with popular Buffalo bands such as Issac, Penny Farthing, the Farrell Brothers, Big Wheelie and the Hubcaps, Junction West, and The Buffalo Blues Brothers Band with musicians such as Billy McEwen, Jon Rose, Nick Salamone, Nick Veltri, Fred Rapillo,
and Clay Shahlka.

Christophe Swist – An internationally renowned master percussionist, composer, educator, and audio songwriter. His music has been performed by the Louisville Orchestra, Hartford Symphony Orchestra,
American Modern Ensemble, Grupo PIAP, YoungArts, and the United States Military Academy. He is Director of Recording Arts at Trinity College in Hartford and Artist in Residence at Keene State College in New Hampshire. He has also taught at The Hartt School, Bennington College, Holyoke Community College, and Franklin Pierce University. He has released two solo albums: Living Water in 2001, and Duality in 2013. Swist operates his own recording studio, EvenFall, in New Hampshire, and is a professional audio writer and reviewer for SonicScoop

Jim Yeomans – He is an award-winning singer, songwriter, guitarist and recording artist from Nashville. He won first place in Music City’s nationally televised “You Can Be a Star” competition in Nashville, Tennessee. He released the songs “Dance with Me in Three-Quarter Time” and “There Goes My Heart” on Amherst Records, where he gained regional and Nashville fame. His appeal is evident from his two successful albums, the songs of which continue to receive airplay in the United States and throughout Europe. He continues to pursue his passion for music today.

Joe Zappo – He is a guitarist, singer, songwriter, bandleader and recording artist affectionately known as “Dr. Z” Zappo. This dedicated Buffalo blues legend is a cornerstone of the Buffalo blues scene. He is active in the Western New York Blues Society, has mentored newcomers in the Am-Jam program and has played for charity for Mercy Flight and Children’s Hospital, Breast Cancer Awareness and many others.
A practicing musician since 1969, Zappo and his band Dr. Z and the Blues Remedy have been performing regularly since the 1980s.