Beaver Valley Musicians Hall of Fame announces 12 inductees

Scott Tady, Beaver County Times
Updated ·2 min read

CENTER TWP. ― A dozen distinguished musicians will be honored at the 2020-2023 Beaver Valley Musicians Hall of Fame induction banquet Oct. 6, at the Center Stage banquet room in Center Township.

The gala recognizes these new hall-of-famers:

Class of 2020: Pamela Cooney Coladonato, Randall Estelle, Sandy Reigel and Paul Thiessen.

Class of 2021: Fred Campbell, Michael “Mickey” Cherico and Raymond DeLisio.

Class of 2022: Michael Dingfelder, Billy Evanochko, Todd Goodman and Elbie Yaworsky.

Billy Evanochko will be inducted into the Beaver Valley Musicians Hall of Fame.
Billy Evanochko will be inducted into the Beaver Valley Musicians Hall of Fame.

Class of 2023: Nicholas Zeigler.

Monaca native Nick Zeigler, center, with members of his California band The Forty Nineteens. Zeigler will be inducted into the Beaver Valley Musicians Hall of Fame.
Monaca native Nick Zeigler, center, with members of his California band The Forty Nineteens. Zeigler will be inducted into the Beaver Valley Musicians Hall of Fame.

The homegrown talent ranges from blues guitar dazzler Evanochko, to composer Goodman, to Center Theatre Players' founder Reigel to Hot Metal Horns band leader Yaworsky to nationally known Christian recording artist Estelle.

Campbell, an award-winning session guitarist, received the RIAA Certified Platinum Award for his sterling performance on the million-selling debut album by R&B group Dru Hill.

DeLisio and Cherico, both of venerable pop-rock band Casanova, New Brighton music teacher Thiessen and Zeigler, of national recording artists/garage-rock band The Forty Nineteens, are among the soon-to-be enshrined at the gala.

So to are Coladonato, who directed the annual musicals at South Side Area High School and performed with TheShowstoppers, Hopewell Community Big Band, Musical & Political Italian Band, the Center Township Civic Women’s Club musicals and the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera; and Dingfelder, whose resume includes teaching music at Riverside High School and performing with the River City Brass and the Beaver County Symphonic Wind Ensemble where he formerly served as assistant director.

Doors open at 5 p.m. for the hall of fame's banquet, with a buffet dinner served at 6 p.m., followed by the induction ceremony.

Banquet reservations and payment of $40 must be received by Sept. 15 by completing the Hall of Fame registration form at bvmusiciansunion.org. Tickets will not be sold at the door.

Elbie Yaworsky, left, holds a vintage drum on his Ambridge porch. Gene Rees poses with his Perry Como autographed gold records. The two men will display prized musical artifacts at the Performing Arts Luminary Museum, scheduled to open this year in Ambridge.
Elbie Yaworsky, left, holds a vintage drum on his Ambridge porch. Gene Rees poses with his Perry Como autographed gold records. The two men will display prized musical artifacts at the Performing Arts Luminary Museum, scheduled to open this year in Ambridge.

Questions may be addressed by emailing bvmu82545@gmail.com.

Since its beginning in 1990, 138 musicians have been inducted into the Beaver Valley MusiciansHall of Fame, including luminaries like Henry Mancini, The Jaggerz, Betty Douglas, B.E. Taylor and the Granati Brothers.

Jazz singer Betty Douglas is among the Beaver Valley Musicians Hall of Fame inductees.
Jazz singer Betty Douglas is among the Beaver Valley Musicians Hall of Fame inductees.

Their names are engraved on the Hall of Fame Honor Roll at the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center inMidland.

More: Morgan Gruber, Project Band, Ben Flint & Wild Child part of Highland VFW music festival

The annual hall of fame ceremonies were suspended during the COVID pandemic.

Center Stage is at 1495 Old Brodhead Road.

Nick Zeigler rocking Stage AE before a Steelers game. He's one of the newly named inductees into the Beaver Valley Musicians Hall of Fame.
Nick Zeigler rocking Stage AE before a Steelers game. He's one of the newly named inductees into the Beaver Valley Musicians Hall of Fame.

Scott Tady is entertainment editor at The Times and easy to reach at stady@timesonline.com.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Beaver Valley Musicians Hall of Fame announces inductees for 2020-23