Image via WAMI
WAMI Awards 2021
Celebrating 40 years, The Wisconsin Area Music Industry (WAMI) will bring the state’s music community back together during its 40th Awards Show. This year’s show will take place Sunday, Oct. 17, at Turner Hall Ballroom. Doors open at 6 p.m., with the WAMI Awards Show beginning at 7 p.m.
A party celebrating the nominees on Sunday, Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. at The Saloon on Calhoun will feature live music from Ben Mulwana, The Keystones and Big Spoon. The party is free and open to the public.
The Wisconsin Area Music Industry is a volunteer organization dedicated to educating and recognizing the achievements and accomplishments of individuals in the Wisconsin music industry.
The group also provides opportunities for youth to perform in an annual Youth Music Showcase, while encouraging students and emerging artists by awarding scholarships to assist with their music education.
2021 Hall of Fame Inductees
Semi-Twang
Semi-Twang formed in the mid ‘80s and quickly gained the music industry’s attention with a country-tinged, roots rock sound that would only later be described as Americana. The band, led by John Sieger, signed with Warner Bros. Records and released their debut album, Salty Tears, to critical acclaim in 1988. After a considerable break, Shank Hall owner Peter Jest asked the band to do a reunion show in 2009 for the venue’s 20th anniversary, and they discovered they still enjoyed playing together. Semi-Twang released their second album, Wages of Sin, in 2011. They’ve since released two more albums, with their latest, Kenosha arriving in 2018.
Viola Smith
At 107, drummer Viola Smith was likely the oldest, still playing professional musician before passing away in 2020. Though Smith enters the WAMI Hall of Fame for contributions to music that go far deeper than her incredible longevity.
Smith, who grew up in Mount Calvary, was among the country’s first professional female drummers and paved a path for women behind her. In the 1920s and 1930s, Smith played in the Schmitz Sisters Family Orchestra founded by her father. She gained notoriety as the “world’s fastest girl drummer.”
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Viola played with the NBC Symphony Orchestra. She performed with Ella Fitzgerald and Chick Webb. She also performed at President Harry Truman’s inauguration in 1949.
Viola played “The Ed Sullivan Show” five times and was the onstage drummer for the original 1960s Broadway production of Cabaret.
Kevn Kinney
Interestingly, an accomplished and familiar voice from the world of Southern rock hails from the Dairyland. Kevn Kinney, a native of Milwaukee, developed here as a performer before moving to Atlanta in 1985. He went on to become a founding member of Drivin N Cryin.
Drivin N Cryin is already part of the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. Their front man will now be inducted into the WAMI Hall of Fame. The band quickly became a favorite in Atlanta’s club scene and later drew faithful audiences as a touring act. Their first commercially successful album, 1991’s Fly Me Courageous, received gold certification.
The songwriter, vocalist and guitarist formed the Americana and roots rock project, Sun Tangled Angel Revival, in 2002. He released an album with the Golden Palominos in 2011.
Esquires
Milwaukee’s Esquires represent an important chapter within the city’s strong R&B history. The Esquires formed in 1957 and was originally made up of siblings Gilbert, Alvis and Betty Moorer. They went through some line-up changes by the time they broke out of Milwaukee and left their mark on a national audience. They signed with Bunky Records and their 1967 debut
record, “Get on Up,” climbed the charts. The single reached number 3 on the R&B charts and number 11 on the pop chart. Upon its popularity, they played Chicago's Regal Theater and the Apollo Theatre in New York City. The Esquires released subsequent singles and one full-length album. Their 1971 single, “Girls in the City,” reached 18 on the U.S. R&B chart.
WAMI’s newly created Wall of Honor recognizes the excellence of musicians more broadly known as entertainers. It also recognizes the organizations and people who often work behind the scenes to enrich Wisconsin through music.
Wall of Honor
The 2021 inductees to the WAMI Wall Of Honor is an impressive cast.
Eddie Butts
There are few musicians woven into the community fabric of Milwaukee and Southeastern Wisconsin as extensively as Eddie Butts. Most everyone has seen the Eddie Butts Band and they’ve become synonymous with celebration in the region whether it’s the wedding reception, community festival or a day at Summerfest or the Wisconsin State Fair.
The drummer and vocalist established his band in 1974. They’ve sustained an audience over more than four decades with skilled musicianship and a blend of R&B, pop and jazz.
A perennial favorite, Butts has received several WAMI Awards through the years in categories including adult contemporary artist, R&B artist, pop artist, blues artist and percussionist.
Vic Thomas
The national acclaim gathered by Milwaukee’s Summerfest is a testament to its leadership’s dedication, knowledge and love of music. No one has demonstrated those traits quite like Vic Thomas, who serves as associate entertainment director for the festival. Thomas, a Milwaukee native, worked his first Summerfest on the grounds crew in 1974. It was right after he graduated high school as a means to earn money for college. Through college and a stint in the Air Force, he returned home for Summerfest and took on roles including hospitality
and security. Since 1986, Thomas’ role has included booking acts, negotiating contracts and coordinating entertainment staff. During the festival, he’s ever present on the grounds from open to close, managing entertainment from street performers to the main stages. Thomas has shown his love of music beyond the festival. He’s a former WAMI president and continues to serve as a member of its advisory committee.
Marilyn Mee
She has one of the few voices that most anyone in Milwaukee would recognize. Marilynn Mee, who most recently served as the midday personality on 96.5 WKLH, has served up the rock and kept listeners company via the airwaves in Milwaukee for more than 30 years. Mee previously spent 18 years with the former Lazer 103, having joined the station at its inception. Her roles there included midday host and musical director. She was part of the Bob and Brian morning program.
Off the air, Mee is well known for her animal advocacy, having lent her name and time to humane societies and animal rescue groups. She’s the founder of MPD K9 Foundation. She’s known for her love of music and serves as proof that listeners tune into local radio for more than their favorite songs. She has also earned national recognition from the likes of Billboard magazine and Radio & Records.
Gary Shaw
If you’re from the Fox Valley and love live music, it’s more than likely came across the late Gary Shaw. Shaw learned he would receive a place on the Wall of Honor before he passed away in 2020. If you’re a guitarist in the Fox Valley, chances are you’ve got some support and made some purchases from him. Shaw had long been regarded as a brilliant guitarist and was a regular player in the region for decades. He was most recently nominated for a WAMI in the guitarist category in 2018.
But for all Shaw accomplished with the instrument, he’s just as much known for the assistance he gave others along their musical paths. Shaw was manager of Henri’s Music of Appleton from 1977 through its closure in 2010.
Through Shaw’s efforts, Henri’s was a major contributor to a growing Fox Valley music scene. As other stores focused on pianos and band instruments, Shaw set Henri’s apart as the region’s rock and roll store and it became a gathering point for players. Shaw, meanwhile, was tireless in meeting the needs of working musicians. He later went to work for Island Music in Neenah.
Madison Area Music Association
The nonprofit organization Madison Area Music Association has honored and supported Madison area artists for nearly two decades while simultaneously planting the seeds for the next generation.
The Madison Area Music Association began in 2003 as the Madison Area Music Awards. It was founded by Rick Tvedt as a means of acknowledging the extensive music talent in the Madison scene. Their first Grammy-style awards show was held on March 28, 2004, and the Orpheum Theater and has continued annually.
In following years, the MAMAs grew into an active nonprofit with a mission that extended to putting musical instruments into the hands of children. They’ve donated more than $75,000 in funds and gear to Madison Area music programs. Their goal is a future in which any child will have the chance to play music regardless of race, sex or economic background.
The organization has sought to support musicians in ways beyond recognition of their art. Its MAMA Cares program has raised and donated more than $20,000 to musicians and their families during time of medical need.
Tickets for the awards show are on sale now and available at https://www.pabsttheater.org/
And the nominees, https://www.wamimusicwi.com/post/wami-announces-nominees-for-40th-annual-show
2021 WAMI Award Nominees
Artist of the Year:
Zach Pietrini
Unity The Band
Rose of The West
Them Coulee Boys
The Jimmys
Trapper Schoepp
Klassik
Chicken Wire Empire
Album of the Year:
Black Belt Theatre, Power Petting
Stulo – Thiel, Ghosts Around Here
Chicken Wire Empire, What Moves Mountains
Goran, Under a Nashville Sky
Testa Rosa, Testa Rosa IV
Klassik, Quiet
Wisconsin Vinyl Collective, Volume Three
Kurt Gunn, Northern Town
Song of the Year:
The Keystones, “2010”
Bascom Hill, “Our Love Burning”
Nickel & Rose, “Another Man’”
Betsy Ade & the Well-Known Strangers, “Light Up My Summer”
Zach Pietrini, “Like the Pain”
Zed Kenzo, “Not Froze Yet”
Krestfall, “Where Do I Belong?”
Rose of the West, “Loves Lies Bleeding”
New Artist of the Year:
PH!L
Boy Bjorn
The Last Bees
Ben Harold and The Rising
The Midnight Purchase
Laura Jean Bomber
7000apart
The MilBillies
Male Vocalist of the Year:
Rich Hoffman
Ben Mulwana
Stephen Cooper
Bobby Rouse
Mike Wendland
Dave Adler
Andrew Balistreri
Vincent Black
Female Vocalist of the Year:
Katie Mack
Tae
Genevieve Heyward
Michele McCarthy
Jackie Brown
Jennifer Schafer
Betsy Ade
Sammy Ray Marshall
Singer/Songwriter of the Year:
Phil Norby
Kurt Gunn
Chris Haise
Cullah
Goran
Mark Croft
Barbara Stephan
Kyle Megna
Rising Star of the Year:
The Waxlips
Twisted Chords
Parker Collar
Lilie Fouts
Cherry Punch
Amelia Hopfensperger
Mackenzie Moore
Negative/Positive
Alternative Rock/Rock Artist:
NO/NO
The Keystones
Dreamhouse
Flat Teeth
Lovanova
Carbellion
Jamie Fontaine & The Level
Marielle Allschwang & The Visitations
Bluegrass/Americana Artist:
Dig Deep
The Honeygoats
Trapper Schoepp
Chicken Wire Empire
The Whiskeybelles
Them Coulee Boys
Feed The Dog
The Mascot Theory
Christian/Gospel Artist:
The Band Eden
Brendan Brooks
Danen Kane
Samuel Elias
Branches Band
Steadfast
Night Divine
WithoutExcuse
Blues Artist:
Dirty Deuce
Altered Five Blues Band
Reverend Raven and The Chain Smokin’
Altar Boys
The Jay Stulo Band
Blind Fiction
Jake’O
Cash Box Kings
Jimmy Crimmins
Country Artist:
Tangled Lines
Grand Union
Bella Cain
Madison County
Buffalo Gospel
Gregg Hall & The Wrecking Ball
Jay Matthes
Rebel Grace
Cover Artist:
Face For Radio
Johnny Wad
Almighty Vinyl
The LoveMonkeys
Five Card Studs
The Presidents
The Cougars
Radio
Folk/Celtic Artist:
The Roving Scallywags
Derek Byrne & Paddygrass
Blackthorn Folly
Nickel & Rose
Killarney Blarney
Reilly
Jesse Voelker
WarPiper
Hard Rock Artist:
The Homeland Conspiracy
Black Belt Theatre
Sir Real
Leading The Blind
Amberstein
Slowburn
Last Crack
Sacred
Metal Artist:
Imperial Fall
Conniption
These Fading Visions
Under Aegis
QuietKind
Morta Skuld
Thrasher
Lords of The Trident
Punk Artist:
Platinum Boys
Size 5’s
Indonesian Junk
The First Rule
Fox Face
Bad Year
BUD
IfIHadAHiFi
Jazz Artist:
Mark Thierfelder & Janet O’Mahony
Mr. Chair
Match Stick
Erin Krebs
The Meade Street Collective
Harmon Brothers
Jamie Breiwick
Randi Fay
Polka Artist:
SugarBush Boys
The November Criminals
Ralph Thull The Goodtime Dutchmen
The Squeezettes
Val Sigal
Alpine Blast
Steve Meisner
Stas Venglevski
Pop Rock Artist:
Rose of The West
Testa Rossa
Telethon
Fuzzy Surf
Laurel Sulfate & Her Ladies of Leisure
Rocket Cat
Xposed 4Heads
Doozey
Hip Hop/Rap Artist:
Genesis Renji
Kaylee Crossfire
WebsterX
Zed Kenzo
Klassik
Von Alexander
Shle Berry
JuiceBoxxx
R&B/Soul Artist:
The Style
Bryon Cherry
Lex Allen
Barbara Stephan Band
Charles Walker Band
Ms. Lotus Fankh
Cigarette Break
The Pocket Kings
World/Reggae/Ska/Latin:
Brewtown Beat
Unity The Band
Pegasis
King Solomon
Something To Do
Kojo
The Carlos Adames Group
In Black ‘n White
Club/DJ/Dance/Electronic Artist:
Immortal Girlfriend
LUXI
MC Whitehorse
DJ Shawna
Crystal Knives
DJ Bizzon
DJ King James
DJ Milo
Horn/Big Band Artist:
Stephen Cooper and The Nobody Famous
Extra Crispy Brass Band
Hot & Dirty Brass Band
Cold Sweat & The Brew City Horns
FBI & The Untouchable Horns
Big Band Reunion
Mama Digdown’s Brass Band
The Jimmys
Tribute Artist:
The Prince Experience
The Salford Lads Club
The Docksiders
Aces High - A Tribute to Iron Maiden
The Glam Band
Steely Dane
METAL MEN
The Rush Tribute Project
Bass:
Nick Smith
Dave Maurer
John Wartenweiler
Cedric LeMoyne
Matt Hammen
Craig Neuser
Ben Titus
Andy Mertens
Drummer:
Candy Dax
Dan Cable
Devin Drobka
Patrick Wydeven
Kim Zick
Steve Vorass
Mike Malone
Mike O’Hara
Guitarist:
Angie Swan
Sean Williamson
Pat Stillman
Raine Stern
Tom Raspanti
Dean Arndt
Matthew Schroeder
Rodney Zimmerman
Keyboard:
Dan Palmisano
Samuel P. McClain Jr.
Joe Hite
Kristopher Crow
Shawndell Marks
Jamie Fletcher
Josh Becker
Mitch Cooper
Reeds/Brass:
Katie Del Giacco
Michelle Jerabek
Matt Antoniewicz
Kevin Van Ess
Nick Zoulek
Peter Neumer
Matt Ostlund
Pete Ross
Strings:
Cameron Fair
Tim Mcilree
Holly Rognstad
Marisa Rose Sheppard
Ernest Brusubardis IV
Chauntee Ross
Tony Sturino
Corinn Bonkalski
Best Studio Engineer/Producer:
Shane Hochstetler
Kevin Arndt
Eric LaBrosse
Ian Olvera
Marc Golde
Gary Tanin
Aaron Zinsmeister
Tom Washatka
Best Recording Studio:
Howl Street Recordings
Steel Moon Recording Studio
Kneeverland Productions
The Exchange Recording Complex
Cherry Pit Studios
National Recording
Noise Music
Tanner-Monagle, Inc
Best Live Club/Venue:
Short Branch Saloon
The Saloon on Calhoun
Lyric Room
Cactus Club
High Noon Saloon
Deja Vu Martini Lounge
Paulie’s Pub & Eatery
Anodyne Coffee Roasting Co,
Best Live Engineer Sound/Lights:
Craig Vetrone
David Dec
Steve Wiegert
Trevor Powers
Justin Abuya
Steve Funke
Tim McClutchy
Michael Grassman
