You know the '50s doo-wop song, "Lollipop." (And now you probably can't get it out of your head.) You also know "Mr. Sandman" (most notably featured in "Back to The Future"). But did you know that the female vocal quartet who sang these songs were from Sheboygan, WI? Well now, with The Chordettes' recent recognition by the Wisconsin Area Music Industry, we'll never forget.
Each Thursday morning on Radio Milwaukee we—the Journal Sentinel’s Piet Levy and 88Nine’s Jordan Lee—talk about the music coming into Milwaukee and the music coming out of Milwaukee on Tap’d In.
Read more and listen to the podcast episode below to hear us talk dedicate the first half of the show to remembering Harvey Scales and his lasting legacy on Milwaukee and beyond. Then, we talk about the WAMI awards and the newest Hall of Fame inductees.
2019 WAMI awards and Hall of Fame inductees
Joining Harvey Scales, Les Paul, Violent Femmes and Liberace, this year's inductees into the WAMI Hall of Fame are: The Chordettes (as previously mentioned), treasured songwriter Paul Cebar and the '80s/'90s heavy metal band Realm.
Yesterday, WAMI also announced the nominees for the 39th annual award show, which is back in Milwaukee this year on Sunday, April 14at the Turner Hall Ballroom.
Below is a list of all the nominees. WAMI will host a free party celebrating the nominees on Sunday, March 31 at Saloon on Calhoun in Brookfield, which is also up for the Best Live Club/Venue award. And voting is now live for the People's Choice awards.
Artist of the Year Lex Allen Chris Kroeze Unity The Band Tigernite Horseshoes & Hand Grenades Field Report Feed The Dog Dead Horses
Album of the Year Field Report – "Summertime Songs" Horseshoes & Hand Grenades – "The Ode" Lorde Fredd33 – "Norf: The Legend of Hotboy Ronald" Feed The Dog – "Tenderloin" Warrior Songs – "Women at War: Warrior Songs Vol. 2" Yipes! – "Yipes!!!" Lex Allen – "Table 7: Sinners and Saints" Keith Pulvermacher – "45 Story"
Song of the Year Amanda Huff & Peter Thomas – “Only In Dreams” Reyna – “Heartbeat” Calliope – “Sea of Red” Buffalo Gospel – “18 Wheeler” Trapper Schoepp – “On Wisconsin” Webster X – “Feels” Abby Jeanne – “Be In The Sun” Vinyl Theatre – “Masterpiece”
New Artist of the Year Krestfall The Docksiders The First Wave Block Party Tae Brett and The Dandys Spirited Strings Jessie Marie and the Rippers
Male Vocalist of the Year Rich Hoffman Steve March-Torme Chris Hodgson Andre Beaudot Julio Reyes Jeff Taylor Sean Jones Eddie Martinez
Female Vocalist of the Year Kaylee Pecha Erin Krebs Jennifer Schafer Paige Baker Jackie Brown B-Free Michele McCarthy Anastasia Lee
Singer/Songwriter of the Year Ben Wagner Keith Pulvermacher Kyle Feerick Laura Petersen Kurt Gunn Sammy Ray Marshall Joe Richter Alyssia Dominguez
Rising Star of the Year Figure It Out Jenna Kopitske Lilie Fouts Rewind Lokke Parker Collar Ebony Loren Sadie Jo Schwefel
Alternative Rock/Rock Artist Carbellion Sliver Amberstein More Then Merry Chris Haise Band Sacred Pudge Horace Greene
Bluegrass/Americana Artist Wise Jennings Feed The Dog Horseshoes & Hand Grenades Mascot Theory The Fainting Room Dead Horses Chicken Wire Empire Zach Pietrini
Christian/Gospel Artist Spirited Strings Koine Kevin Hayden Night Divine Mike Westendorf WithoutExcuse Masonic Wonders
Blues Artist Reverend Raven & The Chain Smokin’ Altar Boys Altered Five Blues Band Robert Allen, Jr. Madtown Mannish Boys The Blues Disciples Jay Edward Tallan Noble Latz David Miller Band
Country Artist Grand Union Driftwood Rebel Grace Dexter Road Buffalo Gospel Driveway Thriftdwellers Stetsin & Lace Madison County
Cover Artist Panic Station Star Six Nine Almighty Vinyl The Now The Toys 33 RPM A-Town Unplugged Bella Cain
Folk/Celtic Artist Reilly The Roving Scallywags WarPiper Warrior Songs Killarney Blarney Trapper Schoepp John Stano Derek Byrne and Paddygrass
Hard Rock Artist Lords of The Trident The Homeland Conspiracy Last Crack Imperial Fall Sons of Kong Cyanide Son Stone Crow Killing Rapunzel
Metal Artist Memories Wither METAL MEN Jungle Rot Conniption Morta Skuld Monorail Central Revolution-X Thrasher
Punk Artist BUD Ratbatspider Slaughter Party The Cherrypops DIRECT HIT! The First Rule Solid Freex! Fox Face
Jazz Artist KWT featuring Tom Washatka The Jazz Orgy Randi Fay The Bill Schmidt Jazz Ensemble Match Stick Mike Standal Quartet Jerry Grillo Meade St. Collective
Polka Artist Val Sigal Happy Schnapps Combo The Squeezettes Alpine Blast Tuba Dan Jerabek The November Criminals Steve Meisner Rhythm Playboys
Pop Rock Artist Doozey Brett Newski Xposed 4Heads Well-Known Strangers Rocket Cat Tigernite Gin, Chocolate & Bottle Rockets Sunspot
Hip Hop/Rap Artist IshDarr Vincent VanGreat DJ Milo Gambino Webster X Zed Kenzo Shle Berry Lorde Fredd33 Knowsthetime
R&B/Soul Artist J-Council Charles Walker Band The People Brothers Band Tweed Eddie Butts Band Valerie B. and The Boys Lex Allen The Pocket Kings
World/Reggae/Ska/Latin Luma Knotty Unity The Band De La Buena The Us Project Salsa Manzana Sista Sensi & The B Easy Band Natty Nation Something To Do
Club/DJ/Dance/Electronic Artist Kiings No No Yeah Okay LUXI Fortune DJ Zello DJ Flux
Horn/Big Band Artist FBI & The Untouchable Horns The Jimmys Extra Crispy Brass Band Water City Jazz Orchestra Big Mouth & The Power Tool Horns Big Style Brass Band Cold Sweat and The Brew City Horns Hot and Dirty Brass Band
Tribute Artist The Prince Experience Master of Puppets – A Tribute to Metallica Light Up Steely Dane The Rush Tribute Project Project Pink Harvest The Hellion
Bass Danny Walters Johnny Washday Ken Gore Jim Sorensen Fred Velpel Chris Hanaway Craig Neuser Mary Farmer
Drummer Mark Anastasi Matt Gieseke Chris DiDomenico Dean Tassone Jim Winter Adam Hatton Andrew Lynch Jim Kube
Guitarist Sean Williamson Jeff Mitchell Paris Ortiz Angie Swan Kyle Stair Jay Stulo Tom Theabo Miles McConnell
Keyboard Rebecca Kettler Noah Harmon Shawndell Marks Logan Dier Jimmy Voegeli Josh Becker Theo Merriweather Sam McClain
Reeds/Brass John Vollmar Ross Catterton Michael Clobes Jack Naus Jamie Beckman Ben Hohenstein Greg Balfany Matt Antoniewicz
Strings Chauntee Ross Thea Morton Vorass Kayla Potter Russ Greeley Joe Ketchum Tim McIlree Monique Ross Angela Licari
Best Studio Engineer/Producer Eric LaBrosse Jeff Hamilton Marc Golde Joe Hite Geoff Wilbourn Gary Tanin Michael Mann Steve Hamilton
Best Recording Studio Musicmann Studios Stories Studio Rock Garden Cherry Pit Studios Tanner-Monagle, Inc. Hi-Five Studio Renwood Messenger Studio Makin’ Sausage Music
Best Live Club/Venue Shank Hall The Saloon On Calhoun The Cold Shot Gibson Music Hall North Star Casino Potawatomi Fire Pit Sports Bar Phatheadz Dundee’s Roadhouse
Best Live Engineer Sound/Lights Todd Fink Cole Grygny Tom Mussa Dan Henszey Jon-Paul LeClair Craig Vetrone Steve Fry Jason Lueck