The Historical Archive of The Rhode Island Music Hall Of Fame is a volunteer-staffed committee whose primary mission is to preserve and promote the rich legacy of all genres of music originating from or pertaining to the State of Rhode Island.
From the early years of the 19th century to the present, Rhode Island has consistently produced musicians, singers, composers, producers and educators of statewide, regional, national and international importance. Our goal is to preserve, promote and celebrate their accomplishments.
Much of the aforementioned music has gone out-of-print and is preserved only by outdated media (LP, 45 and 78 records and audio tapes) and the related memorabilia (photos, posters, sheet music, etc.) is mostly on paper.
The first goal of the Archive is to continue adding content to the website making all of this material available to the general public for research and enjoyment.
The second goal is to digitize and catalogue in a database the available materials beginning with collections of the current volunteers and, in the future, expanding that collection with already-committed materials from other sources and sources yet to be discovered or acquired. This will allow for permanent digital storage of our musical legacy for future generations to study and enjoy.
Our third goal will be to eventually install the physical collection in the The Rhode Island Music Hall Of Fame Museum making the materials available for research and to display the artifacts on a rotating focus schedule (such as a particular artist, a specific genre such as Rock ‘n’ Roll or R&B, or a defined era such as the Jazz Age) alongside the Hall Of Fame inductees’ exhibits.
THE RIMHOF HISTORICAL ARCHIVE COMMITTEE
Mederick “Rick” Bellaire
Vice-Chair Rhode Island Music Hall Of Fame, Archive Committee Chair
Biographer, discographer, musicologist, record collector, musician, songwriter, producer.
Jack McKenna
Official Graphic Designer, Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame Museum
Graphic designer, musician. Jack has designed all of the Museum exhibits (as well as the entrance and foyer) and supervised their installation.
Christine Lilley
Audio Engineer, Recording Arts Instructor
After training at Normandy Sound Recording Studios in Warren, Rhode Island and the Recording Workshop in Chillicothe, Ohio, Chris was employed for 21 years at Rhode Island’s Celebration Sound working in all aspects of audio production including recording, mixing, editing, mastering and sound reinforcement for live performances. She has extensive experience transferring outdated, analog media (vinyl records and magnetic tape) to digital formats for preservation purposes.
Rick Farrell
Official Photographer, Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame
Rick is the owner and principal photographer at Mojo Photography. He originally took up photography as a hobby to compliment his deep interest in music and In 2007, he turned professional forming Mojo Photography. He quickly became known as one of the finest concert photographers in New England and Mojo has since has documented hundreds of musical events in all musical genres. Since 2014, he has served as official event photographer for the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame induction ceremonies, concerts, press conferences and other events.
Allan “Big Al” Pavlow (1938-2016)
RIMHOF Board of Directors, author
Mr. Pavlow was a noted record collector, record producer and internationally known author of books on Rhythm & Blues, (The R&B Book: A Disc-History of Rhythm & Blues), the Brill Building music scene of the 1950s and ‘60s (Pro-Files: Discographies Vol. 1), and the history of record sales charting with his ongoing series of Hot Charts publications. Big Al was one of the principal biographers/discographers for the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame Historical Archive and was a founding Director of the Hall of Fame.
Musician, composer, teacher
Gerry is the Coordinator of Music Resource Center and Music Facilities at the University of Rhode Island and formerly an adjunct faculty at Brown University in French horn. He is a published composer and arranger and an instructor/performer of French horn, trumpet, and bass guitar. A music director for several area theaters, he was formerly publicity director for the music department and a conducting assistant for the URI Symphonic Wind Ensemble. Gerry is one of the RIMHOF Archive’s principal biographers/discographers specializing in classical music and early 20th century music.
Allen Olsen
Mr. Olsen is a guitarist and vocalist with more than forty years of experience playing in New York, Texas and Rhode Island. He is also an historian with a graduate degree that focuses on preserving the oral histories of popular and ethnic musicians.
Andy Smith
Mr. Smith is a long-time journalist, mostly for The Providence Journal (1988-2018) but also for the Binghamton Press and the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, both in upstate New York. He has written free-lance pieces for The Boston Globe and Rhode Island Monthly. For much of his journalism career he has written about music and the performing arts.
Steve Grace
Musician, songwriter, audio engineer
Steve Grace began his musical career in 1974 and studied music composition at the Community College of Rhode Island. He has worked as a recording studio and live sound engineer for more than 25 years. For the past 10 years, Steve has served as District Sales Manager with inMusic Brands, which keeps him in the forefront of the latest audio technology representing top pro audio brands such as Alesis, AKAI Professional, Denon Professional and Numark.
Tom Shaker
Dr. Shaker is an independent scholar and filmmaker. He recently retired from teaching after thirty years, directing the Communications Dept. at Dean College in Franklin, MA and lecturing at Northeastern University in Boston and WPI in Worcester, MA. His research interests include music history, pop culture and film and television. Tom has been hosting “The Soul Serenade” on WICN for over a decade, keeping classic soul, funk and R&B music alive on the airwaves. He is co-author of A Treasury of Rhode Island Jazz & Swing Musicians (2015) and co-producer of the award-winning documentary Do It Man! The Story of The Celebrity Club (2018).
RIMHOF HISTORICAL ARCHIVE VOLUNTEERS
VINCENT PASTERNAK
Vincent is a Providence-based musician, video producer and editor, and a digital photograph restorer.
RENEE L’ABBE PHOTOGRAPHER
Renee L’Abbe, 2014 official RIMHOF Photographer, induction ceremony for Francis Madeira, founder/conductor emeritus, Rhode Philharmonic Orchestra
BRITTANY WILKES PHOTOGRAPHY
Brittany Wilkes, 2013 official RIMHOF photographer
TJS PHOTOGRAPHIC
Tim Siekiera, 2012 official RIMHOF photograher
KEITH FAYAN
RIMHOF board member, RIMHOF photographer-at large
DALE ABBOTT
Well-known Rhode Island disc jockey who spins oldies, Rock ‘n’ Roll and Rhythm & Blues on WOON (1240-AM from Woonsocket, Rhode Island) and online. Dale is a renowned record collector with a specialty in the music of Rhode Island and southern New England.
NICK DiBIASIO
Radio host (NPR affiliate WICN-FM, Worcester, MA) and concert promoter for Music In Harmony
PETE SILVA
Radio host (WHJY-FM, Providence, RI), musician, author, and teacher
JOHN PECK (“THE MAD PECK”)
Nationally known cartoonist, record collector, radio personality, and archivist at Brown University Library
DR. OLDIE
Musical Director for Mad Peck Studios
MARC PERRY
RIMHOF board member, Software Specialist, musician and songwriter
BOB GIUSTI
Musician, concert promoter
MIKE EDWARDS
Record collector, music historian, reissue producer for Rare Rockin’ Records, Australia
RUSSELL GUSETTI
RIMHOF board member, musician, Executive Director Blackstone River Theatre
DON “D.C.” CULP
RIMHOF board member, musician, music educator, Shihan of Kenpo karate, concert promoter
BOB BOVI
For thirty-two years, Bob Bovi was a presence on the Rhode Island music scene. He owned several record stores in downtown Providence (Bovi’s Records, Rainbow Records); acted as the talent booker for Bovi’s Tavern in East Providence; ran a successful independent record label (Bovi Records); owned and operated G. Flagg’s, a popular nightspot in Riverside; and performed as a bassist with his own band, The Bob Bovi Trio along with pianist Mark Taber and drummer Denny Dow. He is happily retired.
STANT ADVERTISING
Stephen W. Gardner, Bob DeSimone, Anthony Lisi & Stephen M. Gardner
Web specialists/website designers