The Kansas Music Hall of Fame (KSMHOF) 2024 inductees will be honored at a ceremony and concert at Liberty Hall, 644 Massachusetts Street, in Lawrence, KS on Saturday, April 20. The 2024 KSMHOF Class Inductees include: Karrin Allyson, Ric Averill, Angela Hagenbach, Son Venezuela, The Scamps, Rick Faris, Philip Anschutz, Anthony Jermaine White (aka J. White Did It), and The Cotillion Ballroom (Ad Astra Award Recipient).
Karrin Allyson is a Grammy-nominated American jazz vocalist, originally from Great Bend. In 1990, she moved to Kansas City where her jazz career took off. Of the 12 studio albums she recorded for the Concord Jazz label in Kansas City, five have received Grammy nominations for Best Jazz Vocal Album, including "Ballads: Remembering John Coltrane."
Ric Averill is the Emeritus Artistic Director of Performing Arts at the Lawrence Arts Center. Averill is a director, playwright, screenwriter, composer, director, conductor, actor and educator. Averill composed a youth opera based on "The Emperor’s New Clothes" for The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. In addition to composing children’s songs, operas and ballets, Ric is often found as a professional performer and/or music director.
Angela Hagenbach is a Grammy-nominated jazz singer/songwriter from Kansas City and has been a staple in the Kansas City scene for nearly three decades. A former trombonist, Hagenbach was twice chosen to represent the United States as a Jazz Ambassador to the world under the auspices of the United States Information Agency and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Son Venezuela is a Lawrence-based Latin band who have performed in the Latin scene for 30 years. Son Venezuela's induction is historic as it marks the first induction of a Latin artist or group into the KSMHoF.
Originally from Parsons, R&B vocal group The Scamps (aka The Five Scamps) were a fixture in Kansas City nightclubs in the 1940's & 50's, eventually signing with Columbia Records. The Scamps live performance spanned six decades, and were rewarded in 2002 by Kansas City officials who renamed a section of 8th Street as "Scamps Alley" in their honor.
Rick Faris is a Grammy-nominated Bluegrass artist, songwriter and musician from Topeka. After spending 11 years with the acoustic bluegrass group Special Consensus, Faris has enjoyed success as a solo artist, with multiple nominations from the International Bluegrass Music Association, including winning the "Best New Artist" award in 2022. Faris is also an in-demand luthier, specializing in building handmade guitars since 2000 with Rick Faris Guitar Co.
Philip Anschutz (Bob Hapgood Award Recipient) is a businessman and philanthropist from Russell, and is the founder and owner of AEG Live (Anschutz Entertainment Group), one of the largest presenters of live music and entertainments in the U.S., owning California music and arts festival Coachella.
Jermaine White (aka "J. White Did It") (Bill Lee Award Recipient) is Grammy Award-winning producer from Leavenworth, responsible for two Diamond-selling singles (Cardi B's "Bodak Yellow" and "I Like It"). White has produced songs for artists Megan Thee Stallion, Latto, Gucci Mane and 21 Savage, whose song "a lot" (along with Megan's "Savage" remix with Beyonce') earned him a Grammy win for Best Rap Song.
Famed Wichita concert hall The Cotillion (The Cotillion Ballroom) (Ad Astra Award Recipient) has been providing entertainment since 1960. Nicknamed "The Round Mound of Sound", the Cotillion has hosted shows from such notable artists as Duke Ellington, The Everly Brothers, James Brown, Etta James, Willie Nelson, and B.B. King, among many others.
There will be a live induction ceremony held on Saturday, April 20th at Liberty Hall at 7pm in Lawrence. Tickets can be purchased at https://www.libertyhall.net/live-events/upcoming-events/kansas-music-2023. A televised version of the ceremony will air in early July.
The Kansas Music Hall of Fame was established in August 2004. The mission of the Kansas Music Hall of Fame is to honor the music, musicians, and related institutions that have made a significant contribution to Kansas and the Greater Kansas City area. Our purpose is to recognize those of the past, and present and encourage those of the future. For more information on the Kansas Music Hall of Fame, go to ksmhof.org.