On Friday, Feb. 6, the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame (RIMHOF) held a press conference announcing its 2015 inductees.

The event took place in the RIMHOF Museum space located at Hope Artiste Village, 999 Main St. in Pawtucket. Members of the RIMHOF Board of Directors, several past inductees, and fans and family were on hand to welcome the 13 new inductees into the Hall of Fame.

The R.I. Music Hall of Fame’s 2015 inductees are: The Schemers/Raindogs, Brenda Bennett, Nelson Eddy, George Masso, George Wein, Duke Belaire, Paco Zimmer, along with Georgie Porgie & The Cry Babies, The Others, and The Ascots (recognizing the great Rhode Island garage bands of the ’60s) and Bob Petteruti, Marty Ballou, and Marty Richards (in the new “MVP sideman award” category).

The 2015 inductees in attendance at the press conference were the five current members of The Schemers, Brenda Bennett, George Masso, Duke Belaire, Paco Zimmer, Bob Petteruti and several members of both The Others and The Ascots.

“To be inducted into the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame is the proudest moment of my music career. I’m honored and proud to be in such esteemed company,” Mark Cutler said.

“I am tremendously flattered to find that my home state of Rhode Island has chosen to recognize my achievements and contributions to the music industry. Rhode Island is so very rich in its musical and artistic talent. I take pride in saying this is where my career began,” Brenda Bennett said.

Robert Billington, chair of the RIMHOF noted, “This year’s class of inductees is especially amazing due to the variety of music styles and musical periods that we are recognizing. The thousand Saturday nights that these musicians spent on the road throughout their careers will be recognized this April as their colleagues throughout Rhode Island stand to applaud their successes.”

It was also announced that this year’s induction ceremony and concert event will take place on two days, April 20 and April 26, and will take place at two separate locations.

The jazz inductions will take place on Monday, April 20, at 7 p.m. at Bovi’s Tavern, 287 Taunton Ave. in East Providence, before the weekly performance by the Bovi’s big band led by John Allmark. Being honored on April 20 will be George Masso, Bob Petteruti and Duke Belaire, the founder of the Bovi’s band.

The 2015 RIMHOF Induction Ceremony and Concert is set for Sunday, April 26 at 2 p.m. at The Met and Hall of Fame itself, both located within the Hope Artiste Village complex. Sunday’s afternoon event will include the unveiling of nine new exhibits as well as performances by The Schemers and Raindogs, Brenda Bennett, The Ascots, The Others, and an all-star jam session led by two of this year’s MVP sideman award winners, Marty Ballou and Marty Richards.

Sunday’s concert will be preceded by the unveiling of all nine 2015 inductee exhibits.

Tickets for the April 26 event at The Met are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. The 2 p.m. unveiling of the inductee exhibits is free and open to the public; a ticket will be required for entrance to the 3 p.m. concert in the Met. Tickets can be purchased at www.rhodeislandmusichalloffame.com starting Feb. 25.

The Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame, formed in 2011, is a non-profit organization dedicated to celebrating, honoring, and preserving the legacy of Rhode Island musicians, educators and industry professionals who have made significant contributions to both the national and Rhode Island music scene.

At last year’s sold out induction/concert event, the public saw nine displays unveiled honoring the inductees in the museum space located in the hallways of Hope Artiste Village.

This year’s induction ceremony on April 26 will see nine more displays unveiled celebrating the 2015 inductees and bringing the total to 35 inductee exhibits in just four years. Eventually, the museum will hold more than 100 displays as well as assorted Rhode Island music history memorabilia and interactive components for visitors to enjoy.

“The Music Hall of Fame initiative,” says Rick Bellaire, vice chair of RIMHOF, “provides a great opportunity to not only acknowledge Rhode Island’s musical greats and celebrate their achievements, but to finally have an organization whose primary goal is to promote and preserve Rhode Island’s rich musical heritage in all its forms. With actual exhibit space, coupled with our online archive, we have in place the tools to curate and showcase the best of Rhode Island’s musical artistry.”

All proceeds from RIMHOF’s annual induction events go toward creating the museum displays, acquiring recordings and memorabilia, and digitizing that collection for permanent online access for future generations. All organizational work has been donated by members of the Board of Directors and a staff of volunteers.

Chairman Robert Billington added, “Our Induction ceremony in April has become the place for a ‘who’s who’ in Rhode Island music. The Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Concert is the place to be and be seen at as we continue to showcase the history of Rhode Island’s musical heroes.”

For general information regarding the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame, call 401-225-8860 or contact Dr. Robert Billington at 401-724-2200 or at bvri@aol.com.

For more information, visit www.rhodeislandmusichalloffame.com.