Vocal Group Hall of Fame facts for kids

The Vocal Group Hall of Fame & Museum Company Inc. was a special place in the United States. It was like a museum and a hall of fame that celebrated amazing vocal groups from all over the country. These groups sang together and made wonderful music.

The Hall of Fame was first located in Sharon, Pennsylvania. It was started by James E. Winner Jr. and Anthony F. Butala. They wanted to honor the best vocal groups in music history. The Hall of Fame was open for about ten years, from 1998 until 2008. After that, it closed for a while.

History

How It Started

The idea for the Vocal Group Hall of Fame came from Tony Butala. He is a founding member of the famous singing group The Lettermen. Tony dreamed of a place to honor vocal groups. James E. Winner Jr., a successful businessman, agreed to help fund and run the project.

The Vocal Group Hall of Fame opened in 1998. Soon after, a non-profit foundation was also created. This foundation helped collect and display special items from the inducted groups. It also looked for donations and grants to support the museum.

Changes in 2001

The Hall of Fame planned a big event for September 11, 2001, to induct new groups. However, the 9/11 terror attacks happened, and airplanes were grounded. This meant the artists couldn't travel, so the event had to be moved to October 4, 2001.

During this time, the museum staff saw a concert and were impressed by the producer, Bob Crosby. They asked him to help with their induction event. Bob Crosby agreed and successfully put on the show. He also made the first DVD of the induction ceremony.

Over time, there were some disagreements about how the museum was run and how many people visited. Tony Butala suggested that Bob Crosby take over the non-profit foundation. So, the original company closed, and Bob Crosby became the new President and CEO of the foundation.

However, new problems arose. The rent for the museum building, which was owned by James Winner, increased a lot. The foundation also faced many unexpected bills. This made it very hard for the foundation to continue.

Moving in 2002

Because of these financial difficulties, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame Foundation could no longer stay in Winner's building. On June 14, 2002, the foundation bought the Columbia Theatre in Sharon. This old theater, built in 1922, had 1750 seats.

All the special items from the inducted groups were moved into storage. The foundation's office moved to the Columbia Theatre. The original for-profit company was officially closed.

Inductions

The Vocal Group Hall of Fame Foundation usually planned to induct sixteen vocal groups each year. However, this has been delayed due to a lack of money. Artists are chosen and inducted into different categories, like groups from the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and even duos.

For each induction, an original group member, an evolved group member, or a family member represents the group. The Hall of Fame also used to release a public ballot, allowing people to vote for their favorite nominees.

Categories

To be inducted, vocal groups usually need to sing in three-part harmony. However, other groups like duos or lead singers with a strong backup harmony group can also be inducted. An example of this is Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, where Tom Petty was the lead, but the Heartbreakers provided the harmony.

Closure

The Vocal Group Hall of Fame's public areas, including the theater and museum, have been closed since 2008. This is because they haven't received enough financial support. The foundation still hopes to open a museum where inducted artists can meet and perform to support the foundation.

Columbia Theatre

The Vocal Group Hall of Fame Foundation bought the Columbia Theatre in 2001, hoping to get grants to fix it up. The state of Pennsylvania did offer a large grant, but the foundation needed to raise matching funds, which was difficult.

More than twenty years later, the theater still needs a lot of work to open. A new roof has been partly installed, and the dome's plastering is finished to keep water out. Volunteers and workers from the Mercer County Correctional Facility helped remove over 100 tons of trash from the theater to prepare it for renovation.

In November 2004, the museum's items were moved from Winner's building to temperature-controlled storage. The Columbia Theatre was meant to be the foundation's main office and the place for the yearly induction ceremonies. It was also supposed to host concerts to raise money for the foundation and the theater. There were even plans for a restaurant building next to the theater to become a vocal group-themed museum and nightclub.

Truth in Music Bill

The Truth in Music bill is a law created to protect artists from identity theft. It helps make sure that if a group performs using a famous group's name, they must actually be original members or have legal permission to use that name. This law helps prevent fake groups from pretending to be the real ones.

Many artists, like Jon Bauman and Mary Wilson, worked with the Vocal Group Hall of Fame Foundation to support this bill. Mary Wilson, from The Supremes, was a big supporter and helped get the Truth in Music Bill passed in many U.S. states. It is now adopted by most states. This law especially helps groups like The Platters, The Coasters, and The Drifters, who had problems with impostor groups.

Inductees

1998–2002

2003–2007

See also

In Spanish: Salón de la Fama de los Grupos Vocales para niños

• List of music museums
• List of vocal groups