Support the 2024 Luzerne County Arts and Entertainment Hall of Fame Inductees

WILKES-BARRE – The second annual Luzerne County Arts and Entertainment Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held Friday, Nov. 8 at the FM Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre.

It’s going to be a great night and I urge you all to be there.

There will be live musical performances from some of the 2024 inductees, including Shawn Klush, Abilene and Lex Romane, and live musical tributes to posthumous inductees George Wesley, Jesse Wade and Spencer Cottman.

Shawn Klush is considered the most popular Elvis Presley tribute artist in the world today. Klush earned the title of “Best Elvis Tribute Artist” from Elvis Presley Enterprises and “World’s Best Elvis” from BBC 1 Television.

If you’ve never seen or heard Shawn, you’ll really appreciate his talent. His resemblance to Elvis is uncanny and his voice is the closest thing to the King of Rock & Roll you’ve ever heard.

Abilene, the popular group that once took the region by storm with its fusion of country and rock music, is sure to bring back memories of great times and great music.

And Lex Romane, a veteran musician who has been inspired by the sounds of jazz, folk and everything in between, will appear and entertain the crowd. Lex will travel from Florida to accept his honor and rock the house.

Jesse Wade and Spencer Cottman. a musical duo whose careers in the world of entertainment are intertwined. The lifelong friends were respected figures in the community and came together artistically to form the duo “Just the Two of Us,” which toured across the state under that moniker. Local musicians will pay tribute to the two iconic musicians.

And George Wesley, the charismatic reggae musician whose work influenced nearly every county artist who followed him, regardless of genre. artistic voices. His son will lead a band to pay tribute to George and his music.

Also included in the Class of 2024:

• WARMland Legends: The innovative disc jockeys who helped make WARM radio a national powerhouse. Those inducted are Tom Woods, Harry West, Joey Shaver, Len Woloson, Don Stevens, Ron Allen, Bill Stuart, Terry McNulty, George Gilbert and Bobby Day.

• Annette Evans: The leading supporter of the arts in Luzerne County for decades, she was the founder of the Fine Arts Festival.

• Erika Funke: The modern voice of the fine arts in northeastern Pennsylvania throughout his career in radio and television.

• Al Groh: The original and most active artistic voice of Wilkes University.

•Joan Harris: The child prodigy turned theater artist became a pioneering dance icon.

• Franz Kline: The celebrated expressionist painter who was at the forefront of an art movement during the 1950s.

• Herman J. Mankiewicz: The inventive, Oscar-winning writer of Citizen Kane and The Pride of the Yankees who was one of the best screenwriters during the Golden Age of Hollywood.

• José L. Mankiewicz: The legendary film director, writer and producer who directed classics such as A Letter to Three Wives, Naked Eve and Cleopatra.

• Herbert Simon: The sculptor whose work and knowledge have been invaluable to the Luzerne County art scene for more than half a century.

• Ted Sod: The prolific and creative maestro with writing, directing, producing and acting credits to his name.

• George Graham: Radio personality and recording engineer whose support of the arts dates back more than 50 years.

The event will include a pre-show gathering with refreshments from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm in the Kirby lobby and an awards ceremony from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm in the grand theater.

Tickets, priced at $60, are available at the FM Kirby Center box office, through the Kirby Center website or at Ticketmaster. For information, call 570-826-1100.

Celebrating local success

The Luzerne County Arts and Entertainment Hall of Fame was formed in 2022. Its mission is to honor those who are natives or residents of Luzerne County or who have roots in Luzerne County and have achieved success, gained notoriety or have had a great impact. about the world of arts and entertainment, whether in Northeastern Pennsylvania or beyond.

And that’s what it’s all about: honoring those who have accomplished so much to improve our lives.

The first class members inducted in 2023 were also impressive:

• Jimmy Harnen

• The Buoys

• The Badlees

• Joe Nardone and the stars

• Eddie Day Pashinski

• Mel Wynn and the Rhythm Aces

• Lee Vincent

•Bobby Baird

• Brunon Kryger/The Kryger Brothers

• Breaking Benjamin

• Adrian Pearsall

• Barbara Weisberger

• C. Edgar Patience

• George Catlin

• Hammond Edward “Ham” Fisher

• Demand by hand

• Jack Palance

• Saint Loquasto

Please take the time to attend this year’s event. Please be there to honor these most deserving members.

It will be a night full of memories and moments to savor forever.

We look forward to seeing you at The Kirby on November 8, as we honor our 2024 inductees.

Contact Bill O’Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle. He is a co-founder of the Luzerne County Arts and Entertainment Hall of Fame.