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The Buckinghams Inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame


Kent Kotal scooped the media today in announcing the latest news from John Rook, legendary national record program director and cofounder of the Hit Parade Hall of Fame. The Buckinghams are among "the sixty-four recording stars who have been inducted into the 2009 Hit Parade Hall of Fame." Formed in 2006, the organization is considered a prestigious, if not refreshing, alternative to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Nominees for this honor are made by a powerful array of industry professionals. Fans then have an opportunity to cast their votes for "recording stars who have had two or more top ten hits in the '50s, '60s or '70s."

It was the vote of fans and the decision of the
Nominating Committee that the following recording artists are inducted for 2009:

America, the Ames Brothers, Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass,
Louis Armstrong, Frankie Avalon, Brook Benton,
Buckinghams, Glen Campbell, Chordettes,
Petula Clark, Sam Cooke, Dave Clark Five,
Creedence Clearwater Revival, Buddy Holly & the Crickets,
Sammy Davis, Jr., Doors, Drifters, Tommy Edwards,
5th Dimension, Eddie Fisher, Fleetwood Mac,
Johnny Horton, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Four Aces,
Four Lads, Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, Lesley Gore,
Michael Jackson & the Jackson Five, Joni James, Sonny James,
Billy Joel, George Jones, Kitty Kallen,
KC & the Sunshine Band, Andy Kim, Carole King,
Gladys Knight & the Pips, Little Richard, Barry Manilow,
Al Martino, Mamas & The Papas, McGuire Sisters,
Les Paul & Mary Ford, Peter, Paul & Mary, Gene Pitney,
Platters, Gary Puckett & the Union Gap, Helen Reddy,
Marty Robbins, Rolling Stones, Jimmie Rodgers,
Bobby Rydell, Del Shannon, Simon & Garfunkel,
Jo Stafford, Barbra Streisand, Temptations,
Three Dog Night, Bobby Vee, Bobby Vinton,
Dionne Warwick and Andy Williams

..."among the largest group of inductees of any given year since the formation of the Hit Parade Hall of Fame in 2006."

Once nominated, recording stars who have had two or more top ten hits
in the '50s, '60s or '70s have three years in which to be inducted
into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.

Each January, inductees of the past year are announced with the new nominees for the New Year in the second week of February.

John Rook, creator of the Hit Parade Hall of Fame said, “in announcing this, the largest class of inductees to the Hit Parade Hall of Fame, the nominating committee attempted to pay tribute to many recording stars who are long overdue the recognition they so richly deserve.”

The nominating committee includes producer Shelby Singleton, music label executive Joe Smith, the late programming expert, Bill Drake, TV dance show host, Clay Cole, record label executive Barney Ales, radio exec John Gehron (the man who is partially responsible for The Buckinghams' 1980 ChicagoFest reunion concert at Navy Pier), Jerry Osborne, syndicated columnist and music publisher, broadcast exec Allen Shar, on-air radio personality Mike Harvey, personal manager and producer Michael Glynn, Music editor and A&R director Ira Howard, Los Angeles TV host and radio talent Sonny Melendrez, radio programmer Bill Young, entertainment executive Jerry Sharell, radio personality and TV host Wink Martindale (to be heard regularly on Hit Parade Radio later this spring), record promotions exec Steve Resnik, Canada's own radio programming director Red Robinson, media consultant Michael Sigman, DJ/actor Gary Theroux, recording executive Bob Fead, "Inside Radio's founder Jerry Del Colliano, record exec John Rosica, intellectual property executive Jim Long, record producer Michael Lloyd, radio programmming chief Ed Salamon, Texas Radio Hall of Fame inductee, Kent Burkhart, radio station owner Pat O'Day, broadcaster George Klein, "Radio and Records" CEO and Publisher Erica Farber, label president and Grammy-winning producer Steve Popovich, label exec Russ Regan, label exec and talent promoter Ron Alexenburg, broadcast exec George Wilson, the voice of nighttime radio talk, Rollye James, DJ and publishing account executive Jason Rook, and Hit Parade Hall of Fame cofounders, John Rook and Gil Bateman, who launched this initiative in 2006.

For more on the Hit Parade Hall of Fame, visit http://hitparadehalloffame.org and for more on the dynamic debut of Hit Parade Radio later this year, visit:
www.HitParadeRadio.com and check out Larry Lujack and Wink Martindale as on-air talent.

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