Illinois Rock Museum Hall of Fame in Joliet will induct blues musicians with local roots

The relationship between blues an rock n’ roll music will be center stage when the Illinois Rock & Roll Museum on Route 66 in Joliet holds its combined 2024-2025 Hall of Fame induction ceremony in September.

The event will take place on Sunday, Sept. 14 at the Rialto Square Theatre in downtown Joliet.

“In addition to some incredible rock, country and folk musicians, the museum’s charter members have voted to induct several game-changing blues artists with deep local roots,” Ron Romero, founder and executive director of the museum, stated in a news release from the museum.

Willie Dixon will enter the Hall of Fame in the Songwriter Category and Little Walter, Howlin’ Wolf and Bo Diddley will be inducted as Artist/Performers, according to the release.

Several live performers are scheduled to appear and pay tribute to the late inductees including three-time Grammy-nominated Chicago Blues legend Billy Branch, guitarist/singer/songwriter Ronnie Baker Brooks, and The Freddie Dixon Blues Band. Freddie is the son of Chicago Blues Hall of Fame member Willie Dixon, according to the release.

Delmark Records artist Sheryl Youngblood is also scheduled to appear and will perform live during the Delmark Records induction segment. Family members of the inductees will be on hand including Marion Diaz, daughter of Little Walter and Betty Kellye, Howlin’ Wolf’s daughter, according to the release.

Other scheduled live performances from Hall of Fame inductees include Grammy Award-winner Richard Marx, the award-winning Marshall Thompson and The Chi-Lites, Grammy-nominated heavy metal band Disturbed, rockers Head East, Enuff Z’Nuff, award-winning country singer Suzy Bogguss, and Chicago area folk singer Bonnie Koloc, according to the release.

Actor, singer and stage performer Skip Griparis will perform a live tribute to the late Steve Goodman. Several special, surprise guests will lead the audience in singing Goodman’s “Go Cubs, Go!,” according to the release.

The evening will also feature Annie Aiello and Columbia College Chicago’s live musical/dance tribute to “Grease”, one of the world’s most successful movie-musicals of all time based on the book, play and songs written by Chicago-born songwriter Jim Jacobs and the late Warren Casey.

Jacobs established a musical theater scholarship at the college and is scheduled to appear and accept his Hall of Fame induction, according to the release.

Vee Jay Records and Delmark Records will be inducted to the Hall of Fame in the Record Label category. Q101 and WCFL will enter in the Radio Station category, and Mitch Michaels and Bob Stroud will be inducted in the Radio Personality category, according to the release.

WGN Radio’s Bob Sirott will return as master of ceremonies.

If you go

When: 5 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 14

Where: Rialto Square Theatre, 102 N. Chicago St., in downtown Joliet

Tickets: Costs are $69, $59 or $49 each and are available now on the museum’s website at www.RoadToRock.org as well as www.RialtoSquare.com and at Ticket Master. Additional charges may apply.

The Illinois Rock & Roll Museum on Route 66 is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.