close

Manilow, Lettermen, Temptations among pop hall inductees

3 min read
1 / 3

Barry Manilow performs on stage at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles in 2013.

2 / 3

Barbra Streisand performs during a concert in Tel Aviv, Israel, in this 2013 photo.

3 / 3

The Mills Brothers

Barry Manilow has never basked in the glow of critical approval, but he sold records by the truckload back in the 1970s and 1980s, still packs ’em in when he goes out on the road, and now has pride of place in America’s Pop Music Hall of Fame, based in Canonsburg.

Manilow was the leading vote-getter in the online competition to select 10 acts to induct into the pop hall this year, it was announced Wednesday. The other acts include a varied mix of hitmakers from the 1950s to the 1970s: Barbra Streisand; Neil Sedaka; the Association; Dion; the Grass Roots; the Lettermen; Paul Revere and the Raiders; the Temptations; and Three Dog Night.

This is the fifth batch of inductees into America’s Pop Music Hall of Fame, which celebrates recording artists who were solid-gold hitmakers. Nominees are chosen by a panel of experts and music industry professionals, and then voted on by the public. Manilow, Streisand and the other members of this class will be joining the likes of Brenda Lee, the Beatles and Frank Sinatra in the pop hall.

What stands out about this class of nominees is how easily they all fit into the pop category, according to Terry Hazlett, a former Canonsburg borough manager who is the pop hall’s executive director. While inductees from previous years like Elvis Presley or Johnny Cash also had places in the country and rock and roll halls of fame, this year’s group are all firmly entrenched in the pop genre.

“There were fewer crossover acts this time,” Hazlett said. “Most of them were pure pop, which is what we’re going for.”

More than 1 million votes were registered this year from across the United States and many other points around the world. The surprises? Nominees Rod Stewart and Sam Cooke did not make the final cut in the public vote, Hazlett said, and “female acts have such a hard time getting in.” He pointed out that singer Connie Francis has been nominated a handful of times, but has yet to break through in online voting.

Four esteemed acts in the history of pop music are also being inducted this year in the “legends” category: Louis Armstrong; Bing Crosby; the Ink Spots; and the Mills Brothers. The “legends” category is meant to honor hitmakers who had a deep and lasting influence on pop music, but whose heyday might be well outside the memory of today’s music fans. America’s Pop Music Hall of Fame still lacks a permanent home, but a feasibility study to determine the size and location of a permanent facility is being conducted. The Meadows Racetrack & Casino in North Strabane Township and other sites are being looked at. In June, a concert celebrating the pop hall is planned at the Meadows that will be headlined by B.J. Thomas, who had a hit in 1969 with “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head.” An induction ceremony for this year’s class is planned for September.

Before then, memorabilia associated with artists who have been inducted into the pop hall will be displayed in Canonsburg, starting in January, Hazlett said.

CUSTOMER LOGIN

If you have an account and are registered for online access, sign in with your email address and password below.

NEW CUSTOMERS/UNREGISTERED ACCOUNTS

Never been a subscriber and want to subscribe, click the Subscribe button below.

Starting at $3.75/week.

Subscribe Today