By Don Priest | kfsrbluesdog@gmail.com
For the 5th consecutive year, The Valley Music Hall of Fame continues its mission of honoring artists who have made significant contributions to the Valley’s musical heritage, Joining the ranks of honorees this year are Rock & Roll Bassist Bill Church; Folkloric Singer Songwriter Agustin Lira: Blues Artist Omar Sharriff; American Pop Vocalist Jo Stafford; and Folk Music Producer Pat Wolk.
The Induction ceremony will take place on Wednesday, September 17th at Roger Rockas Dinner Theater. The dinner & show celebration will feature award presentations, special guests, and musical performances. Ticket information will be available soon.
The Inductees
Bill Church was a “military brat” who started playing guitar in Germany in early 1960’s with some other military brats and switched to bass when the bass player’s parents got ‘rotated.’ Upon his family’s return the states in 1964, Bill started playing the Reno casino circuit. The big break came in 1967 when he moved to San Francisco and rented a place in “The Haight” where he got to know all the key rock & roll figures in the area, including Ronnie Montrose and Bill Graham. Those connections led to Bill and Ronnie being hired by Van Morrison to play and tour on his “Tupelo Honey” and “Saint Dominic Preview” albums. Montrose formed his own band in 1973 with Bill on bass and 24-year-old Sammy Hagar on vocals. Sammy then formed his band in 1975 and took bill with him. The two stayed together for 10 years, touring, and recording multiple albums. That partnership ended when Sammy joined Van Halen in 1985. Bill then went into semi-retirement and came to Fresno to live close to his parents, who had relocated here in 1967.
Agustin Lira is a Folkloric singer, songwriter, and musical theater director. Born in Coahuila, Mexico, he and his family emigrated to US in 1952 to work the fields and follow the crops up and down the San Joaquin Valley before finally settling in Selma. In 1965, at the age of 19, Agustin cofounded “El Teatro Campesino” with Luis Valdez during the Delano Grape Strike headed by Cesar Chavez. The company created songs and plays, performed on picket lines, at rallies, and toured throughout the United States. Lira’s singing and songwriting about the trials that confronted his community were at the heart of “El Teatro Campesino” and established his role as the preeminent musical voice of the early Chicano Movement. In 1969 he left “El Teatro Campesino” to continue his work in music and theater and in 1971 formed “El Teatro de la Tierra” that performed throughout Southern California. He also taught drama, music, and creative writing at universities, schools, and community organizations throughout California. Agustin now resides in Fresno and teaches music to young people in the inner-city of Fresno and continues to write songs and plays.
Omar Sharriff – (aka Omar the Magnificent, aka Dave Alexander) was a Blues singer, songwriter, and self-taught piano player who played with Big Mama Thornton, Jimmy Witherspoon, Albert Collins, and other blues greats before moving to Fresno in the early ‘80s. He came here from Oakland and brought the West Coast Oakland Vibe with him after playing numerous gigs in the legendary “Eli’s Mile High Club” in West Oakland and “Minnie’s Can-Do Club” in San Francisco’s Filmore district. He is known here for efficiently running the Monday Night Blues Jam at Zapp’s Park and other Fresno venues for seven years, where he encouraged and schooled anyone who wanted to play. Under his direction, The Monday Night Blues Jams became both a meeting place and training ground for local blues players and he helped launch several careers. He also performed as a soloist and in small combos at smaller venues around Fresno and brought other renowned players including Charlie Musselwhite and Albert Collins to play with him in these intimate settings. The Omar led Monday Night Blues Jams at Zapp’s Park are still talked about today.
Jo Elizabeth Stafford (from Coalinga) was an American traditional pop singer whose career spanned five decades from the late 1930s to the early 1980s. She made her first musical appearance at age 12 with her two older sisters. In 1938 she met the Pied Pipers and became the group’s lead singer. Bandleader Tommy Dorsey hired them in 1939 to perform vocals with his orchestra. An innovated arraigner (and reputed to have perfect pitch) Jo’s work with the Pied Pipers revolutionized harmony singing in the big band era. During WWII she toured extensively with the USO, performing for troops overseas and earning the nickname “G.I. Jo.” Her version of “I’ll Be Seeing You” became an anthem for separated families. She was one of the most popular singers during the 1940’s and 50’s and recorded over 800 songs during her career. Jo also made numerous appearances on radio and TV, including The Ed Sullivan Show. She married musician/arraigner Paul Weston in 1952 and in 1955 they founded Crest Records, which allowed her to take control over her career – a rarity for female singers on that era.
Pat Wolk has served over 20 years as the concert master and past president of the Fresno Folklore Society. She first became interested in folk music as a child watching Pete Seeger & Woody Guthrie perform, setting the stage for her life-long passion of presenting folk music and prompting her to create an idyllic performance venue in her backyard. Her Wolk Garden Concerts are legendary and have hosted performances by Folk music luminaries such as Laurie Lewis, John McCutcheon, U. Utah Philips, Holly Near and many others. Her garden also hosts events for local folk musicians, including fund raisers, CD release parties & most recently the memorial gathering for drummer John Shafer. In addition to her Garden shows, she also produces concerts at other venues around Fresno, bringing some of the country’s finest folk musicians to town. Pat’s skill as a producer is “off the charts” as she handles all the details, from initial contact to final payout with ease and humor. She is also an accomplished photographer and contributed photos for Evo Bluesteins’ book, “The Road to Sweets Mill.” Pat recently celebrated her 91st birthday.
