Rochester Music Hall of Fame announces 2017 inductees 

[UPDATED AND REVISED 2/23/17]

It's hard to believe that the Rochester Music Hall of Fame is now planning for its sixth annual induction ceremony. And this one is a winner. In past years, the ceremony came off a little forced and not necessarily rooted in Rochester, but one look at this year's sensational, well-thought out lineup and it's apparent: it's all Rochester, Jack.

The 2017 Rochester Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place Sunday, April 30, at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, 60 Gibbs Street. 7 p.m. Tickets are $20-$60, and are available through the Eastman Theatre box office (274-3000) or at rochestermusic.org.

This year's inductees are:

Samuel Adler — Eastman School of Music professor of composition from 1966 to 1995.

Joe Beard — Blues guitar legend revered world-wide.

Gary Lewis — Leader of Gary Lewis and The Playboys, who over its career received eight gold singles and 17 Top 40 hits.

Unkle Roger McCall — The "Last DJ" whose Homegrown show championed Rochester musicians until his murder in 2003.

Greg Sullivan — Another champion of local music and the owner of the iconic Penny Arcade.

Lewis Soloff — Trumpet player for Blood, Sweat & Tears during the band's peak (1968-1973) who then went on to working with Marianne Faithful, Frank Sinatra, and Art Garfunkel, to name a few.

During the ceremony, ESM graduate students will perform Adler's 1999 composition "Piano Quintet For Piano and String Quartet." Joe Beard will play with Prime Time Funk, and will be joined on stage by his sons, Chris and Duane. Gary Lewis will be joined on stage with an updated version of The Playboys to play his hits. An all-star band (to be announced) will pay tribute to Unkle Roger and Greg Sullivan with the song "Shine," penned by Jeff Cosco. And Blood, Sweat &Tears singer David Clayton Thomas will pay tribute to Lew Soloff. This is all preceded by a show opener that the Rochester Music Hall of Fame folks are being hush-hush about. Stay tuned.