2023 Hamilton Spectator Readers' Choice Awards Winners!

Below is a list of music-related winners. Click here for full list.

1st Place = Diamond

2nd Place = Platinum

3rd Place = Gold

Local Musician or Band

• Diamond: Ryan Vivian
  
  
  
  Links: Ryan Vivian, More Ryan Vivian Stories, Video above courtesy of Jay Lolli
  
  
• Platinum: Brad Soucie
  
  
  
  Links: Brad Soucie, More Brad Soucie Stories, More Tom Petty Covers/Stories, Video above courtesy of Brad Soucie
  
  
• Gold: Justine Fischer
  
  
  
  Links: Justine Fischer, More Justine Fischer Stories, Matty Simpson, More Matty Simpson Stories, Video above courtesy of Stellablu477

Live Entertainment Facility

• Diamond: FirstOntario Concert Hall
• Platinum: Bridgeworks/The Casbah
• Gold: Theatre Aquarius

Live Music Bar / Lounge

• Diamond: The Casbah
• Platinum: Coach & Lantern
• Gold: &Then You

Local Festival

• Diamond: Supercrawl
• Platinum: Dundas Cactus Festival
• Gold: Festival of Friends

Radio Station

• Diamond: 92.9 The Grand
• Platinum: K-Lite FM 102.9/CBC Radio
• Gold: KX 94.7 New Country

Best Music Instruction

• Diamond: Adam Scott
• Platinum: Ania Fritch Music Studio
• Gold: Long & McQuade - Hamilton

Music Instructor

• Diamond: Steven Collett
• Platinum: Adam Scott
• Gold: Ania Fritch

Musical Instruments Store

• Diamond: Long & McQuade - Hamilton
• Platinum: The Acoustic Room
• Gold: Picks and Sticks ONE OF OUR SPONSORS!

Special mentions

• St. Charles Adult & Continuing Education Centres (Lou, our blogger's workplace) won Gold for Best Adult Education 

Links: Readers' Choice Awards, More Spec Readers' Choice Awards Stories

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Previous (2023 Canadian Country Music Awards Winners)

Win a Pair of Tickets to 'The Music of Tom Petty with Ben Rollo' in Brantford

The 20th anniversary celebrations for the Grand River Blues Society continue with a great tribute show on Thursday, May 18 at the Polish Hall in Brantford. Ben Rollo and his incredible 7-piece band will be performing the legendary tunes of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. This unforgettable show kicks off at 8pm. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door.

Our pals at the GRBS have given us a pair of tickets to raffle off. In order to enter, please do one (or more) of the following:

• email blueshamilton@gmail.com with the word Petty in the subject.
• Like and share this Facebook post
• Like and retweet the Twitter post

Deadline to enter is Tuesday, May 16 at midnight.

GOOD LUCK! 

Video above courtesy of Benjamin Rollo

Video above courtesy of Benjamin Rollo

Links: Ben Rollo, More Tom Petty Covers/Stories, Video above courtesy of Benjamin Rollo

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Previous (National Cartoonists Day)

News Roundup (Dallas Harms, Tragedy Ann, Fred Penner, More)

John (Jack) Robertson of CBS Records Canada Passes 

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News

Local

• CHCH Video: Dallas Harms
  
  
  
  Links: Dallas Harms, More Dallas Harms Stories, Video above courtesy of CHCH
  
  
• Video: Tragedy Ann on Drew Marshall Show
  
  
  
  Links: Tragedy Ann, More Drew Marshall Show Episodes, Video above courtesy of drewmarshallshow
  
  
• Video: Dan's Space Van w Fred Penner
  
  
  
  Links: Fred Penner, More Fred Penner Stories, More Space Van Episodes, Video above courtesy of Danny Michel
  
  
• Tom Wilson interview in Barrie Today
• CHCH Videos: Mackenzie Leigh Meyer, Havens, Jenna Nation
• Local International Blues Challenge Reps
• View Magazine Readers Choice Award Winners

Spectator Stories

• Arkells conquer Canada
• Canadian artists cover Tom Petty
• Another honour for HPO conductor
• Otis Williams of the Temptations
• Cher's Believe Turns 20

World

• 50% of new guitarists are women

Passings

• Geoff Emerick (Beatles Engineers)

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Adventure of Trebleclef, the Music-Loving Monkey

Trebleclef will be back next week.

MORE NEWS ROUNDUPS

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Previous (CHCH Videos: Mackenzie Leigh Meyer, Havens. Jenna Nation More) - - - Next (Peter McFarland Passes)

News Roundup (Tom Petty, Purple Helmet, Shjaane Glover, Colin Cripps)

Tom Petty Passes

Local social media reaction:

Dave Rave: RIP. Always an inspiration to me. This is truly sad news

Lou Molinaro: Thinking about some of the TOM PETTY shows that I saw and one of the more memorable ones was the early September show 1989 at the Kingswood Theatre in Canada's Wonderland. THE REPLACEMENTS opened up.

Tyler Schwende: Beyond sad news about rock icon Tom Petty. I will always remember his famous saying 'Don't bore us - get to the chorus!' Thank you Tom for all the amazing songs and of course fabulous hooks that inspired me as an artist and thousands of others. Your music will not be forgotten.

Links: Tom Petty, More Tom Petty Stories,  Video above courtesy of TomPettyVEVO

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News

Local

• Barber Shop Podcasts:
  
  Purple Helmet
  
  
  
  Links: More Barber Shop Podcasts, Video above courtesy of Barber Shop Podcast
  
  Shjaane Glover
  
  
  
  Links: Shjaane Glover, More Barber Shop Podcasts, Video above courtesy of Barber Shop Podcast
  
  
• Episode of Guitars in Hand w Hamilton's Colin Cripps (ex-Junkhouse, Blue Rodeo)
  
  
  
  Links: Colin Cripps, More Colin Cripps Stories, Video above courtesy of CBC MusicLab
  
  
• CHCH Videos: Dave Rave and Hailee Rose
• New Low Country Hill Album
• Debut Recording from The Tradition

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Previous (Lots of Local YouTube Videos) - - - Next (Mighty Duck Blues Band Debut Album)

News Roundup (Pearly Jenkins, IBC Winners, Karli June, Johnny Mac Slater)

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News

Local

• Barber Shop Podcast w Pearly Jenkins
  
  
  
  Links: Pearly Jenkins, More Pearly Jenkins Stories, Video above courtesy of Barber Shop Podcast
• Spec story on Grant Avenue Studios Crowd Funding Campaign

Canada

• Jan 2015 Issue of Maple Blues

World

• 
  
• Tom Petty Awarded Songwriter credit for "Stay With Me"
• Hilarious Onion Story about a Blues Woman
• 10 Years of Research Produces the Piano of the Future
• Passings: Demis Roussos (Aphrodite's Child), Edgar Froese (Tangerine Dream)

International Blues Challenge Winners

Band

• 1st Eddie Cotton (Vicksburg Blues Society)
• 2nd Noah Wotherspoon (Dayton Blues Society)
• 3rd Nico Wayne Toussaint (Southern California Blues Society)
• Best Guitarist -  Band (Gibson & Category 5) Noah Wotherspoon (Dayton Blues Society)

Solo/Duo

• 1st Randy McQuay (Cape Fear Blues Society)
• 2nd Brian Keith Wallen (Dayton Blues Society)
• Best Guitarist – Solo/Duo (St. Blues Guitars) Ben Rice (Ashland Blues Society)

Best Self-Produced CD: Altered Five Blues Band - Cryin’ Mercy (Grafton Blues Association)

Lee Oskar Harp Award: Nico Wayne Toussaint (Southern California Blues Society)

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Featured Video

Links: Johnny Mac Slater Video above courtesy of Johnny Mac Slater

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Previous (2015 Juno Nominations) - - - Next (Steve Strongman and Jordan John on Roly Platt CD)

The Overplayers@Aout 'N' About (February 23, 2012)

More Beatles Covers/News Stories











Blasts from the Past: Overplayers@Slainte: Part 1, Part 2
Links: Overplayers, More Overplayers Stories

Andy Griffiths and the Lost Groove@Moonshine Cafe (Part 1) (January 21, 2012)

Andy Griffiths (vocals, guitar, bass on Instrumental), Matt King (bass, guitar on Instrumental), Frank Koren (guitar, left), Edward M Cromwell (drums), Lawrie Ingles (keys)













More from this show

• Andy Griffiths and the Lost Groove: Part 2
• Robert Maciag

Links: Andy Griffiths, More Andy Griffiths Stories

David Cavan Fraser@David's (Port Dover) (August 27, 2011) Part 2

Click here if you can't see the videos.




Click here for Part 1
Bonus Videos:




Bonus videos of David Cavan Fraser's YouTube page

Click here for David Cavan Fraser's site.