Florida Music's Past, Present & Future

Beginning with the first drum beat by the Florida Seminole Indians, The "Sunshine State" has developed a rich history of music! It is with this spirit and depth of origin that we join in on this long musical journey recognizing all which is Florida Music!

Now, more than ever, is the time for Floridians to step up to the plate and take the initative to openly salute those who have and those who are still creating the music and the events which have shaped all of our lives while living in Florida and touched the hearts of many all over the world! All of the music makers who have come before us and many who are still making music today deserve our honoring and recognizing them in a way which shows our collective appreciation for Florida Music and its effect on the world music industry related to Florida's rich musical history.

Onward
What this organization's goals really are is to establish a Florida Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame, Honoring and preserving the legacy of all music industry people from musicians to writers and from performers to promoters who have roots in Florida and have contributed in a way that made a difference in our musical heritage. Our task which lies ahead is channeling the positive energy of a few to honor and cast in stone enabling future generations to remember the many who have contributed through their art by sharing their diverse talents in music with Florida and the world!

An Idea
In the mid 60's Charlie Souza, a Florida native, was part of the Tampa Bay area band The Tropics who achieved a national level of success. Fast forward to 1999, the group reunited for a 30 year reunion at the St. Petersburg Coliseum and the immortality of the music they played was evident. Who would remember all of the joy that was generated by the music and all of the people who helped make it happen? The next day, Charlie was looking out at the white sand of St. Pete Beach from a hotel balcony and got an idea. He said to his band mate, Buddy, hey, there should be a Florida Music Hall of Fame so that we can keep the memory of all of us alive along with those who came before us as well as those who come after, right up to the present!

Georgia had a Hall of Fame, but Florida didn't! It didn't make sense as many of the artists honored by the Georgia Music Hall of Fame actually were from Florida or started their careers in the beautiful Sunshine State of Florida!

As for Charlie's 1999 coversation at St Pete Beach with Buddy, The Tropics founding member who sadly is no longer with us, the quest is on to help create The Florida Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame to honor him and all Florida music makers like him who have helped make Florida music what it is today and what it will be tomorrow!

So it has been written, so it shall be done!
From Classical Music to Jazz to the works of music legends like Ray Charles and Steven Foster to Southern Rock pioneers like the Allman Brothers and Tom Petty and from Country Rock icons such as Jimmy Buffett to Latin Rock's Miami Sound Machine with Gloria Estefan and others like them, will finally be honored, recognized and remembered for future generations.

Getting it Done!
Now that the core of the ever growing group of professionals heading up the Board of Directors is assembled, Florida will very soon have a Hall of Fame all its own. Some of the Florida business and music professionals serving on the board at Florida Music & Entertainment Hall of Fame and taking action now are among the following.......

• Dorothy Famiano - of Digital Bay Media, Inc. has been developing targeted advertising, video and complex web-based solutions for hundreds of companies large and small in eleven nations across four continents for over 13 years. www.DigitalBay.net

• Charlie Souza - Musician, writer & vocalist of The Tropics, bass player with Tom Petty, current bass guitarist & vocalist for The New Rascals, and an active Tampa Bay area record producer. www.CharlieSouza.com - www.TheOldRascals.com

• A. Paul Johnson - A classical composer, conductor, writer and director and has appeared as guest artist for regional theaters and music organizations throughout the United States. His art has graced the stages of Indiana Repertory Theater, Syracuse Stage, Arkansas Repertory Theater, Manhatton Plaza and at an encore performance at the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg with FUZION Dance Company. www.apolloproject.net

• Douglas Cifers - Editor and publisher of Florida Monthly and other Florida publications—Real Florida, Florida Homes & Lifestyles, Florida Fishing & Boating Guide, Florida Spring Training Guide, and a dozen more—explores, preserves and celebrates Florida's heritage each month. http://floridamagazine.com

• Joe Lala - Professional actor and musician and original Blues Image percussionist. Has played with more major artists than we can list including Stephen Stills, Bee Gees. Poco, Dan Fogelberg, Chicago, Allman Brothers and Rick Derringer. www.JoeLala.com

• Richard Garland - professional musician for more than 20 years, now specializing in online marketing & promotion of music and live music venues through www.USAEntertainment.com and the Tampa Bay Entertainment Guide

What the public and the music industry want from the Florida Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame & Museum is what the board will strive for and that is what really matters.

.info@floridamusicianshalloffame.com

................. JoiN NoW!