Welcome to Michigan's Internet Hall of Fame!
Welcome to the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Website. The site is a totally independent and proudly non-commerical tribute to the artists and songs of Michigan's vinyl era.
The 2017 vote for the MRRL Hall of Fame and Legendary Michigan Songs closed on midnight June 1st. The voting for both the 2018 MRRL Hall of Fame inductees and Legendary Michigan Songs opens on January 1, 2018 and will close at midnight on June 1, 2018.
Induction certificates are now available for all past MRRL Hall of Fame inductees. Contact Dr. J via email for information.
Check out the list of 2018 Hall of Fame nominees before voting by clicking below: http://www.michiganrockandrolllegends.com/mi-rock-a-roll-hall-of-fame/116-2014-michigan-artists-and-songs-ballot Check out the nominated recordings for 2018's Legendary Michigan Songs before voting by clicking here: http://www.michiganrockandrolllegends.com/mi-rock-a-roll-hall-of-fame/132-2014-legendary-michigan-songs-nominees
Michigan's Internet Hall of Fame. A total of 97 artists and individuals have been inducted into the MRRL Hall of Fame during the past twelve years. Read their biographies along with recommended recordings, books, the best Internet sites, and watch youtube videos for each inductee. Click on "MRRL Hall of Fame" at the top of the page to view the Inductees. The 2017 inductees are Edwin Starr, the Spinners, the Excels, the Galaxies, the White Lines, and the Sunday Funnies.
Alina Simone's latest book, 2016's Madonnaland, details MRRL's efforts on behalf of Madonna and ? and The Mysterians. Read the review in PopMatters by clicking below: http://www.popmatters.com/review/madonnaland-by-alina-simone/
Madonnaland was selected as one of Rolling Stone magazine's Ten Best Music Books of 2016. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/10-best-music-books-of-2016-w456438
Dr. J's Blog. Click here for in-depth articles about Michigan's Rock and Roll history. http://www.michiganrockandrolllegends.com/dr-js-blog
"Spin Guys" Video: Gary (Dr. J) Johnson discusses his love of vinyl albums in this short video produced by the Bay City Times. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDQfvx6HVyw&feature=youtu.be
Visit Michigan Rock and Roll Legends on Facebook featuring Michigan Rock and Roll events, Voting Upda
tes, Videos, and up-to-the minute Rock and Roll News!
Motown Black & White: The MRRL Internet Hall of Fame is proud to announce that it is now a permanent interactive component of the Al Abrams' collection and exhibit on the Motown music empire. The MRRL kiosk was unveiled at the red carpet event at the Detroit Historical Museum on April 21, 2016.
Watch videos of the 120 outstanding recordings voted Legendary Michigan Songs. "Kick Out The Jams", "Night Moves", "Runaway", "My Girl", "School's Out", "96 Tears", "Respect", "Hanky Panky" and much more! The 2017 Legendary Michigan songs are: "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)", "Like A Virgin", "All Along The Watchtower", "The Wind", "You Haven't Seen My Love", "Work With Me, Annie", "Fever", "The One Who Really Loves You", "Come To Me", and "Cool Jerk".
GALAXIES (a.k.a. Danny and the Galaxies)
GALAXIES
Formed in Ironwood, a mining town located in in the northwest corner of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, the Galaxies were the first rock and roll band to emerge from the region’s iron-rich Gogebic Range. The group’s debut single was one of the earliest productions by a Top 40 recording artist who would go on to greater fame as a Grammy-winning record producer in Los Angeles and Nashville. Although the Galaxies would become the first U.P. band to release a single on a national record label, the group splintered before reaching their vast potential.
2017 MRRL Hall of Fame Voting Results
The online voting for the 2017 Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Internet Hall of Fame and Legendary Michigan Songs concluded at midnight on June 1st. The Galaxies, a rockabilly band formed in the late 1950s in the Upper Peninsula town of Ironwood, Michigan, finished first in the voting. They were followed by two Detroit bands, the White Lines and the Sunday Funnies. The Galaxies received 601 votes, the White Lines were second with 171, and the Sunday Funnies had 120. The Wilson Mower Pursuit finished in fourth place with 96 votes.
The MRRL Hall of Fame Class of 2017 also included three Historical Inductees that were announced earlier in the year. Motown’s Edwin Starr charted 14 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, including the # 1 hit “War” in 1970. The Excels from Marquette, Michigan, recorded with the legendary Ollie McLaughlin on his Carla label in Detroit. The Spinners from Ferndale, Michigan, recorded for Motown but had greater success on the Atlantic label where they charted seven Top Ten hits on the Hot 100. The six 2017 inductees bring the total number of artists and individuals in the MRRL Internet Hall of Fame to ninety-seven.
The Blue Light Turned-On Midland
The Blue Light was an important mid-Michigan teen dance center that featured major rock and roll acts, many of the state’s important regional bands, as well as a host of young garage bands formed in the wake of the British Invasion. The venue was the brainchild of Hersh Goodwald: a chemical engineer, businessman, part-time disc jockey, and avid record collector, who formed a partnership with some other investors to buy a building and transform it into Midland, Michigan’s first, and most important, nightclub for young people.