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 first vinyl records era.
The voting for both the 2020 MRRL Hall of Fame and Legendary Michigan Songs is now open. The vote will close at midnight on March 1, 2020. The 2019 Hall of Fame inductees were Nolan Strong and The Diablos, Harry Balk, Mad Dog, Tim Tam and The Turn-Ons, and The Rockets. The 2019 Legendary Michigan Songs were "In The Hall Of The Mountain King/Bolero" by SRC, "Borderline" by Madonna, "You're All I Need To Get By" by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, "Rock And Roll Never Forgets" by Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band, and "Come See About Me" by The Supremes.
Michigan's Internet Hall of Fame. A total of 105 artists and individuals have been inducted into the MRRL Hall of Fame during the past fifteen 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" to view the Inductees.
Watch videos of the 135 outstanding recordings voted into the Legendary Michigan Songs Hall of Fame. "Kick Out The Jams", "Night Moves", "Runaway", "My Girl", "School's Out", "96 Tears", "Respect", "Hanky Panky", "We're An American Band". and many more. http://www.michiganrockandrolllegends.com/legendary-michigan-songs-inductees 
The MRRL HOF display at Scotty's Sandbar in Bay City, Michigan.
Take a video tour of the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame's display that had been located at the Bay City Motor Company for 15 years. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7AN-z2Z45Q&t=4s Sadly, the business closed because of ongoing litigation and its contents placed under a court seizure. I was given permission to remove the display on September 30, 2019, and the new home of the MRRL HOF is Scotty's Sandbar - located on the banks of the Saginaw River at 1201 Evergreen Drive on Bay City's middlegrounds. The venue is the city's premier live music club and the perfect spot to house a tribute to Michigan's rock and roll legacy.
Official Induction Certificates are now available for all past and present MRRL Hall of Fame inductees. Contact Dr. J via email for information. 
Check out the list of 2020 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 2020's Legendary Michigan Song nominees before voting by clicking here: http://www.michiganrockandrolllegends.com/mi-rock-a-roll-hall-of-fame/132-2014-legendary-michigan-songs-nominees
The MRRL Hall of Fame has donated a historical sign at the former site of the Schiell Recording studio in Bay City where the # 1 hit "96 Tears" was recorded in 1966. Read the history of Art Schiell and the the unique recordings he made that included not only ? and The Mysterians, but also the Cherry Slush and Meat Loaf: http://www.michiganrockandrolllegends.com/dr-js-blog/204-96-tears-and-art-schiells-recording-studio
Alina Simone's latest book, 2016's Madonnaland, details MRRL's efforts on behalf of Madonna and ? and The Mysterians. Read the author's thoughts on the Madonna-Bay City controversy: https://lithub.com/why-does-madonnas-hometown-hate-her/
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 and more! 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
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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.
ROCKETS
Founded by guitarist Jim McCarty and drummer Johnny "Bee" Badanjek, The Rockets were one of the first notable bands to emerge in the post classic era of Detroit rock. Although the group did not achieve the success they deserved, they released a number of terrific albums including "Love Transfusion", "The Rockets", and "No Ballads", before breaking up in the 1980s. The Rockets also charted three singles on Billboard's Hot 100, and their cover of "Oh Well" became a # 30 hit in 1979.
ZZ Top and Bay City's Fake Zombies Scandal
by Daniel Ralston with Gary Johnson*
Chris White shakes his head and laughs when I show him the first photo. At 73, the bassist and songwriter for the reunited British psych-rock band the Zombies looks like a cool grandpa in black pants, blue dress shirt, and polar fleece vest — a sharp contrast from his septuagenarian bandmates who still sport leather jackets and tight pants. He adjusts his glasses and studies the image of the impostors, four flamboyantly dressed young men taken in 1969. We are backstage at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills last October and after this brief intermission, White will join the rest of the band onstage to play the band’s cult classic 1967 album Odessey and Oracle in its entirety.
I pull up another grainy photo from 1969 on my laptop: a traditional black and white press photo for the Original “Zombies” (in conspicuous scare quotes), autographed. There are only four guys pictured despite the fact that the Zombies were a five-piece. I inform White that the two young men wearing cowboy hats are Dusty Hill and Frank Beard from the legendary Texas blues-rock band ZZ Top, although the names D. Cruz and Chris Page are scrawled over them. The real Zombies would have never worn cowboy hats.
Band Canyon: Battle of the Bangs
by Gary Johnson
Inspired by The Beatles, Bay City Central students John Hale (vocals) and Tom Smith (keyboards) started playing music together. By the start of 1965, they had put together a band called 'The Epics' and signed on with Bill Kehoe and Delta Promotions who began managing and booking the group – most often at Kehoe's Band Canyon teen club in Bay City. Hale and Smith would become figures of controversy during the fall of 1965, however, when the length of their hair became a disciplinary issue at Bay City Central High School and the subject of numerous stories in the Bay City Times.