Music Stars, Celebs Coming To Joliet For Historic Night: Details Here

(The following edited press release is from Jim Murphy, board member, Illinois Rock & Roll Museum on Route 66.)

JOLIET — An incredible lineup of world music stars will take stage right here in downtown Joliet during the Illinois Rock & Roll Museum’s annual Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Sunday, September 14th at the historic Rialto Square Theatre. The event starts at 5 p.m.

“The museum’s Charter Members have cast their votes, and the inductees are legendary” said Ron Romero, museum Founder and CEO. “It’s going to be one epic evening that lovers of all musical genres will remember for a long time.”

The combined 2024 and 2025 inductions include confirmed live performances from the Grammy-nominated heavy metal band Disturbed, 5-Time Grammy winner Richard Marx, rockers Head East, Enuff Z’Nuff, award-winning Country singer Suzy Bogguss, 3-time Grammy-nominated Chicago Blues legend Billy Branch with a live tribute to the revolutionary Chicago Blues musician/singer/songwriter Little Walter and the award-winning Marshall Thompson & The Chi-Lites.

Iconic Chicagoland folk singer Bonnie Koloc and dynamic actor/singer/stage performer Skip Griparis will perform a live tribute to the late Steve Goodman.

A special, surprise guest will lead the audience in singing Goodman’s “Go Cubs, Go!”

The evening features Columbia College Chicago’s live musical/dance tribute to “Grease,” one of the world’s most successful movie-musicals of all time based on the book, play and songs written by Chicago-born songwriter Jim Jacobs and the late Warren Casey.

Jacobs established a Musical Theatre Scholarship at the college and is scheduled to appear and accept his Hall of Fame Induction.

WGN Radio’s Bob Sirott will return as Master of Ceremonies.

The newly announced Class of ’25 inductees in the Artist/Performer category include:

• Head East and Enuff Z’Nuff.
• Tim Drummond – the late former bassist for Neil Young and Bob Dylan – will be inducted as a Songwriter.
• Delmark – the oldest continuously operated jazz and blues independent record label in the United States – will be inducted in the Record Label category. The legendary Mitch Michaels enters the Hall of Fame in the Radio Personality category and Chicago’s Q101 in the Radio Station category.

2024 Hall of Fame Inductions to the Artist/Performer category include:

• Grammy Award-winner singer/songwriter Richard Marx, The Smashing Pumpkins, Howlin’ Wolf, Little Walter and Bo Diddley. Vee-Jay Records will join the Hall of Fame in the Record Label category.
• Bob Stroud, a hometown Classic Rock radio favorite, will be inducted for his decades of on-air work as a Radio Personality, and the legendary Big 10 WCFL enters the Hall of Fame in the Radio Station category.
• Marshall Thompson and The Original Chi-Lites will receive a Lifetime Achievement
  Award.
• This year’s Founder’s Choice Award recipient is Country artist Suzy Bogguss. Suzy will receive a special introduction from WGN Radio’s Steve King and Johnnie Putman.
• Songwriters entering the Hall of Fame include the late Willie Dixon and Steve Goodman. Disturbed will receive the President’s Choice Award.

Tickets for the event are $69, $59 and $49 each and are available now on the museum’s website at www.RoadToRock.org as well as www.RialtoSquare.com and at TicketMaster. Additional charges may apply. The Illinois Rock & Roll Museum on Route 66 is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. EIN 82-2293229. Contributions are tax-deductible for income, gift, and estate taxes.