Oct 16, 2006 2:59 pm US/Eastern
L.I. Music Hall Of Fame Inducts Billy Joel
PATCHOGUE, N.Y. (AP) ―
Long Island now has a Music Hall of Fame all its own, and its first inductees include homegrown singer Billy Joel.
After being introduced by Long Islander Alec Baldwin on Sunday night, Joel summed up the region in a speech that touched on everyone from Albert Einstein to Joey Buttafuoco, calling Long Island "a clash of cultures," and an "island of extremes."
The hall's very first inductee was Joan Jett, who went on to play a concert in Manhattan on the same night. Jett recalled moving to Long Beach in 1979, and recording her best-known hit, "I Love Rock 'n' Roll," at the Syosset studio Kingdom Sound.
She thanked local stations, such as WBAB and WLIR, for playing her music at a time when most major labels rejected her.
In addition to Joel and Jett, inductees included Dee Snider of Twisted Sister, Vanilla Fudge, Mose Allison, Little Anthony and the Imperials, and Harry Chapin.
The music hall doesn't yet have a home, and the ceremony was held at the Patchogue Theater for the Performing Arts.
(© 2006 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
