Maybe you saw the first list of great Milwaukee music makers and talked back with your suggestions. Maybe you did the same with the second list.
All along, I've taken the advice of readers and this installment is no different.
In this final list -- at least for now -- we assemble more landmark music makers in Milwaukee across the decades, but we also add in some of the folks who have had an important influence on the local scene regardless of whether or not they've ever played an instrument in public.
You'll notice that many of those people did, in fact, also make music here in Milwaukee. As in any vibrant scene, the lines are blurred because dedicated musicians are eager to help kickstart new ventures that help advance local music.
- Carl Allen, drummer and artistic director of the jazz studies at Juilliard School of Music
- Alligator Gun, '90s punk band
- Lee Arnold, WQFM DJ and independent record promoter
- Martha Artis, vocal coach to the (local) stars
- Bob Babisch, Summerfest
- Kenny Baldwin, musician and owner of The Starship
- The Baldoni family, vendors and repairers of accordions
- Joe Balistreri, owner of The Rave and The Scene, promoter at the Riverside, Alpine Valley and others
- Jim Barker, late owner of the Avant Garde Coffee House
- Bob Barry, WOKY DJ and the "fifth Beatle"
- Jeff Benske, veteran guitarist and owner of Top Shelf Guitars
- Bill Berry, former REM drummer and erstwhile Wauwatosan
- Bo Black, Summerfest
- The Blow Pops, '90s power pop outfit
- John Boler, Bon Ton Society guitarist and marketing director at Summerfest
- George Braith, progressive jazz saxophonist
- La La Brown, late R&B singer who collaborated with Lyfe Jennings
- Clancy Carroll, musician and producer of landmark "History in 3 Chords" Milwaukee punk retrospective
- Jeff Castelaz, manager of Citizen King and others, music journalist
- Steve Cohen, blues promoter and musician
- Bruce Cole, musician and curator of Jean Cuje Milwaukee Music Collection at Marquette University
- Dave Cooley, member of Citizen King and now a producer and remixer in L.A.
- Tom Crawford, WMSE big man
- Ron Cuzner, legendary jazz radio DJ and record store owner
- The Del Reys, '60s crowd pleasers
- Downstairs Dan, veteran DJ, WQFM
- Drop Forge, defunct rock and roll band
- Jim Eanelli, veteran guitarist
- John Ertl, books many local festivals
- F/i, noise music outfit from Waukesha
- Ron Faiola, musician, filmmaker and creator of Milwaukeerockposters.com
- Freddie and the Freeloaders, '60s band that launched Fred Bliffert's career
- Chris and Greg Gerard, local brother and sister music team
- Mark Goff, chronicled the '60s and '70s music scene with photos and articles in The Bugle-American
- Peter Gray, Cedarburg native who helps makes hits with BMG/Sony
- Steve Grimm, singer, songwriter and guitarist, member of Bad Boy
- Jeff Hamilton, musician, producer, promoter
- Chuck Hedges, Milwaukee jazz clarinetist, who played with Louis Armstrong and many others
- Paul Host, veteran DJ, WMSE
- Deone Jahnke, photographer to the musicians
- Peter Jest, promoter, owner of Shank Hall
- Doug Johnson, books bands at Summerfest
- Keedy, had a top 20 hit with "Save Some Love" in 1991
- Dave Kennedy, legendary recording studio owner/producer/engineer
- Brian Kirk, owner of Bus Stop Label
- Paul Kneevers, musician, recording engineer and producer
- Jack Koshick, owner of Odd Rock Cafe
- Jordan Lee aka DJ Madhatter, rapper who organizes the annual Miltown Beatdown
- Larry the Legend, veteran DJ who made his name at WZUU
- Caleb Lentzner, musician (Oil Tasters, Violent Femmes) and longtime soundman
- LoDuca family, musical instrument vendors
- Dave Luhrssen, co-founder of Express with Kevn Kinney, music journalist
- Ryan Matteson, Muzzle of Bees blogger, concert promoter and publicist
- Randy McElrath, president of Stardate Productions concert promoters back in the day and now with Live Nation
- Marilyn Mee, veteran DJ and supporter of local music
- Rich Menning, Atomic Records owner
- Brian Miller, musician, soundman and promoter s
- Buddy Montgomery, jazz vibist and pianist, brother to Wes and Monk, lived and worked in Milwaukee for a decade
- The Mosleys, rootsy pop trio
- Jon Mueller, musician and owner of Crouton Records
- Peter Mulvey, pedal-pushin' singer and songwriter
- The Noble Bros., DJs, musicians and co-owners of Lotus Land Records
- Rusty Olson, Rockhaus Guitars
- Ox, '60s band with guitarists Jon Paris (on bass) and Bob Metzger
- Steve Palec, veteran DJ
- Pele, art rock trio
- Willie Pickens, jazz pianist who studied at the Conservatory and UWM
- Nick Pipitone, power pop song stylist
- Joe Puerta, member of Ambrosia and Bruce Hornsby & The Range, recording studio owner, producer/engineer
- Denny Rauen, master luthier/guitar expert
- Bob Reitman, veteran DJ and rock and roll scene poet
- Rock Dee, late DJ
- Jack Rodee, singer/guitarist for Spill and engineer
- Bill Rouleau, WMSE DJ and co-owner of Rush-Mor Records
- Trevor Sadler, mastering engineer
- Tony Selig, manager, owner of The Underground and Omnibus
- Blaine Schultz, musician and music journalist
- Mark Shurilla, musician, producer, music journalist
- David Silbaugh, musician, drum company rep, Summerfest drum and amp guru
- Greg Smith, Bon Ton Society bassist and now recording engineer and producer
- Heidi Spencer, folk musician (and daughter of ...)
- Jim Spencer, folk musician
- Wade Starck, owner Wade's Guitar shop
- Bill Stace, musician, producer/engineer, promoter at the Miramar
- Damian Strigens, musician in many, many bands and designer of even more CD sleeves for local bands
- Vic Thomas, books bands at Summerfest
- Michael Torke, new music composer
- Rachel Trapp, violin player
- Joe Turano, producer, saxophonist and Al Jarreau's music director
- Eric Uecker, owner of the Cactus Club
- Dave Vartianian, recording engineer and producer (Jerry Harrison, Violent Femmes, Crash Test Dummies, etc.)
- Barbara Wagner, manager, publicist and WAMI officer
- Leslie West, owner of The Rave, promoter at Riverside, Alpine Valley and other venues
- Warren Wiegratz, saxman
- Hayward Williams, singer/songwriter
- Joel Whitburn, music journalist
- Gary Witt, promoter Pabst/Riverside/Turner Hall
- Xeno, former Bad Boy and Cheap Trick singer
- Damian Zak, owner of Zak's punk club
- Scott Ziel, band manager and books bands at Summerfest
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
