Pittsburgh Rock 'N Roll Legends Awards Announces 2015 Inductees

The Second Annual PITTSBURGH ROCK 'N ROLL LEGENDS AWARDS committee announces its 2015 inductees, who will be honored during the awards event Thursday, April 23 at the Hard Rock Caf, Station Square. This year's inductees are:

Modern Era Legends (Groups or solo artists with 20+ years in the business)

• Donnie Iris: Singer, gold record-winning songwriter known nationally for Top 100 hits "The Rapper," "Ah Leah," "Love is Like a Rock" and "I Can't Hear You." Member of the Jaggerz, Wild Cherry and front man for Donnie Iris and the Cruisers

Non-performer/music professional (Individuals with 20+ years in the business)

• Porky Chedwick: Pittsburgh radio icon; one of the first DJs to present racially diverse music in a major city; "Daddio of the Raddio" and the "Platter Pushin' Pappa." Credited by many artists for breaking their records

Legacy Legends (Groups or solo artists with 40+ years in the business)

• Lou Christie: Million-selling singer/songwriter known for his distinctive falsetto voice, with hit singles such as the #1 song, "Lightnin' Strikes," "The Gypsy Cried," "Two Faces Have I," "Rhapsody In the Rain" and "I'm Gonna Make You Mine"

Inductees for this year's Legends Awards were selected through a new and extensive nominations and voting process, whereby votes were cast online by the Legends Nominating Committee comprised of local music industry experts, more than a thousand people from the general public who registered to vote, and the Pittsburgh Rock 'N Roll Legends Awards Academy of Voters assembled for this purpose, and comprised of nearly 200 knowledgeable, local music industry pros. Final ballots were carefully reviewed and results were verified by an independent, volunteer third-party panel of judges comprised of a local CPA, a journalist and a federal judge, to assure the voting process was fair and transparent.

The April 23 Awards event will feature special VIPs; musical guests, and performances by local all-star musicians including Donnie Iris, Joe Grushecky, Billy Price, Johnny Angel, Rick Witkowski, Ed Manion, Hermie Granati, Art Nardini, Frank Czuri and Joffo Simmons (scheduled to appear); a commemorative Hard Rock Cafe collectible pin created especially for the event; specialty cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, a live and silent auction and other surprises. Auction items collected so far, which will be viewable online for pre-event bidding several weeks before the event on www.BiddingForGood.com, include tickets, gift certificates and many autographed items from music and sports legends such as Bruce Springsteen, Fleetwood Mac, KISS, Tony Bennett, Rod Stewart, Joe Perry, Santana, Mario Lemieux, Pedro Alvarez and others.

Tickets for the fundraiser benefitting the Cancer Caring Center, are on sale at www.PittsburghRockLegends.com. Prices are $200 for VIP, $150 for General Admission. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for VIP guests - price includes food, entertainment, a commemorative gift and two hours of open bar, while doors open at 6:30 p.m. for General Admission and includes food, entertainment and one hour of open bar. Also available are a limited number of tickets for those wishing to attend just the awards presentations and musical performance for $50. Doors open for these attendees at approximately 7:30 p.m. Or call the Cancer Caring Center to purchase tickets at 412-622-1212.

The Pittsburgh Rock 'N Roll Legends Awards, launched in 2014, and created as a local registry rather than a museum, honors the tremendously talented individuals and organizations that have contributed to the rich history of rock and roll in Pittsburgh. Follow the Legends on Facebook and Twitter or visit the website at www.PittsburghRockLegends.com

Since 1988, the Cancer Caring Center has been a Pittsburgh-based charity, providing free emotional and social support services to patients and their families. For more information, visit www.cancercaring.org. Follow on Twitter at and on Facebook.

SOURCE Pittsburgh Rock N Roll Legends Awards