World renowned production and creative designer LeRoy Bennett is set to be inducted into the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame’s Class of 2018. As an inductee for the Technical/Lighting category, LeRoy Bennett is receiving this much deserved honor for his exemplary work as the production designer and creative director for some of music’s most iconic figures. The inductee ceremony is set to take place on Sunday, April 29th starting at 2:00pm in the Hall of Fame itself, located within the Hope Artiste Village complex, 999 Main St., Pawtucket, RI.
“I will be forever grateful to the once in a lifetime icons that I have had the pleasure to work with over the years. My connection to music is deeply visual, I have always been able to turn notes into creative visions that play in my head. The opportunity I have had to bring these performances to life for the audience to experience the music of their favorite artists is an unexplainable feeling.” - LeRoy Bennett, Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame 2018 Inductee
In 1980, LeRoy Bennett became lighting director for then up-and-coming artist Prince on his "Dirty Mind" tour. The success of that tour led to a 14-year collaborative relationship and established LeRoy as the vanguard of his field. As his reputation grew, so did his client base – his resume boasts superstars from every genre including Nine Inch Nails, Ariana Grande, The Who, Queen, Van Halen, David Bowie, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Madonna, Lady GaGa, Bruno Mars, Beyonce, Jay-Z and Paul McCartney. In 2012, he founded Seven Design Works to deliver his award-winning productions to television during Super Bowl halftime shows, Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame inductions and other special events. Bennett, born in Warwick and now living in Los Angeles, is recognized worldwide as one of the most iconic innovators in cutting edge production, lighting, and stage design. In 2016, Total Production International magazine declared him “A Musical Visionary” as he continues to infuse his creative visions on an international platform with tours coming up with Maroon 5, Lenny Kravitz, Ariana Grande, Wang Leehom, Rammstein and just recently the mainstage for Coachella 2018 for the Weeknd’s headlining performance.
The ten Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame 2018 inductees are: LeRoy Bennett, Bob Morrissey, and Andrew Polin in the Technical/Lighting category; David Blue, John Chan, Tom Ghent, Lloyd Kaplan, James Montgomery, Paul Murphy, and Mike Renzi.
With ten inductees in Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame's Class of 2018, organizers have split the celebration into three separate events wit jazz inductions on Thursday, April 26th; folk and songwriter inductions on Friday, April 27th; with the main ceremony on Sunday, April 29th to round out the weekend.
Sunday's April 29 events will include the unveiling of all ten new inductee exhibits followed by the 2018 RIMHOF blues, educator, and sideman Induction Concert honoring James Montgomery, Lloyd Kaplan, and Paul Murphy, as well as LeRoy Bennett, Bob Morrissey, and Andrew Polin in the Technical/Lighting category.
The unveiling of all ten R.I. Music Hall of Fame’s Class of 2018 inductee exhibits will take place in the Hall of Fame museum space in Hope Artiste Village, Pawtucket, at 2:00 p.m. followed by the final 2018 RIMHOF Induction Concert beginning at 3:00 p.m. at the Met. The James Montgomery Band will be performing followed by a retrospective tribute to Paul Murphy featuring Greg Abate & Channel One, James Montgomery, The Duke Robillard Band, The Groovemasters, and many past RIMHOF inductees and R.I. musicians who played with Murphy throughout the years.
The 2 p.m. unveiling of the inductee exhibits is free and open to the public; a ticket will be required for entrance to the 3 p.m. concert in The Met. Tickets are $10.00 in advance and $15.00 at the door and can be purchased at www.themetri.com. All proceeds from RIMHOF's annual induction events go toward creating the museum displays, acquiring recordings and memorabilia, and digitizing that collection for permanent online access for future generations. All organizational work has been donated by members of the Board Of Directors and a staff of volunteers.