2018 Inductees

For as long as we can remember song has always been a great memory in our lives.  Our dad, Joe Bosco, Sr., always had a smile on his face and a song in his heart.  I can still hear his rich baritone voice which was so distinct in a crowd.  

He was the first baby to arrive in Oswego, on January 1st, 1926.  Dad was the youngest of Salvatore and Mary Bosco's six children.  He was educated at St. Mary's and Oswego High School.  His first introduction to music,  came from his father.  Who played several brass instruments, and was a member of Nick Sterio's Italian American Band.  Papa taught both our uncles to play instruments, but our father never had the patience to learn, so he made up for it with lots of singing!  

Dad joined the St. Mary's Boys' Choir in the early 1930's with his life-long friends, Bill Joyce and Mike Dehm.  They called themselves "The Big Dogs", later adding Bill Hoefer and Jack Reidy to the group.  Anytime they all got together you could always count on songs being belted out.  Dad continued with the choir at St. Mary's until 1943 when he joined the National Guard.  He returned from Europe in 1945 and was discharged in 1946.  At that time he resumed his membership in the St. Mary's Choir.  

Our parents married in 1954 and we started showing up shortly after that.  Dad continued with choir throughout our childhood and also began to sing with the Barbershop Quartets.  Dad sang with the Snowbelters and supported the organizing throughout the 1990's and always attended their shows.  Some of my earliest memories are of him practicing with the Quartets in the front parlor of our home.  One memory that sticks out in particular was a routine about, "Dino the Dinosaur", in which Dad dressed in a homemade "Dino" costume while singing the song for the Flintstones.  

It didn't matter whether Dad was with the Wednesday lunch gang in Canale's or in a car driving down Broadway in NYC, he was always ready to break out into song.  Dad would be very excited and honored to know that he has been inducted into the Oswego Music Hall of Fame.  Thank you from all of us for Dad!

Charles Loschiavo was best known in his music profession for playing saxophone and clarinet in Nick Sterio’s dance band. He had a great love of big band music and it gave him joy for more than 30 years, performing swing, jazz, and big band music throughout Central New York. The band members were lifelong friends and became like family. 

Charlie was born 9/8/20 to Joseph and Josephine Loschiavo, immigrants from Sicily, who put a high value on music lessons for their son. He took lessons on clarinet and saxophone at a young age, while spending summers working on the family muck farm. By high school, Charlie was the student director of the first band to march at football games at Oswego High School in 1937. At that same time, he became a charter member of the Oswego City band playing until the 1990’s. He spent many of those later years as Master of Ceremonies. He played under the direction of Slim Gross, George Cupernal, and Don Goodness. Charlie compiled and wrote a history of music, orchestras, and the city concert band of Oswego in 1990.

His music accomplishments also include playing in the Oswego State band, orchestra, and dance band from 1938-42. He played with the Army Air Force Marching Band and dance band, entertaining the troops with celebrities including comedian Jack Carter and Shirley Temple. Charlie played for many musicals at Oswego State, including “Guys and Dolls”.   

Charlie was an advocate and volunteer for the Oswego High School music program - band, orchestra, and chorus for 20 years, while teaching English and Journalism.   He passed away at 91 years old on 9/11/11 after continuing to play and entertain in various groups when he retired to Arizona.

Along with the many ways he shared his talent, one of the most memorable was his saxophone solo of “Silent Night” played from the balcony during the meditation at Christmas Eve Mass at St. Joseph’s Church for almost 20 years. It was a moving rendition that made the night even more special. 

Charlie was the brother of Angelo Loschiavo, another Oswego musician, and Rosemary Skillen. He was married for 52 years to Mary Loschiavo, an art teacher in the public and Catholic schools for almost 50 years. Charlie and Mary raised 5 children -  Christine, Joe, Chuck, Tom, and Meg. They both instilled a love of music and art in their children and their sons continue to play professionally today. 

It all started at a barn dance in Scriba in 1960, when Dixie Miller and Dick Proctor met. The Three D’s, siblings Dolores, Danny, and herself were playing there along with featured soloist Dick Proctor. The love they shared for music started the conversation that led to their marriage on March 31, 1962. 

Dick and Dixie played in may bands throughout the years. Dixie was known for her lead vocals and playing of bass guitar and Dick for playing a four string tenor guitar and vocals. Dixie was known for her country and blues vocals. Dick was known to sing Jim Reeves, Eddy Arnold, and The Mills Brothers to name a few. The first band they formed together was the Silvertones. Best known, however; as "Dick and Dixie", their harmonies and Dick's smooth, honey tenor voice was known throughout the community. 

Dick once played for "The Taverneers" throughout the south and Dallas ,Texas. Dixie, before meeting Dick, performed with her father Ray Miller who was known for his one- man –band. Together, Dick and Dixie also preformed and played in "The New Taverneers" and "Family Traditions ".

Dick and Dixie sang harmonies on radio stations, made recordings, played with many local musicians and national recording artist like Marvin Rainwater. They played many venues throughout NY State, best known locally "The Cabaret” and "The Legend ". One of the recordings “Carmel by the Sea”, an old Kitty Wells tune, was a proud accomplishment. They both won many awards throughout their career. Dixie won several female vocalist awards. Dick won best male vocalist in the Cortland country music hall of fame. 

As business partners, they opened the "Farm Tavern"and hosted many music festivals and jamborees. They believed in paying it forward and did so by entertaining at many free events and charitable causes. 

Most of all, the love of this couple gave us Richard and Kent Proctor who have kept their parents love of music alive. As children, they were in a band with their cousins, traveled with their parents playing and singing, and have gone on to continue music in some aspect as adults. Richard has been an active marching band and drum core instructor with local high schools and Kent owns Proctor Entertainment and has a band PEP, and an acoustic duo and trio.

Dick and Dixie have left quite a legacy of music and that is why they are so honored and loved by family, friends, and community.

They never got to know their grandson, Gabe; we await what he will bring to music inheriting those powerful genes. 

Bob Hageny’s fascination with radio deejaying surfaced in the when he was twelve or thirteen years old,

at the same time he began assembling his collection of 45 rpm records. Bill Foley, a family friend, who

at the time worked at Oswego’s WSGO, AM-1440 as news director offered to give him and his mom a

tour. Hageny was introduced to his favorite announcers; Sam Fredericks and Rich Stewart. He

remembers being in disbelief upon meeting them because their faces and physiques did not match their

radio voices. Bob Gessner, station manager and owner of WSGO, introduced himself. Hageny recalls

how proud Gessner was of the popular Oswego station. Gessner was a smart businessman, Hageny

recollects, “probably his best investment was filing for a license and putting the FM station (105.5) on

the air. Even before its popularity, Gessner knew the ‘static free’ FM band would eventually win over

audiences even though all the top stations at the time were on AM.

While touring the station at 333 E. Seneca St. on that warm summer afternoon in 1976, Hageny was

fascinated by the control room, seeing shelves of records, turntables, tape cartridges, stacks of cart

machines, the audio console, and a rack full of broadcasting equipment with meters moving and

indicator lights flashing. When Rich Stewart turned on the mic and began announcing, Hageny recalls

himself thinking “This is something I want to do.” Before Hageny graduated from high school, Bob

Gessner hired him to work weekends as an announcer. He considered WSGO his second home for the

next thirteen years as he was employed both full and part-time. His radio air-name was ‘Just Plain Bob.’

“Some of my greatest memories on-air were working with News Director Tom Herbert, Sports Director

Jim Lowery, Evening Personality Johnny Gage, Morning Man Rolly Jolly George Hoffman, and

Meteorologist Bob Sykes, “Seemed like we were always able to drum up good, clean, and funny

conversations,” Hageny recalls.

During those years Hageny learned a lot about the broadcast industry. He also made a lot of friends

with listeners and those who worked at the station. Kevin Velzy was one of those people. Velzy worked

at WSGO, both on-air and in sales while attending SUNY Oswego. The two, along with mutual friend,

Bob “Bubba” Nicklin launched Soundtrack Music and Entertainment, a mobile music deejay business

active for 30 years. Weddings, anniversary parties, and high school dances were their specialties.

Hageny remembers the evening he, Velzy, and Nicklin were getting organized. They went out to buy

sound equipment with money they had pooled together from their savings accounts. “We bought a

little 4-channel audio mixer at Radio Shack in the Oswego’s Midtown Plaza, a pair of 75-watt Jensen

speakers purchased at Service Merchandise and cassette tape players sold to us by our friend Jack who

worked at Superior Sound in Syracuse. The audio amplifier was a 100-watt Techniques tuner my parents

would let us borrow from their entertainment center. Not really sure where the mic came from, but I

remember it was a wired mic with a little black on/off switch.”

Hageny recalls the countless hours which were spent dubbing songs from records to cassette tapes.

“This made the most sense since we didn’t have room in our vehicles for boxes and boxes of records.

Records would also tend to skip and jump on a shaky floor. Over time we did invest back into our

business by upgrading our sound equipment, wardrobe, and taking out radio and newspaper ads. I’m

sure we booked close to 1000 shows over the years and that doesn’t include all the nights I worked deejaying at Buckland’s, Broadwell’s or Nunzi’s. I will save those stories for another time.” Hageny still

holds onto the sound equipment and music and still books a job here or there.

In the early nineties Hageny left WSGO to work at Public Radio WRVO (FM 89.9) at the SUNY Oswego

Campus. “My duties were different at WRVO” according to Hageny. “I started out as radio producer,

then moved to a program host position and operations manager. I hosted Evening Edition and The

WRVO Playhouse.” John Hurlbutt, veteran announcer and local host of Morning Edition on WRVO

became a mentor to Hageny as well as a good friend. Hageny recalls spending quite a bit of time in the

studio with Hurlbutt. “John and I had a lot of laughs, fortunately most of them took place off-air. We

had good talks as well.” After five years at WRVO, Hageny went back to college. Later when he earned

his second college degree in the technology field his resume was noticed by a search committee at SUNY

Oswego in the Dept. of Learning Resources. Hageny accepted their offer and began working as a

Technical Support Assistance, coincidentally headquartered was just down the hall from his recent

stomping ground (WRVO.)

Hageny is still employed at SUNY Oswego in the area of classroom technical support, now in his

eighteenth year. He acquired his Master’s Degree in 2006. “I love what I am doing now and I loved

what I did then,” adds Hageny referring to his years working in radio and as a party deejay. “I was

fortunate to have started young, and that is thanks to those who gave me the opportunity. I’ve worked

for and with some of best and have met so many other great people being out in the public spotlight.”

Hageny is very grateful for all that he has and most thankful for being recognized and being granted this

award.

9/21/55 - 3/11/02

Timothy John Smith was born in Oswego N.Y. to Frederick and Patricia Smith. He had two brothers, Frederick and James, and four sisters, Judy, Lori, Janet, and Patricia.

Tim loved music, and often dreamed of having a guitar of his own.
When he was about 13 years old, his mother and father bought him his first guitar and amplifier for Christmas at the Easy Bargain Center.

Jimi Hendrix, and other famous guitar players became major influences in his career of music. He couldn't read music, so he learned to play by ear. He started playing in small time bands such as Edge of Time, Shadow East, Shadow Fax, and Minds Eye.

Then the Barry James Band was formed, and Tim started playing the bass guitar. BJB's first big gigs were at the Oswego Theatre with the Good Rats, and Mona Ray in 1977, and the 1000 Islands Music Fest in 1979. They recorded a 45rpm, but their biggest hit was Lake Ontario Twilight which carried on for decades. After almost ten years of trying to make it big in the band, sadly, Barry James McCaffrey lost his life in a car accident. After that, the band dwindled.

Then Tim dabbled in working the soundboard for awhile for some famous names as Nancy Kelly, Chic Corea, and more...

Around 1987 Frostbit Blue was formed. Tim was one of the founding members, along with Nick Gravelding, Tom McCaffrey, John Bletch, and Michael Place.  They had numerous gigs up and down the east coast. They also played at Woodstock '99. FBB recorded two albums, Ice Breaker and Just What The Doctor Ordered. They were going stronger than ever when Tim was diagnosed with Melanoma skin cancer at the age of 38. But that didn't stop him from playing.

His nearly eight year battle with cancer had a major impact on everyone, and Tim's loving family, and dearest friends were always there to comfort and support him.

Tim had a wonderful sense of humor, and played countless pranks on the other band members as they also did to him. He made friends easily wherever he traveled, and is still very well known as Weasel, a nickname that he got as a young boy. 

Tim loved his precious daughter, Stephanie, very much. She was his pride and joy. He spent 25 years with his beloved wife, April. She was part of the road crew for the Barry James Band and she also sold the merchandise for Frostbit Blue. 

Tim was very involved with his family, and very happy when his biological son, Tim, came into his life a few years before his passing. 

Tim liked going to concerts, camping, fishing, softball, and he loved playing golf.

He was a certified electrician by trade which was very helpful to his bands. He worked at Tri County Heating and Air Conditioning, and was a former member of Laborers Local 214.

He took bass lessons from the late great Rafael Ortiz, who played with Cabo Frio, Chet Catallo and the Cats, Prime Time Funk, Dave Hanlon's Cookbook, and more. 

His mentors were the legendary Stanley Clarke and the world's most famous bass player, Victor Wooten. 

Tim passed away on March 11, 2002, and his legacy will live on in our heart's, and our lives forever.

My music training began around 1939-40 on a weekly purchased Conn cornet (including lessons) at Oak Hill School.  

About 1942, my family moved to the west-side of Oswego (Kingsford Park School District).  My first experience with a band was playing at Kingsford Park School as a cornetist.    

Shortly after, the band leader suggested a change to the drum section, sighting my feel for rhythm.  Through 9th grade at Kingsford Park School I was in the band as a snare drummer.  

Upon moving to Oswego High School, I was welcomed as a member of the Oswego High School Band (under the direction of Leonard Lambert).  I played with the band until completing my senior year there in 1950.  

In 1948, Chuck Putnam, an excellent trumpet player formed a dance band.  I was invited to be their drummer, if I could acquire a trap drum set.  There were nine (9) members of our group and as of 2016  there were seven (7) members of our group still with us, all in their 80's.

This experience with the dance and marching band brought me to the A.F.M./ City of Oswego Summer Concert Band as a bass drummer and cymbal player.  Concerts each Wednesday in the parks.  

My being part of the American Federation of Musicians brought me in contact with some of the best instrumentalist Oswego has ever had.   Thus, I became part of numerous 305 piece groups that played clubs, weddings, social events of all kinds around the area.  Two (2) trio bands that I have had a long association with were the RAE Trio (myself, Ralph Pauldine, Eddie Miner) as well as a super long connection in the Ange Spano Trio. 

My longest, most fulfilling group was when I joined the Nick Sterio Dance Band.  These jobs consisted of 8-15 sidemen playing arranged Big Band tunes.  This association lasted twenty-six (26) years as a drummer, vocalist.  

Upon leaving the big band in 1984-85, I was fortunate to a be guest drummer with numerous groups, "Rythmaires", "Soda Ash Six", "MiMi's Music Makers" and "Eddie Fagen & Friends".  Many sit-ins brought me in contact with some of the best, Dick Fellows, Will Alger, Jim Gannon, Ferguson, Taylor & Rogers (North Country), Double V's (Paul Vandish and John Bletch).

My years of local music brought me to be associated with the Goodness family, Ken, Lee, Bill, Eddie and Don.  All great musicians!

My hope is that my years in music (78) will still allow me to continue my association with the great musicians of Oswego.  

Thank you for this honor, 

Richard L. Germain, Sr.

(Dick)

Joanna Jewett’s musical path started in musical theater during high school and college.   Joanna is best known for her soulful vocals, professionalism, and sunny disposition.

Joanna has shared her vocal and songwriting talents with many artists and recording projects over the years and has performed with many area groups. She was the lead singer of Syracuse area party band, The Critics. During that time, Joanna opened for Eddie Money, The Turtles, and Three Dog Night.  After 9+ years with The Critics, Joanna formed The Cat’s Pajamas, then J.A.K.K., and worked with The Cortini Brothers and other well-known groups.

Currently, Joanna is one-third of acoustic trio, The Mix Tapes, and the lead singer of Funkadelphia. Joanna is the co-creator of “Ladies Night at The Palace” with her Red Shoes Black Bag Productions partner, Julie Briggs. Joanna is the creator of “Crystal Visions” which showcases the music of Fleetwood Mac and “Ruby Throated Sparrow” which celebrates the gorgeous harmonies of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.  Earlier this year, “Babylon Sisters: The Music of Steely Dan” drew a sold out crew.  The show will be presented again this fall.  All three shows feature the vocal talents of Donna Colton, Maureen Henesey, and Joanna, as well as some of CNY’s finest musicians. “The Disco Ball” which was produced in May of this year featured the sounds of Studio 54 in a live show that had CNY shaking its groove thing!  

Joanna is extremely proud to be inducted into the Oswego Music Hall of Fame, and would like to thank her family for their constant support!