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YMAs honor area singers, musicians
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Paul Skowron, lead singer of White Noise, performs Sunday during the Youngstown Music Awards at Rodeo Music Hall in Austintown. The band performed several songs in honor of their drummer and friend Allen Sillaman, who recently died. Sillaman also won “Greatest Drummer” during the ceremony.
By GUY D’ASTOLFO
AUSTINTOWN
There were several big winners at the Youngstown Music Awards.
The Huckin Fillibillies won for Best Rock Band, while Love Turns Hate took home the trophy for Best Original Band. That kept Jimmi Migliozzi busy, as he is the singer for both bands.
But the biggest winner of the evening might have been the awards show itself. In its inaugural year, the awards ceremony and concert drew a full house to Rodeo Music Hall Sunday evening, and featured a reunion performance of Youngstown’s own Left End, the glam-rock band that was on the national stage in the ’70s. Migliozzi, Leanne Binder, Daniel Butch and John Yuhas filled in for the band’s late singer, Dennis T. Menass.
Other performers included JD Eicher and the Goodnights, Lazarus, Paul Skowron (of White Noise) with Deep Cuts, and a jam band comprised of Michael Baranski, John Sferra, Rajma McKenzie, Michael Gismondi, Jerry Centifanti, Kevin Mazzy and more.
Presenters included former lightweight boxing champion Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, Bill Bodine of Creative Bridge, Mick Mahan of Pat Benatar’s band, DJ Stan the Man, Jennifer Brindisi and Jasmine Monroe of 21 WFMJ-TV, and radio personalities Thomas John and Viking Jim Algren.
The YMAs were selected by a public vote on the YMA website over the summer, with the winners kept under wraps until Sunday’s ceremony. More than 45,000 votes were cast for 234 nominees.
In the Best Rock Band category, the Fillbillies beat out the next two top vote-getters, Leddfoot and Deep Cuts. For Best Original Band, Love Turns Hate bested Amanda Jones and the Family Band and Amnesty for Astronauts.
Here’s a look at the rest of the winners. The winner is first, followed by the other two top vote-getters (in random order) for each category:
Original Song: Leanne Binder, “Goodbye, Goodbye”; The Breezeway “Yesterday Is Gone,” and Northern Whale “Reckless.”
Male Vocalist: Jeff Green of the Sensations; David Walker of Midlife Crisis and Two Steps Back, and Daniel Butch of Haymaker
Female Vocalist: Ashley Miller of Perfect Pair; Leanne Binder of Army of Two, and Susie Prosser.
Dance Band: The Houseband; The Sensations and Guys Without Ties.
Hip Hop: St. Luke; Relistik, and Gotta Hustle Entertainment.
R&B/Urban: Real Muzik Entertainment; Geo C and Tha Storm, and 7 Hykoo and Due Tale.
Metal Band: Wretch; Skull R’z Bane, and Mettal Maffia.
Alternative Band and Live Performance: Northern Whale.
Club DJ: DJ Prydon; DJ Hootie, and DJ Brandyn Chaos.
Acoustic Band: Gary Pirrung; Old Goats Band, and Army of Two (Binder and Matt Muckle).
Blues Band: Triple Threat; The Barflies, and Lead Belly Boys.
Guitar Player: Michael Baranski of the Houseband; Joe Percic of Mettal Maffia, and Tommy Jacobs of Leddfoot.
Drummer: the late Allen Sillaman of Deep Cuts (accepted by his daughter Ashley and wife, Nicole); Gene McMath of the Skank Spankers, and Matt Muckle of Army of Two.
Bass Player: Garry Palsisco of Northern Whiskey; Gregg Horvath of Glitterpig, and Patricia Hood of the Old Goats Band.
Honorary Award: Left End (Pat Palumbo, Tom Figinsky, Jim Puhalla and Roy Guerrieri, accepting for the late Dennis T. Menass).
Country Band: Amanda Jones and the Family Band.
Piano/Keys Player: Dave Baer
Radio DJ: Justin Kelly
Funk Band: Geo C and Tha Storm
Horn Player: Tom Bartholomew.