TOP ORIGINAL GUITARIST
MYTCH MEADOWS
- SKY CHURCH
TOP ROCK ORIGINAL BAND
THE NEED
HARD ROCK ORIGINAL BAND
GODS CHILDREN
TOP NEW GROUP
ACCENT
1993 BUFFALO MUSIC AWARDS
MANIKINS – NOVEMBER 29, 1993
Diona, Meadows Win Music Awards
New Names and some familiar faces share honors at Manikins
Reprint: Buffalo News
November 30, 1993
by Anthony Violanti
News Critic
A budding female singing star, a local guitar god and a veteran bluesman shared the spotlight Monday during the 1993 Buffalo Music Awards at Manikins Nightclub.
Tanya Diona, barely in her 20s and apparently on the verge of signing with a major record label, captured the honor as best R&B vocalist, Mytch Meadows, Buffalo’s version of Jimi Hendrix, took his second consecutive original guitarist award. Willie Haddath, who has been playing the blues since he was 13, was named to the Buffalo Music Awards Hall Of Fame.
“For me the best part of the whole thing is just to be in this room and see all these Buffalo musicians in one spot.” Diona said in a voice filled with emotion. “I tried to tell myself that winning doesn’t matter, but it does. It just adds to a great evening.”
Diona, sultry and soulful, is one of Buffalo’s rising young vocal talents. She sings with the R&B band TMJ, and at least two major labels have expressed an interest in signing her, according to Van Taylor, Diona’s musical associate and adviser.
“For me the object is not to just get signed, but to put all the aspects of this business together so I can have a successful career,” Diona said.
Meadows shares the goal. The hard rocking guitarist with the band Sky Church has already achieved legendary status on Buffalo’s music scene. Meadows once played in a Jimi Hendrix cover band, but now his music is original…
Meadows appreciated the award and the ceremony. “It’s so damn hard being a musician in Buffalo,” he said. “Local radio won’t play your music, and it’s tough to find gigs. A night like this is a chance for recognition, and a chance for everyone to come together.
Willie Haddath, who plays with Willie & the Reinhardts as well as the Black Cat Blues Band, also enjoyed the communal atmosphere. “You put one night a year aside for the musicians who live and work here, and this is it,” he said….
Emotion was running high for the other Buffalo Music Awards Hall of Fame inductees: Ray Wood, guitarist for Only Humen, and Matt Young, keyboardist for the Trolls. Two bands were inducted: The Trolls featuring Young, Calvin Nichols, Guy Nichols and Pete Gomez; and Party Squad, with Mark Dixon, Joe Rozler and Dave Elder.
“We play music that appeals to people, we’ve gotten off the Top 40 treadmill,” Elder said of Party Squad. “To be in this place tonight with all these musicians is like a breath of fresh air.”
One of the upset victories went to Andrea DeGolier, talented lead singer of Kama Sutra. She won the original Female vocalist award over established local talent that included Ani DiFranco, Gretchen Schultz, Mary Ramsey and Kathy Moriarty.
“This has been a great night for everyone, not just the winners,” said Rick Falkowski, who originated the Buffalo Music Awards 13 years ago. “It’s always hard work to put it together, but it’s always worth it.”…
The list of winners includes:
ROCK BAND
Wunderland
CLASSIC ROCK BAND
Bamm
CLASSIC TOP 40
Only Humen
HARD ROCK BAND
Voyager
NEW GROUP
Accent
POP / ROCK GROUP
The Release
TOP 40 BAND
Joyryde
WORLD BEAT
Outer Circle Orchestra
GROUP VOCALS
Grand Illusion
OLDIES
Bedrock Boys
SOLO
Randy Milligan
DUO / TRIO
Lady Fire
ROCK MALE VOCALIST
Jim Cheronis
ROCK FEMALE VOCALIST
Holly Jones
ROCK GUITARIST
Tony Scozzaro
ROCK KEYBOARDIST
Joe Rozler
ROCK BASSIST
Paul Mordaunt
ROCK DRUMMER
Bruce Morgan
SAXOPHONIST
Al Kroll
R&B MALE VOCALIST
Joey Diggs
R&B FEMALE VOCALIST
Tanya Diona
R&B GUITARIST
Marshall Badger
R&B BASS PLAYER
Rodney Appleby
R&B KEYBOARDIST
Nick Kemtski
R&B DRUMMER
Robin Wilson
BLUES BAND
Win, Lose or Draw
BLUES GUITARIST
Tommy Z
BLUES BASSIST
Harvey Murello
BLUES KEYBOARDIST
Jimmy Wozniak
BLUES DRUMMER
Steve Cammeleri
HARD ROCK ORIGINAL BAND
God’s Children
ROCK ORIGINAL BAND
The Need
ALTERNATIVE ORIGINAL BAND
Steam Donkeys
NEW ORIGINAL BAND
Phonk Butt
ORIGINAL MALE VOCALIST
David Watts
ORIGINAL FEMALE VOCALIST
Andrea DeGolier
ORIGINAL GUITARIST
Mytch Meadows
ORIGINAL BASS
John Caruso
ORIGINAL KEYBOARDS
John Masse
ORIGINAL DRUMMER
Scary – Scary Chicken
Hall of Fame:
Willie Haddath
Ray Wood
Matt Young
Party Squad
The Trolls
