Chicago Blues Legends to be Inducted to the Illinois Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

"The Blues had a baby and they called it Rock & Roll" The Legendary Muddy Waters composed those Lyrics...

JOLIET, IL, UNITED STATES, July 21, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- “The Blues Had a Baby and They Named It Rock & Roll.” The legendary Muddy Waters composed those lyrics, and they accurately reflect how Chicago-style Blues has influenced rock musicians from The Rolling Stones to Led Zeppelin.

The relationship between the two genres will be center stage when the Illinois Rock & Roll Museum on Route 66 in Joliet holds their combined 2024-2025 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at 5:00 PM on Sunday, September 14th at the historic Rialto Square Theater in downtown Joliet.

“In addition to some incredible Rock, Country and Folk musicians, the Museum’s Charter Members have voted to induct several game-changing Blues artists with deep local roots,” said Ron Romero, Founder and Executive Director of the museum. “Willie Dixon will enter the Hall of Fame in the Songwriter Category and Little Walter, Howlin’ Wolf and Bo Diddley will be inducted as Artist/Performers,” Romero said.

Several live performers are scheduled to appear and pay tribute to the late inductees including 3-time Grammy-nominated Chicago Blues legend Billy Branch, guitarist/singer/songwriter Ronnie Baker Brooks, and The Freddie Dixon Blues Band. Freddie is the son of Willie Dixon.

Chicago Blues Hall of Famer and Delmark Records artist Sheryl Youngblood is also scheduled to appear and will perform live during the Delmark Records induction segment.

Family members of the inductees will be on hand including Marion Diaz, daughter of Little Walter and Betty Kellye, Howlin’ Wolf’s daughter.

“Little Walter dramatically changed Chicago blues music by revolutionizing the role of the harmonica and helping to define the electrified Chicago blues sound,” said Diaz. “He would cup his hand around a small microphone while playing, which allowed him to achieve a powerful, distorted, and expressive sound that mimicked the tone and dynamics of a saxophone or horn section.”

“He began to play the harmonica because it was less expensive than a guitar and was easier to carry around,” Diaz said.

Betty Kellye believes the induction would mean a lot to her father. “He would feel fulfilled,” Kellye said. “A lot of people thought Howlin’ Wolf was a hard guy, but my sister and I named him The Big Teddy Bear. He was a family man.” Kellye said as children, they were unaware of their father’s success. “We didn’t think he was famous,” Kellye revealed. “We just looked at him going to work and coming back home. He had so many friends like Willie Dixon, Keith Richards, Muddy Waters, Pops Staples. They would drop by all the time. We didn’t know how much he did until we were adults and after he passed away.”

Other scheduled live performances from Hall of Fame Inductees include Grammy Award Winner Richard Marx, the award-winning Marshall Thompson & The Chi-Lites, Grammy-nominated heavy metal band Disturbed, rockers Head East, Enuff Z’Nuff, award winning Country singer Suzy Bogguss, Iconic Chicagoland folk singer Bonnie Koloc and dynamic actor/singer/stage performer Skip Griparis will perform a live tribute to the late Steve Goodman. Several special, surprise guests will lead the audience in singing Goodman’s “Go Cubs, Go!”

The evening will also feature Annie Aiello and Columbia College Chicago’s live musical/dance tribute to “Grease”, one of the world’s most successful movie-musicals of all time based on the book, play and songs written by Chicago-born songwriter Jim Jacobs and the late Warren Casey. Jacobs established a Musical Theatre Scholarship at the college and is scheduled to appear and accept his Hall of Fame Induction.

Vee Jay Records and Delmark Records will be inducted to the Hall of Fame in the Record Label category. Q101 and WCFL will enter in the Radio Station category, and Mitch Michaels and Bob Stroud will be inducted in the Radio Personality category.
WGN Radio’s Bob Sirott will return as Master of Ceremonies.

Tickets for the event are $69.00, $59.00 and $49.00 each and are available now on the museum’s website at www.RoadToRock.org as well as www.RialtoSquare.com and at Ticket Master. Additional charges may apply.

The Illinois Rock & Roll Museum on Route 66 is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. EIN 82-2293229.
Contributions are tax-deductible for income, gift, and estate taxes. Event sponsorships and museum Charter
Memberships are available by contacting Founder and CEO Ron Romero at 815-927-1540. Learn more at
www.RoadToRock.org.

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Ron Romero
Illinois Rock & Roll Museum on Route 66
+ +1 815-927-1540
ron@roadtorock.org
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