2013 Inductees
Yipes!
It was an old, gold Plymouth that carried around the band back in the late 70s from clubs in Milwaukee and Madison to college towns in northern Wisconsin before they signed to a major label.
Yipes! Was the brainchild of friends Pat McCurdy (songwriter/vocals) and Mike Hoffman (rhythm guitar) who formed the band in 1977. They soon added Andy Bartel (lead guitar), Peter Strand (bass) and Teddy Freese (drums.)
Following a mere two years of successful gigging around Wisconsin, Yipes! caught the attention of execs at Millenium/RCA and once signed, the result was two albums -- the first of which charted at 172 on the Billboard charts. Soon, Yipes! was opening for bands such as Foreigner and Jefferson Starship. Their album cuts received airplay on radio stations across the country.
Pat Macdonald
Since his 1987 Grammy nomination for Best New Artist (Timbuk3), pat mAcdonald has continued to write, perform and reinvent himself.
Recognized for his singular sound and skewed worldview, mAcdonald is a highly sought-after songwriting collaborator having worked with Stewart Copeland (The Police), Oysterhead, Imogen Heap, Keith Urban, producer John Parish, Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto and Jackson Browne. Artists ranging from Aerosmith to Pavoratti have performed and recorded his songs.
Aside from his career as a songwriter, mAcdonald has ventured into historic preservation, saving an old steel bridge from demolition in his current home of Sturgeon Bay, WI. This effort led to the birth of Steel Bridge Songfest, an annual songwriting event bringing artists together from around the world.
In addition to being in the Austin Music Hall of Fame, his famed boombox from his days with Timbuk3 is on permanent display at the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.
Daryl Stuermer
In the mid 1970s, while playing with Milwaukee band Sweetbottom, Daryl Stuermer auditioned to play lead guitar with jazz violinist Jean-Luc Ponty. Thus began a decades-long career on the international music scene. After making a name for himself performing with Ponty, Stuermer was tapped to replace Steve Hackett of Genesis, beginning his “permanent part-time stint” as lead guitarist with Genesis, as well as becoming an original member of Phil Collins’ solo project band. Fans will appreciate the fact that Stuermer created the signature lead guitar sound of many hits, including “In the Air Tonight” and “Easy Lover.”
Stuermer has performed on more than seven albums with Genesis and 10 with the Phil Collins Band. In addition, he’s performed on albums by Jean Luc Ponty, Peter Frampton, Frida Lyngstad (ABBA) and many others.
Daryl continues to perform with his Daryl Stuermer Band, which showcases his acclaimed blend of rock and jazz guitar. Eight solo albums have resulted featuring his originals, as well as Genesis covers on his 2002 release, “Another Side of Genesis.”