Amongst the honorees at this year San Diego Music Hall of Fame ceremony are two of the area’s most beloved performers, Cathryn Beeks and Cindy Lee Berryhill. Both are multi-faceted artists, Beeks also a promoter and radio host, Berryhill also an author and teacher. Integral parts of San Diego’s music community, their places in the Hall of Fame are well deserved.
What does this honor mean to you?
“More than anyone would think or that I can even explain,” Beeks said. “Listen Local has been a labor of love for over 2 decades and in the early years, when it was just me lugging my p.a. from venue to venue, I shed literal blood, sweat and tears through good and bad experiences, alike. This recognition into the Hall of Fame is better than any of the fair compensation or words of appreciation that I never received from some of the entities who benefited from all of my hard work throughout the years. This induction means the world to me and it will keep my light lit as I continue to host Listen Local events for another 20 years.”
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Berryhill concurs with the sentiment.
“I’ll be honest, this honor came as a complete and total surprise. I’ve never won a thing in my life, and I’m past the years of expecting anything like that. Twenty-four hours before Jefferson Jay phoned me with the news, I was talking to God, yeah, driving and talking. I was saying; Do I really need to be doing this performing thing anymore? I mean, God, it’s hard; making the cold calls to get gigs, whipping up the fans and friends on the socials to come out that night, schlepping the equipment, you get what I mean? It’s hard work, but being on stage, especially a nice stage with good sound can be a lot of fun. But it’s still hard work. So I wait for an answer from God. It was a call from the San Diego Music Hall of Fame. Now that is results! So I’ve put some shows together and maybe I keep writing songs and doing shows because that’s my job. And getting an award for that job, from my community and friends? That is a great honor indeed. As Dave Alvin said to me recently; ‘It’s not an award for a thing you did, it’s for a lifetime of work, and that’s a greater honor.’”
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What is Beeks looking forward to most on the night?
“Besides being included in this group of music makers and scene shakers that I am humbled to be among, that night I will be debuting the return of my band The Ordeal as I perform with original members Marcia Claire on bass, Rob Garbow on drums, and welcoming Jim Diez of Deadline Friday fame as our newest member. We’ll be performing a couple of our classic Ordeal hits: ‘Good To Be Alive’ and ‘Drive America.’ Also, my sister and 86-year-old mom are making the trip and will be in the audience, and that’s a pretty rare occurrence. It’s going to be very special night for me.”
Berryhill is looking forward to meeting friends old and new at the HOF ceremony, especially “those shining faces of my fellow inductees. Musicians I’ve seen gigging around town so many times and been inspired by over these many years. What a great class to be in! I’m looking forward to my new dress I’ll be wearing (ha!). Looking forward to hearing the choice words about the inductees that folks have prepared. And I’ll play a song or two with my new cadre of musicians, John Kruth from New York on a sitar-like machine and flute, Willie Aron from LA on keys who has played with everyone from Leonard Cohen to Victoria Williams to Dave Alvin’s new psychedelic band The Third Mind. And my longtime music partner, cellist Renata Bratt. What a bright starry night it’s gonna be.”
For more Cathryn Beeks, Visit! listenlocalradio.com
For more Cindy Lee Berryhill, Visit! cindyleeberryhill.com
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