Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame to open
After nearly 20 years of planning, the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame (LIMEHOF) is about to open its doors. The nonprofit organization will unveil a two-story, 8,800-square-foot museum, located at 97 Main St. in Stony Brook, to the public at noon on Nov. 25.
“I am incredibly proud that our organization has created Long Island’s first Hall of Fame, and how appropriate that it celebrates Long Island’s music and entertainment legacy and future,” says board chairman Ernie Canadeo. “I believe there is no part of the world that has created more music and entertainment talent than Long Island. Everyone can now experience, learn and be proud of Long Island’s contribution to the world’s culture.”
Over the years the Hall of Fame, which was founded in 2004, had a few false starts. In 2011 the museum was going to be based in Port Jefferson, but that deal fell through. In 2019, it looked as if the Hall of Fame was going to be erected in Wyandanch, but plans never materialized. Finally, this past summer an agreement was struck with the Ward Melville Heritage Organization to take over its former Educational and Cultural Center space and LIMEHOF moved in during July. Four months later, visitors are now welcome to explore the new museum.
The exterior of the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame in Stony Brook. Credit: Tom Lambui
FIRST EXHIBIT
The first floor will showcase the museum’s debut exhibit called “Long Island’s Legendary Club Scene Through the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.” Old live-music venues like My Father’s Place in Roslyn, The Mad Hatter in Stony Brook, Hammerheads in Levittown and the Action House/Speaks in Island Park will be the centerpiece.
“Instead of focusing on one inductee, we decided to highlight the clubs that gave birth to all these artists on Long Island,” says creative director Kevin O’Callaghan. “It’s a nice way to introduce the museum.”
O’Callaghan is architecturally recreating the front of each club, and as visitors peek through they can see live video footage of the bands that played in the venues, including Twisted Sister, Zebra and Blue Öyster Cult.
A replica of the bar from My Father’s Place will double as a glass showcase with memorabilia from the Long Island bar scene such as matchbook covers, coasters and cocktail menus. There will also be a wall of old ticket stubs, as well as a 10-foot-long map of Long Island showing the locations of all the clubs back then.
“People really want to relive old times. Nothing does that like music,” says O’Callaghan. “Hearing a song could put a smile on your face that brings you back to your old girlfriend or old boyfriend. That’s what this whole first exhibition is about.”
Personal items and props from Twisted Sister's Dee Snider be on display. Credit: Tom Lambui
HALL OF FAME DISPLAY
On the second floor, a permanent exhibit will commemorate the more than 120 artists who make up the Hall of Fame.
“We are taking every inductee’s most iconic album or photo and printing it on a 16-by-16 piece of glass with a QR code,” says O’Callaghan. “You can use your smartphone to click on the QR code and it will bring you to the artist’s bio on our website, plus you can hear their music on Spotify.”
LIMEHOF has acquired a wide variety of items from inductees that visitors can examine such as Harry Chapin’s Congressional Gold Medal and his handwritten lyrics, rapper DMC’s hat and gold record, a drum kit from Blue Öyster Cult, Vanilla Fudge’s gear from the band's appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” Jay Jay French of Twisted Sister’s famous Destroyer guitar, Twisted Sister’s original logo backdrop from its club days and a pair of white guitars from Zebra's Randy Jackson. Joan Jett has even donated her 1983 Jaguar with 10,000 miles on it.
“We get new acquisitions every single day,” says Canadeo. “They are pouring in.”
In the past year, the Hall of Fame added “entertainment” to its name to expand the organization’s inductee base to include comedians, actors and more.
One of the items in the Hall of Fame is a photo of Eddie Van Halen playing a guitar used by The Good Rats. Credit: Tom Lambui
MULTIPURPOSE SPACE
The museum has a library with computers, a small theater where documentaries will be shown and a permanent stage to be used for live performances, lectures and book signings.
“Our first-floor exhibit space will rotate every six months and we’ll have different events throughout the year,” says O’Callaghan. “The key is to get people to not only attend but come back.”
Next year, LIMEHOF will partner with the museum’s presenting sponsor Catholic Health on a new program called Health and Harmony, to illustrate how music and the arts positively impact health.
Additionally, there’s a gift shop for visitors to buy various merchandise such as T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, mugs and posters, as well as vinyl albums and books.
The LIMEHOF museum will be open year-round, Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. For more information, visit limusichalloffame.org.
David J. Criblez is a reporter for Newsday's exploreLI, covering entertainment-related events from local music to stand-up comedy to festivals.
