York Town Square

Local doo-wop singer, the late Phyllis A. Carr, was an original member of ‘The Quintones.’ The group scored a Billboard hit in the late 1950s and appeared on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand. Phyllis Carr and others in the group would be candidates for a York County Arts & Entertainment Hall of Fame. Also of interest: Famed doo-wopper from York, Pa. walks down the aisle of heaven and Soul group Magnificent Men come to age on big screen and Add another to list of entertainers with York links.

No sooner had a list of worthy candidates for a Mayor’s Awards for the Arts gone up on York Town Square that a commenter came up with another eight. (Visit: Check out this list ready for induction in a York County Arts & Entertainment Hall of Fame – Part 1)
That was the idea. Put together a pool of worthy achievers in the arts and entertainment field who could be showcased annual, in the same way that local sons, pop artist Jeff Koons and bluegrass entertainer Del McCoury, received accolades in April.
Here were the worthy candidates put forth by the commenter: … .

– Music – Dr. Robert Hart Baker; Performing Arts – Jacqueline Sutton; Visual Arts – Mary Cassat, Stephen Etnier, John H. Rudy (stained glass); Literature – James Rudisill (also he could fit most well into Visual Arts); and Architecture & Public Design – C. William Dize, Edward Havilland.

And here is my list to supplement both of the above (search this blog’s archives for more information of most of these):

Music:
– Ferdinand Durang/Charles Durang: Early performers of the “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
– Bill School: Played “Call to the Gate” on the long trumpet at the Preakness.
– Chris Bacas: Saxophonist who played in the Glen Miller Band and other legendary bands.
– Rehoboth Welsh Choir: Regular performers of Welsh Hymns and other music in Delta.
– Georgjean Fells (Jeannie Crist) and Phyllis A. Carr et al: Members of doo-woppers The Quintones, performers of the Billboard hit “Down the Aisle of Love.”
– Moses Rascoe: Blues guitarist, performed at major U.S. folk festivals, particularly gaining popularity in Europe.
– Dave Bupp, Buddy King et al: Members of the homegrown 1960s band The Magnificent Men.
– Anna Theresa Berger: Part of well-known 19th-century family musical troupe, performed on the cornet.
– 101 Ranch Boys: Country-and-western band, gained a widespread following starting in the 1950s.
– Don January: Born Robert Slenker, a versatile musician who played with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra and Charlie Mingus.
– Roland F. Seitz: Composer of marches, internationally known as the “Parade Music Prince.”
Performing arts:
– John Durang: Early professional dancer on the American stage.
– John Baer, Hollywood actor and star of TV series “Terry and the Pirates.”
– Craig Sheffer: Starred in “A River Runs Through It” and other Hollywood films.
– Hogan Sheffer: For many years, wrote the scripts for “As the World Turns” and other daytime dramas and developed screenplays for major Hollywood pictures.
– Sam Freed: TV actor whose credits included “Law & Order” and “Kate & Allie.”
– Ivan Rutherford: Played Jean Valjean in Broadway’s “Les Miserables.”
– David Masenheimer: Performed as Inspector Javert in “Les Mis.”
– Matthew Faber: Actor whose credits include “Natural Born Killers.”
– Larry Williams: Widely exhibited photographer, co-directed episodes of TV drama “Homicide.”
– John Skipp/Craig Specter: Now working separately, they collaborated to write the original screenplay for “Nightmare on Elm Street 5” and other horror stories in the 1980s.
– Laurice Elehwany: Wrote the screenplay for “The Brady Bunch Movie” and “My Girl.”
– Sherry Lynn Fadely: Helped produce several movies, including “Free Willy” and “Radio Flyer.”
– Steve Zirnkilton: Provides the voice at the beginning of TV’s “Law & Order.”
– Bobby Spencer: Actor and musician who performed in the Broadway hit “Jersey Boys.”
– Frances Lee McCain: Actress who appeared in films “Back to the Future” and “Footloose.”
Visual arts
– Dean Paules: Paints portraits of prominent politicians and public figures.
– Don Everhart: U.S. Mint artist/engraver who has produced images on the Lincoln dollar and other well-known coins.
– J. Horace Rudy: Founder of Rudy Art Glass, provider of stained-glass windows in numerous local buildings and churches.
– William Wagner: Artist/engraver, joined Lewis Miller in documenting the county in the 19th-century
– Othmar Carli: Gained international following as an artist/restorer.
Literature and drama
– Craig F. Walker: Working for the Denver Post, won the Pulitzer Prize for feature photography.
– Manny Freedman: Rose through the ranks to serve as one of the top newsroom positions at The New York Times.
– Frederick Woltman: Reporter for the New York World-Telegram, gaining the Pulitzer Prize in journalism 60 years ago.
– Robert Maynard: Journalist who was widely known as a writer, columnist and owner of the first black-owned metropolitan newspaper, The Oakland Tribune.
– Eleanor Johnson: Created “My Weekly Reader,” that children’s newsletter so familiar to millions.
– Jonah Lehrer: A Californian and New York Times best-selling writer who has close relatives in York County and has presented here.
– Katherine Haviland-Taylor: Wrote light fiction that often featured York County settings.
– Jenn Crowell: Wrote best-selling “Necessary Madness” as a 17-year-old.
– Nancy Springer: Authored more than 30 award-winning books for children and adults.
– Susan Wojciechowski: Wrote the children’s story “The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey,” produced as made-for-TV Christmas special.
– William H. Shank: Authored books on transportation history, including “History of the York Pullman Automobile” and “The Amazing Pennsylvania Canals.”
– Jacob Hay V: Wrote novels and worked for several major newspapers and National Geographic.
– Brian Keene: Widely known author of horror and crime fiction.
Architecture and public design
– Edward Haviland: 19th-century architect whose work included the second county jail on Chestnut Street and York’s second high school on West Philadelphia Street.

For commentary on this list, check out my York Sunday News column (5/2/10): A few more arts greats to honor.
For additional information on many of the above achievers and others with York County links, visit:
– http://int.cysd.k12.pa.us/HSPAD/yorkers.html.
– http://www.imdb.com.