Four Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame (LIMEHOF) inductees recently turned out to honor its chairman, Ernie Canadeo, for his 70th birthday party at the Sagamore Yacht Club in Oyster Bay. Albert Bouchard (founding and former member of Blue Öyster Cult), Richie Cannata (Billy Joel’s Band), Randy Jackson (Zebra), and newly appointed board member DJ Johnny “Juice” Rosado (Public Enemy) came out to participate. A few of them even performed.
“It’s so cool having four Hall of Fame inductees here from different genres of music. We have DJ Johnny Juice from Public Enemy. We have Randy Jackson from Zebra. We have Richie Cannata from Billy Joel’s original band, and we have Albert Bouchard from Blue Oyster Cult. It’s just been very unbelievable,” said Canadeo.
A musician himself, Canadeo played guitar and performed a song he wrote entitled, “I’m a Lucky Guy.”
Long-time friend Richie Cannata received a special shout out tribute. That’s because it was at Richie’s induction into LIMEHOF L-R DJ Johnny Juice plays with the Hoodoo Loungers, Ernie Canadeo performs his song "I'm a Lucky Guy", Randy Jackson sings “When I Saw Her Standing There” with Face2Face, and Albert Bouchard hops on the drums to play” The Reaper”. Photo Credit Ed Shin.where Ernie first Catherine, who was to become his wife. In a heartfelt speech, Catherine Canadeo referred to Richie as ‘their Godfather’ for having brought them together. “Music is the universal lanuage. It brings people together,” she said. As a special surprise birthday gift, Ernie was presented with the original gold record of Billy Joel’s song, “Just the Way You Are,” which, incidentally was his and Catherine’s wedding song.
“I’m having a wonderful time tonight, seeing Ernie and celebrating 70 great years,” said Cannata. “He’s a wonderful guy and a dear friend.”
The main entertainment was provided by local bands Face2Face and The Hoodoo Loungers. Albert Bouchard hopped on the drums with Face2Face to perform the Blue Öyster Cult classic “(Don’t Fear) the Reaper” and Ernie himself got to join in and play the iconic cow bell from that song.
“We drove out here. It’s only 39 miles from my house, and I have to say Long Island drivers are the worst,” Bouchard exclaimed with a laugh. “But we’re here. It’s a beautiful place, and I can’t wait to have some food!”
When asked about seeing his fellow LIMEHOF inductees, Albert remarked: “I see Randy all the time at the museum (LIMEHOF), but I haven’t seen Richie Cannata in about five years, so that was great.”
Later in the night, Randy Jackon joined Hoodoo Loungers to sing classic song from The Beatles, “I Saw Her Standing There.”
“I’m so glad that Ernie invited me,” said Jackson. “I became great friends with him ever since I was inducted into the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame. I just happened to be in town now—I was gone for about two months—so I was very lucky to just be here, and I’m having a great time. There’s a lot of great people here.”
DJ Johnny Juice wrapped everything up in a finale with Hoodoo Loungers doing some amazing DJing and real-time song mixing.
“I’m so humbled and honored that they invited me to join in the celebration, listening to some great music, and talking to some great people. And there are some legends here from the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame,” said DJ Johnny Juice. “I’m walking around and I’m bumping into people from—you name it! People from Blue Oyster Cult and Billy Joel’s band. I grew up listening to their music, and they’re wondering who I am, so it’s great because I’m a fan again. So, it’s an awesome vibe to meet some of your heroes.”
Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino, himself a drummer with the Joe Saladino Band, also attended and presented Canadeo with a Citation for the work he's done to promote Long Island music and culture through LIMEHOF.
“He’s made a huge difference on Long Island,” said Saladino. “He’s got us rocking. He’s brought us closer together and tonight he brought some of the best musicians in the country together to celebrate his birthday. So, ‘Happy Birthday, Ernie,’ and keep Long Island rocking!”
About LIMEHOF
Founded in 2004, the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the idea that Long Island’s musical and entertainment heritage is an important resource to be celebrated and preserved for future generations. The organization, which encompasses New York State’s Nassau, Suffolk, Queens, and Kings (Brooklyn) Counties, was created as a place of community that inspires and explores Long Island music and entertainment in all its forms. In 2022, LIMEHOF opened its first Hall of Fame building location in Stony Brook, New York. To date, the organization has inducted more than 130 musicians and music industry executives, and offers education programs, scholarships, and awards to Long Island students and educators.