A couple weeks ago, we unveiled the first part of this list of some Milwaukee-related musical greats. Like the first list, this one -- which also features some well-known names -- crossed genres and decades.
And, once again, the list in alphabetical order. The entries are not ranked in any other way -- they have all contributed to Milwaukee's great music scene in their own ways.
- Acrophet, metal band that launched the career of Rob Anthony
- Luther Allison, bluesman
- Michelle Anthony, alt.country singer now in Austin, Texas
- Louie Bashell, polka musician
- Beatallica, building a bridge between the Fab Four and Metallica
- Bender, hard rock band signed to TVT Records
- Big Bang Theory, flashy '80s pop rockers
- Eric Benet, r&b star
- Bon Ton Society, Milwaukee's Duran Duran
- Boy Dirt Car, Milwaukee noise pioneers
- Brewhaus Polka Kings, the name kinda says it all
- Peter Buffett, New Age pioneer
- The Buzzhorn, grunge outfit signed to Atlantic in 2001
- The Championship, rootsy alt.rockers
- Clit Boys, hardcore band with national buzz
- The Cocksmiths, lamented hard rock outfit
- Steve Cohen, blues harmonica player
- Colour Radio, Milwaukee's contribution to techno-pop, along with Dark Facade
- Coo Coo Cal, hip-hop godfather
- The Crusties, loud fast hardcore, with trumpet
- Danny Gokey, "American Idol" contestant
- Decapitado, lords of loud
- Chris DeMay, alt.country poet
- Stephanie Dosen, singer/songwriter now based in the UK, Massive Attack collaborator
- Down by Law, proto punk hip-hop
- The Exotics, surf kings
- Fever Marlene, acclaimed contemporary rock duo
- Terry Frank, blues guitarist
- The Frogs, quirky band adored by Eddie Vedder
- Frogwater, folk outfit featuring some of the best musicians in town
- The Good Luck Joes, made a splash during the last decade
- Bunky Green, jazz saxophonist
- Tom Green, beloved late Elvis impersonator and so much more
- Tommy Greywolf, fiddler and Brooks & Dunn sideman
- The Gufs, champions of the turn of the millennium rock scene
- Lee Hawkins, r&b singer turned Wall Street Journal reporter and CNBC on-air contributor
- Woody Herman, jazz clarinet legend
- Daniel Holter, producer, songwriter, musician
- Ice Mone, veteran rapper
- Jaill, signed to Sub Pop, label debut due in spring.
- Junior & the Classics, r&b band featuring Junior Brantley
- Kali Tribe, influential hip hop group
- Mary Karlzen, transplant with skills and credits
- Kevn Kinney, of Drivin N Cryin fame
- The Lackloves, globe-trotting power poppers
- Lil' Rev, ace guitarist
- Liquid Pink, '80s psychedelic trio
- Little Blue Crunchy Things, lit the all-ages scene on fire in the early '90s
- Les Lokey (aka LuLu), singer/songwriter
- The Love Monkeys, mix covers and originals and are ubiquitous
- The Lubricants, early adopters of punk
- Rico Love, rapper and r&b singer
- Mad Trucker Gone Mad, reunited psychobilly stalwarts
- Maritime, one of our best-known bands beyond our borders
- Pat McCurdy, witty singer/songwriter
- Melaniejane, cellist and singer/songwriter
- The Mighty Deer Lick, how to describe this '90s-era band?
- Mighty Joe Young, blues guitarist
- Milwaukee Mandolin Orchestra, Milwaukee's mandolin orchestra
- The Mistreaters, raucous punks
- Frank Morgan, jazz saxophonist
- Mortaskuld, Metal Blade Records band from Brew City
- Moxy Roxx, defined the local hair metal scene in the 1980s
- Mrs. Fun, quirky / artsy jazz
- Loey Nelson, sister of ex-mayor, released a fine disc on Warner Bros. in 1989
- Nerve Twins, one of the city's best rock bands in the '90s
- The New Loud, great new electronica rock outfit
- Donovan Owens, teen gospel singer
- Jon Paris, blues / rock guitarist
- Paris, Texas, local emo pioneers
- Justin Perkins, ace producer and current member of Screeching Weasel
- Pet Engine, late '90s/early '00s rock quartet
- Pezzettino, making bigger waves every day
- Punchdrunk, featuring Galen Polivka, now of The Hold Steady
- Realm, metal
- Riverwest Accordion Club
- David Robinson, reggae singer
- Jabbo Smith, jazz trumpeter
- The Spanic Boys, father son roots rock outfit that landed on SNL, thanks to Sinead
- Speech, fronted Arrested Development
- Ruby Starr, she's in the WAMI Hall of Fame, you know
- Hubert Sumlin, bluesman
- Sweetbottom, with Stuermer and Wiegratz
- Gary Tanin, of Otto & the Elevators and Xpensive Dogs, also a producer
- Taste Emcees, hip-hop pioneers
- Temper Temper, 2000s dance punks
- Tense Experts, groundbreaking local goth band
- Those XCleavers, new wave favorites
- Lightning & Thunder, the inimitable duo
- Trance and Dance Band, Jerry 4TA's band that first matched Ritchie with DeLorenzo
- Trolley, power pop outfit linked to The Nice Outfit
- The Tygers, '60s band signed to A&M
- US Project, a revolving door of Milwaukee talent
- Voot Warnings, a singular personality and local musician
- Warp Drive, '80s metal band
- Western Box Turtles, western swing masters
- The Wigs, power pop band that left Brew City for L.A. in the early '80s
- Women's Liberace, predecessor of the also fine Falling Wallendas
- Wreck, joined the Wax Trax stable and moved to Chicago
- Yipes!, which spawned Pat McCurdy and Mike Hoffman
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.