On November 12 the Niagara Falls Music Hall of Fame held their annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony and added 10 new members to The Hall.

Musicians all, the newest members bring a wide variety of talents to the Hall of Fame from inventing a signature instrument to forming bands that have lasted generations.  And of course, there are the musical educators who pass their talents along to the next generation to keep the music alive.

Meet the 2025 Niagara Fall Hall of Fame members:

Randy Andropolis has an impressive list of credits that include being a composer, multi-instrumentalist, teacher, director, and has appeared on stage with The Chieftains.  After beginning his own musical journey at the age of four, Andropolis has spent decades helping to sculpt the musical lives of students in Niagara Falls and western New York.  He has 200 copyrights works to his credit, has recorded 23 albums, and appeared on dozens more.

Coming from a musical family, Christina Custode is the daughter of Niagara Falls Music Hall of Fame member Lew Custode.  A graduate of the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY; Custode now teaches private piano lessons and is an educator in the Niagara Falls School district that includes helping to put on the annual school musical.  She has also lent her skills to numerous musical projects and artists.

Also a graduate of  the Eastman School of Music, Tonio DiPaolo has spent over 30 years touring the operatic stages of the world as a tenor.  His credits include Rodolfo in “La Boheme”, Cavaradossi in “Tosca”, Don Jose in “Carman”, Edgardo in “Lucia di Lammermoor”, Calaf in “Turandot”, Verdi’s “Requiem” for Princess Diana, “La Traviata”, “Il Trovatore”, and numerous National Anthems at baseball games.

Pioneering guitarist Tim Donahue is the creator of the Time Donahue Signature Harp Guitar.  Composing for films and commercials, he has also patented Dr. Hook guitar accessory.  He has shared the stage with Paul Rodgers, Joe Satriani, Vernon Reid, Uli Jon Roth, James LaBrie, and Mike Mangini.

The only posthumous induction, Ned Green mesmerized his audiences with his performances.  Green had the ability to engage the entire audience including jumping over chairs, doing splits, and telling jokes.  Flashy outfits and dance contests were all a part of the show.  And to make sure he brought the entertainment – a la a singing Flip Wilson – he even used his own money to buy the prizes for the dance contest.

Scott Nichols played in bands during high school but his musical prowess was elsewhere…in the sound booth and behind the mixing board.  Working first with Niagara Falls Music Hall of Fame artist Bob Hillman and later with his own company Nichols Audio, Scott Nichols has worked some of the biggest festivals in the area and with some of the top artists as they passed through the area.

Drummer Ed Roscetti began playing when he was just five years old.  He was still in his teens when he began performing on stage.  He was still in his teens when he moved to Los Angeles to further his career.  His musical compositions have appeared on “Saturday Night Live”, “General Hospital”, “Family Ties”, “LA Law”, “Knotts Landing”, The History Channel, Disney, the WWE, and Fox Sports.  Roscetti has spent over 30 years as an educator.

Showman drummer Eddy Tabone Sr has been a part of the western New York music scene for over 40 years.  He is the founding force behind the very popular generational band Nerds Gone Wild.  His latest project is the yacht rock tribute band The Yachtfathers. 

Bassist Paul Yates began playing in high school, Yates began his professional career in the production “Frank Sinatra: Doin’ it His Way”.  Along with performing on stages all over western New York, Yates has performed on military bases and has worked on the theatrical productions “9 to 5” and “The Pajama Game”.  An in-demand musician, Yates currently plays with The Pat Harrington Trio, HYTS, Big City Horns, Queen City, Powertrain, The Thomas Marinaro Quartet, Taylor Made Jazz, Melissa Kate, and the Van Taylor Project.

Named after an original band member’s girlfriend, Penelope has been a part of the wester New York music scene for over 40 years…and has had only 16 band members.  A dance and party band, Penelope worked hard to maintain the original musical scores.   At one time, the band had a playlist of some 200 songs.