Prolific music columnist Don Wilcock joining the Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Hall of Fame

SCOTIA—When it comes to blues music, Don Wilcock has written the book on it. Literally.

The esteemed music columnist, producer and editor will be inducted into the sixth class of the Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Hall of Fame March 25 at Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs for his work in the industry.

Wilcock has a long, and impressive, resume. He’s interviewed some of the biggest names in music, including Jerry Garcia and Eric Clapton. And in 1993, his biography of Buddy Guy, “Damn Right I’ve Got the Blues,” helped propel Guy from a club act to the biggest living star in the genre.

“I’ve been writing about blues, rock and roll and pop music for 54 years,” he said.

Wilcock spent 40 of those years as a columnist for the Troy Record and has tallied up over 7,000 columns across numerous publications. His byline has graced The Daily Gazette, Metroland, The Saratogian, Nippertown and American Blues Scene.

The CEO of the King Biscuit Blues Festival called Wilcock the most prolific blues writer in the world.

“I’ve talked to the most famous people in my world by the thousands, and it’s never ceased to be exciting to me. Every day to me is exciting. I love what I do. I don’t know how many people can say that after they’ve been doing it as long as I have.”

Currently, Wilcock is contributing editor of Blues Music Magazine with cover stories in three recent issues—a long way from where he started.

His first experience in the writing industry was for the Army Reporter during the Vietnam War.

Upon his return home, he founded Kite in 1970, the area’s first arts weekly magazine. The establishment of this magazine would leave a standing impact on the arts scene in the Capital Region. From it would come other arts publications such as Metroland and Nippertown.

“We were underground newspapers in the late sixties. And I said, what would happen if you wrote the same way for not a hippie audience, but for adults who had ‘real jobs,’ and what would you write about? Well, you would write about the arts!”

Beyond interviewing some of the most famous musicians in the world, Wilcock is also dedicated to helping musicians gain exposure to audiences. He is founder and president of the Northeast Blues Society and helped propel the careers of local artists Albert Cummings and Tas Cru.

“Northeast Blue Society is unprecedented, before or since, in the way that it brought blues to the forefront,” he said.

The Schenectady native has helped shine a light on the music scene in the Capital Region. He’s learned a lot over his time writing about music, “You understand you’ve got nothing to prove, only what I want to prove for myself and for the artists that are my friends.”

The ceremony is open to the public and includes musical performances, a social hour, videos on the musical career of each inductee and acceptance speeches. Tickets are on sale now through the Box Office at Proctors in-person, via phone at (518) 346-6204 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday or online by visiting atuph.org.

Universal Preservation Hall and Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Hall of Fame are a part of Proctors Collaborative. For more information visit theeddiesawards.com.