Pleasant Grove’s Sound Support Foundation to honor Huey Lewis at inaugural Hall of Fame event
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- An undated press photo shows musician Huey Lewis. Lewis is set to be honored at the first People’s Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony in February.
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- A promotional poster for the first People’s Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony, honoring Huey Lewis, at the Eccles Theater in February.
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- An undated photo shows Caleb Chapman, founder of the Sound Support Foundation and CEO of the Soundhouse in Pleasant Grove.
A well-known songwriter, singer and performer is set to feel The Power of Love for his musical contributions at an honorary event next month.
The legendary Huey Lewis will be inducted into the People’s Music Hall of Fame at the Eccles Theater in Salt Lake City on Feb. 7.
The inaugural event was created and produced jointly by Caleb Chapman, founder of the Sound Support Foundation and CEO of Soundhouse studio in Pleasant Grove, and Adam Reader, who is known as the “Professor of Rock.”
The collaborative ceremonious efforts aim to pay homage to the voices, songs and stories that have shaped generations of listeners, providing a platform to recognize the cultural and artistic importance of music across genres, with the honoree himself set to be in attendance, organizers said in a press release.
“Not only is the People’s Music Hall of Fame a great opportunity to acknowledge an artist that’s well deserving of it, but the induction ceremony itself is an amazing cause,” Chapman said.
Aside from celebrating Lewis and his decades of music and accomplishments, proceeds from the event will go toward funding scholarships through the Sound Support Foundation, a nonprofit committed to music education for the youth through training, mentoring and outreach programs.
“I know that was something that Huey was really excited about,” Chapman told the Daily Herald. He’s actually heard performances of our award winning musicians from our band at the Soundhouse, and that was one of the reasons he was, you know, willing to come and celebrate this with us.”
Every dollar raised at the event will be matched, up to $250,000, he added.
Lewis’s band, Huey Lewis and the News, formed in the late 1970s and rocked its way to the top of the charts with tunes that still keep fans jamming decades later.
Over the course of his career, Lewis has had three No. 1 hits, 12 top-10 songs and 21 songs in total that appeared on the Billboard 100, including tunes like “Do You Believe In Love” “The Power of Love” and “If This is It.”
Chapman expressed his personal excitement for the opportunity to honor Lewis, a significant figure from his music-learning years.
“When I was, you know, first learning how to really enjoy music, it was an entire playlist of Huey Lewis and the News. So it’s a real, surreal moment for myself,” Chapman said.
The induction ceremony will feature performances of more than a dozen of Huey Lewis’s music by Caleb Chapman’s Soundhouse, who will be joined by special celebrity guests including Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, Tyler Glenn of Neon Trees, Tom Malone of the Blues Brothers and Mark Russo, who used to tour with Lewis.
“The backbone of the performance of all the music that night is over 200 young musicians from here in Utah, ages 10 to 18, and you can see it right when they’re on stage performing — like these kids love this music,” Chapman explained.
For nearly 30 years, Chapman has championed young musicians in Utah. He launched the first Soundhouse in 1998. The studio was housed in a tiny brick building in American Fork with a handful of instructors and young musicians.
During that time, Chapman and his team have trained thousands of young musicians producing top-tier talent that have been recognized globally.
Caleb Chapman’s Soundhouse studio recently moved to a new location in Pleasant Grove.
Chapman says the Sound Support Foundation was created in 2023 to provide opportunities for financially disadvantaged students to participate in music programs.
“We’re really excited about the opportunity that this event is going to open for so many other young musicians here in Utah that don’t have the financial ability to participate in programs like that,” Chapman said.
The event will happen Feb. 7 at the Eccles Theater starting at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available online for $20.
Chapman said while this is the event’s first year, he envisions it as a first of many to come.
“It’s an incredible opportunity to celebrate one of music’s most beloved icons while supporting a meaningful cause,” Chapman said.
