LUBBOCK, Texas (NEWS RELEASE) – The following is a news release from Civic Lubbock, Inc.:

The Civic Lubbock, Inc. Board is gearing up to host the 2019 West Texas Walk of Fame Inductions this week. Those being inducted are: Susan Graham, David Kneupper, Romeo Reyna and Larry Trider. The Induction Ceremony will take place on Thursday, September 19, 2019 at 7:00 pm in the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center Theatre located at 1501 Mac Davis Lane. Doors to the Theatre will open for seating at 6:30 pm. The Induction Ceremony is free and open to the public.

Susan Graham, international opera star, was raised in Midland, Texas and is a graduate of Texas Tech University and the Manhattan School of Music. She made her New York Metropolitan Opera debut in 1991 and her international debut at Covent Garden in London in 1994. Susan is one of the foremost opera stars as well as a versatile and compelling singing actress with a devoted international audience. She has sung leading roles from the Baroque and Classical to contemporary creations in the great opera houses of the world and has appeared with most of the world’s leading conductors and orchestras. Susan has performed alongside artists such as Renee Fleming, Anna Netrebko and Placido Domingo, just to name a few. A cover article in Gramophone magazine dubbed her “America’s favorite mezzo.” Susan is a Texas Tech University Distinguished Alumna. Past Walk of Fame Inductee John Gillas will be introducing Susan Graham.

David Kneupper, composer and sound designer, earned his Master’s degree and Ph.D. at Texas Tech University. His Carnegie Hall debut was in 1993. David works primarily with theme parks, museums, branded experiences and new media and has worked extensively with Universal Studios, the Walt Disney Company, Warner Brothers, Six Flags and many other attractions across the US, Europe and Asia. One of the highlights of his career was composing a score of over three hours of music for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum. David has created original music and sound design for numerous attractions around the world including: Spielberg’s Light, Camera, Action! in Singapore; The Soul Of 2 Nashville in Nashville; the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction in Shanghai; and the Shuttle Launch Experience for the Kennedy Space Center in Titusville, FL. David is a Texas Tech University Distinguished Alumnus. Alan Shinn will be introducing David Kneupper.

Romeo Reyna, textile and visual artist, was a long-time resident of Lubbock. Born in 1935, he first encountered Lubbock as a migrant worker with his parents. Romeo, at the age of 16, was the youngest student at that time to enter the Chicago Art Institute. He also studied at the Los Angeles Arts Center and the Otis Art Institute. Romeo became a nationally recognized textile/visual artist and was featured several times in Architectural Digest, Interior Design and Texas Monthly. Romeo specialized in designing, creating, and installing extra-large tapestries. Various commissions have been installed in locations around the United States as well as in Germany, Spain, Singapore, Columbia, Canada and Mexico. His work has been exhibited in various fine art museums both nationally and internationally. Romeo passed away in 2016 at the age of 80. Deborah Milosevich will speak about Romeo and his accomplishments. Romeo Reyna will be inducted posthumously. Celeste Cavazos will be accepting the honor on her late uncle’s behalf.

Larry Trider, singer/songwriter and bandleader, was raised on a farm outside Lazbuddie, Texas. He once said his only choices were farming or music, so he picked up a guitar and started playing at a young age. A collaboration with Rick Tucker in Amarillo gave Larry some experience before he began fronting a series of his own bands and touring. Album releases came from Roulette in 1961, Coral in 1963 and 1964, Dot in 1965, and Amy Records in 1968. Trider and his band toured extensively, covering 42 states from New York to Kansas City to Portland. In the early 1970’s Las Vegas supplied a majority of bookings, particularly at the Golden Nugget. In 1974 the album Country Soul Man was released by Ranwood Records. The late 1970’s and 1980’s found Trider appearing closer to home. Larry is considered a mentor by many of the West Texas singers/musicians who were beginning their music careers in the late 1960’s and 1970’s. Shawn Nagy will be introducing Larry Trider. During the ceremony there will be performances by Larry Trider and Susan Graham, a special video featuring the work of David Kneupper, and Romeo Reyna’s artwork will be on display in the Civic Center Theatre Lobby. The West Texas Walk of Fame, established in 1979, honors those individuals with a strong connection to Lubbock and the West Texas area who have devoted a significant part of their lives to the development and production of the performing and visual arts and whose body of work has been influential nationally in one or more of these areas.

(News release from Civic Lubbock, Inc.)