Four individuals have been selected for induction into the Iowa Blues Hall of Fame in the Class of 2026: Bryce Janey, Erich Gaukel, Dave Steen, and Heath Alan Pattschull.
The induction ceremony for the Class of 2026 will take place on Sunday, March 22, 2026 at the River Center, 340 SW 3rdSt in Des Moines. The event will begin with dinner provided by Flying Mango and a performance by the host band featuring Hall Fame members Scott Eggleston, Greg Sutherland, Dwight Dario and Tom Giblin. VIP Tickets are currently available to the public at all CIBS General Membership meetings and events. VIP seating at last year’s event was sold out in advance so don’t delay. All tickets include FREE parking!
4:30 – VIP Doors Open
5:00 – General Admin Doors Open
Bryce Janey
Bryce Janey began his career at the age of 13 playing in the blues rock trio The Janeys with his mom and Iowa Blues Hall of Fame father Billy Lee Janey. He began his solo career in 1996 and things have not slowed down since. Bryce has toured solo and with his own band, as well as playing with the Blue Band. A member of the Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and winner of the Iowa Blues Challenge, Bryce has spent years combining rock and roll, R&B, folk and country into his own form of blues.
Erich Gaukel
Erich Gaukel is a founding member of one of Central Iowa’s longest standing blues bands, The Soul Searchers. Along with spending nearly three decades with that band, he later became the bass player for the Matt Woods Band. Erich has performed at Iowa’s major music festivals and venues, as well as sharing the stage with many regional and national blues stars.
Dave Steen
Dave Steen was born in Iowa and remained a resident until 1985. He has over 135 releases as a songwriter by artists including Solomon Burke, Junior Wells, James Cotton, Son Seals, Coco Montoya, Larry McCray, John Primer, Michael Burks and Big Daddy Kinsey. Dave has songs on two Grammy nominated albums and two feature films. An Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Famer as a former member of the Hawks, Dave has written with Coco Montoya on several albums and performed with Coco at numerous festivals and clubs shows.
Heath Alan Pattschull
Singer-songwriter Heath Alan Pattschull began his musical career at 8 years old, winning a singing contest in Waterloo, Iowa. He was asked to join Marvin Spencer’s band as a backup singer with Tracie Spencer and Effie Burt. Heath spent 20 years playing with the Blue Band as well as a year playing with Mother Blues with Iowa Blues Hall of Fame member Patrick Hazell. Also a member of the Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Heath has led his own band for the past 20 years and is an active sideman and studio musician.
About the Iowa Blues Hall of Fame
The IBHOF was established in 1999 by Des Moines blues singer, keyboardist and historian Tom Gary. Tom’s Masters dissertation was focused on Des Moines’ Center Street blues scene in the 1960s and he was inspired to gain recognition for the musicians of that time. After inducting the first two classes, Tom handed the administration of the IBHOF over to the Central Iowa Blues Society. Tom continued to serve as IBHOF co-chair for several years, along with Don “T-Bone” Erickson. In 2016 Don was succeeded by current IBHOF chair Bryan Church. With the induction of this year’s class, 93 individuals have been honored with induction. Photos and biographies of all IBHOF members can be viewed by clicking the IBHOF logo at www.cibs.org.
At the Class of 2000 induction ceremony, the permanent Iowa Blues Hall of Fame exhibit (colloquially referred to as “The Wall”) was unveiled at Blues on Grand, where it continued to reside until Blues On Grand closed in 2010. After a few years in storage while CIBS worked to secure a new location, the Hawkeye Elks Lodge in Des Moines served as a temporary home. In 2016, CIBS commissioned a portable companion exhibit which has since been displayed at several blues festivals and other events across the state, greatly expanding the exposure of the IBHOF to the public. In September of 2024, CIBS acquired space at the Mainframe Studios, 900 Keosauqua Way #440, where the exhibit is now proudly displayed.
Nominations of potential inductees to the IBHOF are accepted at any time from the general public. New inductees are selected by the Iowa Blues Hall of Fame standing committee of the Central Iowa Blues Society. Detailed information on submitting a nomination can be found online at www.cibs.org.
The Iowa Blues Hall of Fame is sponsored by: The River Center, Frame Works, Flying Mango, Fat Tuesday Productions, and VividPix & Design.
For more information, please contact:
Bryan Church – Iowa Blues Hall of Fame Chair
(515) 577-7749 / ibhof@cibs.org
Scott Allen – President, Central Iowa Blues Society
(515) 480-4437 / prez@cibs.org
