Best People
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Pat Shingleton.
BEST LOCAL TV PERSONALITY
Pat Shingleton 21.3%
He left the Sho Me State for the Sportsman's Paradise in the late '70s and has been a fixture on WBRZ ever since. It was Shingleton who started the McDonald's Color the Weather contest and was the infamous host of Hotline After Dark,
The Contenders
Andrea Clesi 18.0%
Donna Britt 15.7%
Whitney Vann 14.2%
Paul Gates 11.4%
an hour-long live call-in talk show delving into parapsychology and other matters that bordered on the strange and unusual. What's not to love? When he's not flexing his weather muscles in front of green screen, he's giving back to the community in a big way with Pat's Coats for Kids and Fill a Prescription for the Needy.
BEST LOCAL COVER/TRIBUTE BAND
The Molly Ringwalds 49.9%
The Contenders
Bag of Donuts 16.1%
The Issue 12.6%
V-Tones 13.2%
Lazy K 4.3%
About six years ago, the '80s supplanted the '70s as the decade most befitting retro cool status. Already there to scoop up an audience hungry like the wolf for a little more Madonna and a little less J-Lo were the Motley-haired, Culture Clubbing rockers of The Molly Ringwalds. If you don't remember the '80s because you were too young, or too medicated, The Molly Ringwalds take you back to the future on a new wave of hits from the decade of decadence.
BEST ARTIST/DESIGNER
CC Lockwood 52.4%
The Contenders
Rhea Gary 13.1%
Lisa DiStefano 9.0%
Jeanne Nicole 5.6%
Sam Corso 5.6%
Claire Sanchez 4.7%
Lockwood is so famous, his work is a breathtaking ambassador for the region. In fact, he may be more Louisiana than the state itself. His work shows our little corner of the world to the rest of it and shows us our home the way we'd like to see it. Always a champion of preservation, Lockwood's joint exhibit with Rhea Gary, Vanishing Wetlands, is touring the country through the end of the year.
BEST LOCAL RADIO PERSONALITY
Walton and Johnson 26.6%
The Contenders
Murphy, Sam and Jodi 16.5%
Ed Buggs 13.6%
Jim Engster 10.2%
Matt Kennedy and Kevin Meeks 8.2%
The Eagle 98.1 FM Baton Rouge
6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Weekday mornings
The self-proclaimed "Radio Gawds" since 1983, Walton and Johnson tear up the airwaves with their stream-of-consciousness and multiple personality-laden current events talk radio every morning.
225 STAFF FAVORITE
BEST COOL COACH
Pokey Chatman
She had to follow coaching legend Sue Gunter as coach of the Lady Tigers, but she rose to the challenge, leading them deep into the NCAA tournament for three years running. On top of that, she rides a Harley and speaks on behalf of the local Volunteers of America. How cool is that?
His honor, feeling the love.
BEST POLITICIAN
Mayor-President Kip Holden
Baton Rougeans favor Holden because his $450 million road improvement plan is a step in the right direction, because he managed law and order seriously and efficiently in the rumor-drenched Katrina aftermath and because he consistently puts the whole of Baton Rouge first, rather than catering to any one interest group or race. Plus calling several members of the Metro-Council a "kangaroo court" to their faces is about as "best" as it gets.
MOST POWERFUL PERSON NOT ELECTED TO OFFICE
Jim Bernhard
The man built Shaw Group from a run-of-the-mill construction company into a globally diverse, publicly traded behemoth that still confounds many on Wall Street. Shaw Group now builds power plants in China, wins military contracts in war-torn Iraq and is helping to rebuild hurricane-ravaged south Louisiana. Bernhard is a Democrat to the core. He's charismatic, confident and ambitious. He's the highest-profile business executive this town has seen in years. All that, and he's still only 51 years old.
BEST ORIGINAL MUSIC
The Chris Leblanc Band 49.2%
The Contenders
The Benjy Davis Project 29.8%
The Eames Era 11.6%
The Terms 9.3%
Take one part reckless blues and one part polished pop, stir slowly 'til party is to taste. A stalwart of the Baton Rouge rock landscape, LeBlanc's latest album Starshine is his brightest yet, an unapologetic, head-down, foot-to-the-pedal rock record that best combines his acoustic singer-songwriter and blues rocker tendencies.
BEST SINGER
Chris Leblanc 24.9%
The Contenders
Tabby Thomas 24.4%
Benjy Davis 10.1%
Luther Kent 22.4%
Ned Fasullo 10.0%
He's taken Robert Plant down a notch with his acoustic version of "When The Levee Breaks," and one-upped Randy Newman on the homeboy ode "Louisiana 1937." Whether it's an honest homage to classic tracks or his own blend of Southern blues rock, Chris LeBlanc is equally skilled at booming Delta soul over a resonator slide guitar or singing pop songs under an electrified ax. Bottom line, LeBlanc has rocked the mic right since the early '90s.
225 STAFF FAVORITE
BEST RESILIENT ENTREPRENEUR
Leah Simon
Co-owner, Tsunami
So many haters (OK, maybe just one big one), but even a flagship university can't cool off Simon's Third Street hotspot. So LSU shut down the popular terrace bar and DJ, so what? Simon promises they will return, and diverse groups of musicians, politicians and young entrepreneurs still flock there for the serene 6th-floor view of the river. Plus Simon, a music biz veteran, quickly learned how to party Tiger-style: Tsunami's one-year blowout included a giant projection screen, so revelers could watch LSU in the Final Four.
Comments
Posted by sherishiqua on July 3, 2006 at 6:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Why is Baton Rouge so obsessed with watching tv and eating? The only thing missing from many restaurants in Baton Rouge is the compartmented foil tray to eat while watching tv, and maybe a lazy boy...
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