Advisor inducted into Oregon music hall of fame

The Oregon Music Hall of Fame will hold its annual induction ceremony Oct. 6 with one of MHCC’s own among the newly recognized stars.

Calvin Walker started working at MHCC in 2003. For the last four years he has been an academic advisor. He previously worked as the development director at the KMHD jazz radio station, before the station was bought out by OPB.

He’s a longtime musician.

“I have been playing music in Portland for the last forty years, actually longer than that, closer to 42 or 43 years. I’ve been playing music professionally since I was 12 years old,” Walker said.

“I was playing in night clubs and then going back to the eight grade. It was quite the experience, but I wanted to be a great musician and that’s how you do it,” he said.

Walker started out as a jazz musician and has played other genres, such as big band jazz, rock and roll, soul and funk. “I started off playing trumpet and then I was a drummer for many, many, many years and I play a little keyboards. (But) probably what I’m being given the award for is singing,” he said.

Of the HOF award, Walker said, “It’s really about the culmination of your work, a combination of all the things you’ve done in music. And I’ve done it all. Besides being a musician I’ve produced many, many bands. I’ve worked for the musicians union, I’ve booked bands as an agent, I’ve been a manager. Anything you can do in music, I’ve done it.”

The induction ceremony will take place at the Aladdin Theater, 3017 S.E. Milwaukie Ave. in Portland. The show starts at 7 p.m. and tickets cost $25.
Walker has been asked to perform at the ceremony, which is a concert featuring some of the other inductees, one of which is rock band Everclear. Also performing will be hip-hop and rap group the U-Krew.

“I have an invitation to sing ‘Louie Louie’ as the finale and I haven’t decided whether or not I’m going to do that yet,” he said. “I think I probably will do it just so I can say I’ve played with Everclear.”

Walker has toured all over the U.S. and even in Japan and Germany with various performing groups.

“Music has been great to me. The cool thing about playing music and traveling is that when you’re traveling playing music, not only do you get to see the surroundings and the places you’re playing in, but at night you get to play. So it’s the best of both worlds. You can’t beat it,” he said.

As for Walker’s musical career, he has had three recording projects of his own as The Calvin Walker Band and other variations of that name. As a producer he has worked on 20-30 records.

“I don’t play as much as I used to but I’m about to give it one more go-around to capitalize on this newfound fame, I guess you could say,” Walker said.

On his student advising, he said, “This job is probably the first job I’ve had in my life that didn’t have anything to do directly with music and I love it.

Probably some of the greatest joy that I’ve ever had has been advising students here at MHCC. In some ways it’s like music, because it’s so fulfilling.”