Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Three locals will be inducted into the Museum of the Gulf Coast for their accomplishments in music and photography.

The induction ceremony honoring Mike Zito, Bart Bragg and Paul Otra is set for 2 p.m. April 5 at the Museum. 700 Procter St.

Blues musician Mike Zito, who has garnered numerous awards through the years, had six Billboard No 1. albums and nominated for Blues Rock Artist of the Year by the Blues Foundation, will be inducted into the Museum’s Music Hall of Fame. 

Bart Bragg, celebrity photographer of national and world figures and dignitaries, and the late global blues harmonica player/singer Paul Orta will be inducted into the newly established Legends Exhibit. 

The Inductees

Mike Zito, a native of St. Louis, Missouri, got his first guitar at the age of eight. He later played in various cover bands in different genres but was drawn to the blues, according to information from the Museum. 

He has released a number of solo albums and albums with Royal Southern Brotherhood and With the Wheel. 

And for Sons of Anarchy fans, you may already know his song, “Roll On,” was featured on Season 5, Episode 10.  

Paul Orta, a native of Port Arthur, played his first professional gig at the age of 16 with The Bayou Boogie Band before moving to Austin in 1979. He formed Then Backdoor Men which later became The Kingpins. 

He played with a number of blues greats through the years and his music can be heard on multiple albums and compilations in North and South America and around the world. He also won a number of awards and was an active promoter of Blues in Schools, according to biographical information. 

Bart Bragg has been documenting Gulf Coast happenings for more than 50 years. Early in his career he collaborated with his mentor Frank Cricchio in pioneering color portrait photography as well as perfecting newspaper reproduction of color photos. He went on to photograph high-ranking state and national elected officials, sports heroes, recording artists, movie stars, business leaders and so many more important people, according to information from the Museum.

In addition to his professional photographic expertise, Bragg has been a longtime, staunch supporter of the Museum of the Gulf Coast and the annual Gulf Coast Gala fundraiser. And, he has devoted tremendous amounts of time as a caregiver to individuals dealing with both medical and non-medical challenges.