A Lasting Legacy

As the latest in an annual series of fundraising concerts in Los Angeles, WesFest 13 was an amazing musical experience that took the spirit of celebration to new heights. WesFest raises funds for the Wes Wehmiller Endowed Scholarship at Berklee.
June 1, 2018

The C.C. Ellis Band featuring (from the left): Marty Walsh, David Stewart, Eric Jackowitz, Danny Morris, and C.C.Ellis

From the left: Mike Keneally, Phil Collen, and Debbi Blackwell-Cook

From the left: John Wehmiller, Will Calhoun ’86, Paula Wehmiller, and Doug Wimbish

As the latest in an annual series of fundraising concerts in Los Angeles, WesFest 13 was an amazing musical experience that took the spirit of celebration to new heights.

WesFest raises funds for the Wes Wehmiller Endowed Scholarship at Berklee. To date, the fund has accrued more than $575,000. The level of talent of the artists appearing on the stage at SIR in Hollywood for the March 8th concert was world-class. The latest Wehmiller Scholarship recipient, C.C. Ellis ’19, led off the night in great style with a band that included Berklee faculty members Danny Morris and Marty Walsh, as well as Eric Jackowitz and David Stewart ’17. 

They were followed by the WesFest All-Stars that included Bryan Beller ’92, Mike Keneally, Joe Travers ’03, Rick Musallam, Griff Peters ’93, and Colin Keenan ’93. To top it off, guitarist Phil Collen of Def Leppard sat in for the All-Stars’ closing song backing powerhouse vocalist Debbi Blackwell-Cook. The evening’s headliners were Will Calhoun ’86 and Doug Wimbish of HeadFake, best known as the rhythm section of Living Colour, who delivered a set that was both remarkable and transcendent.

Wes’s parents, John and Paula Wehmiller, the heart and soul of WesFest, were in the audience as they are each year.  During an evening that celebrated the memory of their son, Wes Wehmiller ’93, a remarkable bassist who left a lasting legacy, one could say that, “Wes was in the room!”

This article appeared in our alumni magazine, Berklee Today Summer 2018. Learn more about Berklee Today.
Related Categories