WHO IS Visiting & WHAT IS Going On at the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame

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Guitarist Jennifer Batten, perhaps best known for performing on Michael Jackson's "Bad," "Dangerous" and "History" tours, toured the Rock Hall on Wednesday, November 18, 2009.

Here, she poses in front of the Michael Jackson collection in the Legends of Rock exhibit.

In 2008, Batten performed on stage at the Rock Hall's... 13th Annual AMM tribute to Les Paul: http://www.rockhall.com/lespaulamm

Rock On Ms.Batten..!


:angel:Heal The World...WE Are The World...Education IS The Key
 
Rock Hall of Fame: Janet Jackson, N.W.A, NIN, the Smiths Lead Nominees

By Andy Greene October 8, 2015
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The nominations for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's Class of 2016 are in, and the list includes Chicago, Cheap Trick, Deep Purple, the Cars, Janet Jackson, N.W.A, Nine Inch Nails, the Smiths and Yes. The rest of this year's hopefuls are Chaka Khan, Chic, The J.B.'s, Los Lobos, Steve Miller and the Spinners. The top vote-getters will be announced in December and inducted next April at a ceremony in New York. HBO will broadcast the ceremony later in the year.

For the fourth consecutive year, the public will have the opportunity to vote alongside the more than 800 artists, historians and music industry insiders of the Rock Hall voting body. From now until December 9th, fans can vote on RollingStone.com for the nominees they'd like to see inducted. The top five acts will comprise a "fan's ballot" that will count as one of the ballots that determine the class of 2016.

In order to be eligible for this year's ballot, artists or bands need to have released their first single or album in 1990 or earlier. Some of the nominees have appeared on previous ballots, but this is the first appearance for Chicago, Cheap Trick, the Cars, Chaka Khan, The J.B.'s, Janet Jackson, Los Lobos and Steve Miller. Chic, however, have now been nominated a record 10 times. This also marks the fourth time that N.W.A has been on the ballot and the third time for Deep Purple and the Spinners.

Last year's Hall of Fame class included Green Day, Lou Reed, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble and Ringo Starr.
 
Cheap Trick, Chicago, Deep Purple + Steve Miller Elected into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
By Nick DeRiso December 17, 2015 2:30 AM
[video=youtube;UnYsEDJbzGo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnYsEDJbzGo[/video]
A classic-rock heavy 2016 induction class finds Cheap Trick, Chicago, Deep Purple and Steve Miller joining the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Chicago, who had been eligible since 1994, earlier claimed victory in fan voting.

Rap group N.W.A. round out the list of honorees at the 31st annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, set for April 8, 2016 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. The event will be subsequently broadcast by HBO at an undetermined date.

Deep Purple, whose absence has long been pegged as one of the hall’s most egregious errors, first became eligible for induction – like Miller – in 1993. Cheap Trick has been eligible since 2002. More than 800 voters decide who emerges from the ballot, along with the aggregate results from an online fan poll.

Alas, a ceremony often plagued by controversy could suffer the same fate this year. Deep Purple and Steve Miller were in the Top 5 in the fan vote, but actually finished behind also-rans Yes and and the Cars. Further down in the poll, Cheap Trick was lodged at No. 7, while N.W.A. was at No. 12.

Then there is the possibility of lingering issues among bandmates for these newly-nominated groups.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has welcomed all members of the sometimes-contentious Deep Purple’s heralded Mk. II lineup, including Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, the late Jon Lord and Ian Paice. Also inducted: Rod Evans, original vocalist in a Mk. I edition which likewise included Blackmore, Lord and Paice; and subsequent Mk. III-IV members David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes. On the outside looking in, however, were those who later worked with the Blackmore-less editions of Deep Purple – notably guitarists Tommy Bolin and Steve Morse.

Chicago’s inductees only include their original lineup, leaving out former member Bill Champlin – who sang on ’80s-era hits like “Hard Habit to Break” (a No. 3 hit with original singer Peter Cetera, gone since 1985), “I Won’t Wanna Live Without Your Love” and “Look Away,” the latter of which was Chicago’s most recent chart-topper. The band also split with co-founding honoree Danny Seraphine in 1990.

All four original members of Cheap Trick are being inducted, including drummer Bun E. Carlos, whose in-limbo status with the group prompted a just-settled court battle. Miller, though he released his best-known hits under the umbrella of the Steve Miller Band, is being inducted alone.
 
By Mike Ayers -<time class="timestamp"> Oct 18, 2016</time> - Wall Street Journal
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The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced the nominees for its 2017 class today, with grunge-rock kings Pearl Jam and rapper Tupac Shakur on the ballot in their first year of eligibility. To be eligible for nomination this year, an artist or band’s first single or album must have been released in 1991 or prior.

Other first-time nominees this year include Bad Brains, Depeche Mode, Electric Light Orchestra, Jane’s Addiction, Joan Baez, Journey and Steppenwolf.

Rounding out the list of nominees are J. Geils Band, Chic, Janet Jackson, Joe Tex, Kraftwerk, MC5, the Cars, the Zombies and Yes. This is the second nomination for Jackson, Khan, MC5, the Cars, and the Zombies. For Kraftwerk and J. Geils Band, it’s their fourth. It’s Joe Tex’s fifth nomination and Yes’s third. For Chic, it’s their 11th.

Eight hundred artists, historians and music industry professionals will vote on the nominees, with the final inductees to be announced in December. As in years past, fans will have a chance to vote, too, beginning today and running through Dec. 5.
The induction ceremony will take place at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., in April 2017.

Last year’s inducted class was comprised of Cheap Trick, Chicago, Deep Purple, N.W.A. and Steve Miller.
 
Last night I got my usual overnight google alert on Michael which lists 10 or so stories every day where his name is in headline or featured prominently in the story.
One freaked me out a bit. Talking about HOF and that 4 new influential investors had Michael removed in 2015 bc of the allegations.
The Daily Mail wrote the story but they actually named a source-somebody named Spicier.
Anybody know if this is possibly true?
 
Mike

^^Never heard of that. But both Mike & The Jackson 5 are still on the Hall Of Fame's website. You can see them here & here. If that story was true I doubt they would still be listed on the site. Here is the main page of the site.
 
I did ck the pages first but I was wondering why the hxxx they would be writing something like this seriously. Quite odd and bizarre to me.
Odder things have actually happened.
 
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By Andy Greene | December 20, 2016 | Rolling Stone
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The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has officially announced next year's inductees: Pearl Jam, Tupac Shakur, Journey, Yes, Electric Light Orchestra and Joan Baez will all join the class of 2017. Chic's Nile Rodgers will be given the Award For Musical Excellence

The induction ceremony will be held at Brooklyn's Barclays Center on April 7th, 2017. An edited version will later air on HBO and there will be a radio broadcast on SiriusXM. Ticket details will be announced in January.

Artists are eligible for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25 years after the release of their first album or single. 2017 is the first year Pearl Jam and Tupac Shakur were eligible. They are also the first artists to join the institution who started their careers in the Nineties.

Pearl Jam weren't available for comment at press time, but in May guitarist Mike McCready spoke to Rolling Stone about the possibility of getting inducted. "It would be a great honor," he said. "I would be happy about it. But you never know. I don't know their process and how they pick. It could be a couple of years from now. I mean, Cheap Trick took forever to get in. So did Deep Purple. But we're aware of it."

Progressive rock giants Yes are entering on their third ballot, 26 years after first becoming eligible. "It's a bit like waiting for a train," says guitarist Steve Howe. "Maybe it's on time and you just noticed waiting. I don't regret the wait. I just feel this must be the right time." (Click here for a full Q&A with Howe.)

Journey didn't appear on a ballot until this year. "I kind of feel like we were already in with our fans and the amount of records we've sold all over the world," says guitarist Neal Schon. "I wasn't expecting anything at all. I've learned to be that way. If you don't expect something and it comes, then its good news. I'm honored. I think we're all honored." (Click here for a full Q&A with Schon.)

The news came as a surprise to Joan Baez. "I never considered myself to be a rock and roll artist," she said in a statement. "But as part of the folk music boom which contributed to and influenced the rock revolution of the Sixties, I am proud that some of the songs I sang made their way into the rock lexicon. I very much appreciate this honor and acknowledgement by the Hall of Fame."

Jeff Lynne, who toured with a reformed Electric Light Orchestra (as Jeff Lynne's E.L.O.) this year after a three-decade hiatus, was also thrilled to get the news. "I am deeply honored to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame," he said in a written statement, "and would like to thank all the great fans who have supported us over the years."

Nile Rodgers' Musical Excellence Award comes after Chic were nominated a 11 times. "It's sort of bittersweet," says Rodgers. "I'm quite flattered that they believed that I was worthy, but my band Chic didn't win. They plucked me out of the band and said, 'You're better than Chic.' That's wacky to me ... I am flattered and I think it's cool, but I feel like somebody put me in the lifeboat and told my family they can't get in." (Click here for a full Q&A with Rodgers.)

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is also known for providing an occasion for band members to reunite. This year's class has two potential reunions on the horizon with Journey and Yes. Journey haven't performed in public with singer Steve Perry since a Bill Graham tribute show in 1991. Schon hopes Perry will take the stage with the band on the big night. "I would be surprised if it didn't happen," he says. "But I'll deal with it whichever way … I'm going to try and reach out [to Perry], as I've done many times. And [our current singer] Arnel [Pineda] is so gracious. He says, 'Any time he wants to come on and do anything, I'll very gladly step aside and let him sing.'"

Perry's manager said the singer would not be available for interviews, but he did release a very short statement on his behalf: "I'm truly grateful that Journey is being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame." Whether or not he's grateful enough to get onstage with Journey remains unclear.

A Yes reunion is a safer bet. The current lineup of the band hasn't performed with original singer Jon Anderson and keyboardist Rick Wakeman since 2004, but guitarist Steve Howe isn't opposed to the idea of playing with them on Hall of Fame night. "It just depends on how it feels and what the communication is and what the spirit is," he says. "It's gotta be discussed and gotta be considered. Obviously it's a consideration."

Many members have come and gone from Electric Light Orchestra over the years, but only singer Jeff Lynne, drummer Bev Bevan, keyboardist Richard Tandy and multi-instrumentalist Roy Wood are being inducted. Wood left the group shortly after the release of their 1971 debut LP. Tandy stayed with the band through their 1986 album Balance of Power, but got into a legal spat with Lynne over the band's name in the 1990s. Last year, Lynne told Rolling Stone he hasn't spoken to Bevan in 30 years. Tandy is the sole member of the classic lineup still in the touring lineup. At the moment, it's unclear whether Wood and Bevan will perform with Lynne at the ceremony.

Most induction ceremonies end with a huge all-star jam. Steve Howe is open to the idea of having it be "Roundabout" this time. " It could be a little bit chaotic," he says. "It really deceives you into thinking it's in 4/4 because it's easy on the ear, but of course it isn't and there's a little trick in there that catches many musicians up."

Trevor Rabin, the Yes guitarist who replaced Howe in the 1980s, has his own idea: "Playing 'Helter Skelter' with Neal Schon would be a lot of fun."
 
Sorry that Chic didn't make it this time, but glad Niles Rodgers did-he's a musical genius in his own right. Very, very refreshing to read about a group of inductees that actually sound grateful and happy that they made it into the RRHOF, instead of the usual griping and bad fights between band members and/or the Hall.
 
By Jeff Giles March 27, 2017 Ultimate Classic Rock
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Electric Light Orchestra fans hoping for a reunion between former bandmates Jeff Lynne and Bev Bevan at the band’s upcoming Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction won’t be getting their wish.

Bevan broke the news with a recent Facebook post, explaining he has prior commitments with U.K. television personality Jasper Carrott. “These dates have been sold out for some time, and when the news broke about our induction, it was too late to change them,” wrote Bevan. “It would have been fantastic to meet up with Roy, Jeff and Richard again.”

Calling the induction “a great honor,” Bevan shared his enthusiasm for being part of a body that includes a number of his peers and musical heroes while singling out fellow ELO vets Mik Kaminski, Hugh McDowell, Melvyn Gale and Kelly Groucutt as being deserving of recognition at the induction. Unsurprisingly, the looming induction finds Bevan feeling reflective — and full of gratitude.

“I have been incredibly fortunate to have had a life in the music business from my first band ‘Rocking Ronnie & The Renegades’ to Black Sabbath and all the bits in between,” he wrote. “It has been a blast and I still get a buzz every time I walk out onstage. However, I would like to add that without the support of the record-buying and concert-going public my great career could never have happened. So a huge thank you goes out to everyone who has ever purchased a record that I played on or been to any of the concerts.”
 
By Rolling Stone April 8, 2017
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2017 Inductees Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin, and Rick Wakeman of Yes and 2013 Inductees Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee onstage at the 32nd Annual Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony at Barclays Center on April 7, 2017 in New York City.

After emotional induction speeches by Rush's Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, the surviving members of Yes took the stage for the first time since the conclusion of the Union tour in early 1992. They've spent the last year touring in two competing camps and relations are more than a little strained, but at least for one night they were willing to put the bitterness behind them and celebrate their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Whether it marks the beginning of a new Union chapter or merely a one night detente remains to be seen, but the group, especially Rick Wakeman, delivered one of the Hall's most hysterical, profane speeches. Read the entire thing below.

Jon Anderson: Truly, this is for the Yes fans everywhere! [Applause] It's kind of interesting, I went to the Hall of Fame about three years ago with my beautiful wife, Janey. There she is. And I walked around the Hall of Fame and all my heroes were there. Every one of them. From ... Little Richard ... I can't believe you guys. You're so beautiful. Look at you! You're all so beautiful! Wow! Bill Haley! Bill Haley and the Comets. Stevie Wonder. Look at those great people ... we're going to join. I can't believe it. It's truly amazing. I was very lucky, you know. It's actually 49 years ago tonight that I met Chris Squire at a bar. And so in April 1968. It was a magic moment when I met Chris. I remember going to him and saying, "Hi, Chris. How are yah? He was so tall! I can't believe it!"

Anyway, we got the band going. We had a guitar player called Peter Banks. We had a drummer called Bill Bruford. He's there! Mr. Bill Bruford. He's behind me. [Laughter] But Chris is in heaven now. And Peter Banks is in heaven and in spirit. They're here with us tonight. That's for sure.

I don't know what to say anymore. I just love being here. You guys are beautiful! Wow! Beautiful! Let's hear a big shout for my son, ****** and Deborah and Jade! The Kid and Bowie and my grandchildren. I can't believe I've got grandchildren. It's amazing. [Laughter.] Life is passing me by so fast. I can't believe it. I'm so glad we're in Yes. Yes means rock to me. Here's Mr. Trevor Rabin!

Trevor Rabin: Hi there. Bruford said to me, "Make sure your fly's up when you go up." I got to thank you so much. This is an incredible honor. And it's great to be inducted with my friends out there and Neil and Jonathan and everyone. And along with everyone that's being inducted, I want to thank you all and my beautiful wife, Shelley, and my extremely talented son, Ryan. Brian Lane, Larry Magid. Thank you so much for everything, and I'll pass it on to Rick Wakeman. Sorry, Alan White.

Alan White: Hi, everyone. Thank you. It's great to see you all here. This has been a long journey. I'd like to thank the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for this induction. Secondly, I'd like to really thank my wife and family for being here tonight with me. And also, all of our great fans from all over the world. And thirdly, I'd like to acknowledge Chris Squire. I've been working with them for 43 years, and he was one of my best friends ever. And we had a relationship like no one. And... thank you all for this award. Thank you.

Steve Howe: Okay, I'm Steve Howe. I'm only going to take a minute now, but of course we'd love to thank all of our fans for believing all these years that we deserve and need to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame [Applause] Fame is fickle many people, and some may long for bask in its glory. Others merely attempt to gain notoriety for their musical endeavors. Well since music speaks long after its creation, this service has a payment for those with the respect for those who are no longer with us today. Allowing those to remain, to shine a light on all those who contributed to those such great ideas and melodies and lyrics and arrangements and direction with this Yes music.

Nothing can take away the response we've gotten from our fans who obviously have a different ear from the general music lovers, fortunately, for us. They're able to distinguish the textures and the harmonies and the discords and the dynamics of the dramatic and the humble or the soft and the love of the choir. And as Bill used to say when asked, "What is Yes music?" Bill would say simply, "Some of it's fast and some of it's slow."

I'd just like to take a minute now just to thank my wonderful wife and our wonderful family who's been behind us through the highs and the lows. We love you all very, very much. We look forward to continuing, to unearth more great works of Yes. Thank you very much! [applause.]

Rick Wakeman: Does this thing go up? [Points to mic] Story of my life. [Laughter] Ah, forget it. I'm very happy here for a couple of reasons, to be inducted. One is the fact, obviously to be a part of Yes and getting inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the other is something I really probably shouldn't tell you is that, less than half a mile away from this very building is where I had my very first meaningful sexual experience. [Applause] No. No. No. Please. It wasn't very good. [Laughter] Anyway, as Steve said a thank you to his wife, I will say a thank you to mine. Unfortunately, she's not here tonight. When I left her this morning, I think she was in a coma actually&#8230; the sex was still the same but the washing was piling up.

I'd like to thank, apart from all the guys in Yes that I work with, my father, who played a massive part in my career. Like my family, we were all in the entertainment business. We generally were very, very poor. My father was an Elvis impersonator. But there wasn't much call for that in 1947. [Laughter] He taught me a lot. I remember he sat me down once, he said, "Son," he said, "Don't go to any of those really cheap, dirty, nasty, sleazy strip clubs because if you do, you'll see something you shouldn't." So, of course I went. And I saw my dad. [Laughter]

I'd like to thank the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame very much for inducting Yes. The only thing I would say, I'm glad that we're actually out third because as you get older, the old things like the prostate start acting up a bit. What I would like to say quite seriously is how important it is to have the odd examination, which I had indeed on Monday. You ladies, you don't know, it's really tough. You have to get in the old fetal position, you hear the old plastic glove go off or the rubber glove. And then it's like the gopher going on holiday inside. Whilst I was having my examination, the doctor said to me, he said, "Mr. Wakeman, there's no need to be embarrassed. It's not unusual to get an erection with this kind of procedure." I said, "I haven't got an erection." He said, "I know, but I have."
[video=youtube;RvTJj7o-K2Y]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvTJj7o-K2Y[/video]
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By Rolling Stone April 8, 2017
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2017 Inductee Joan Baez speaks onstage at the 32nd Annual Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony at Barclays Center on April 7, 2017.

After a nearly 60-year career, Joan Baez has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Queen of Folk was presented the honor by her friend and collaborator Jackson Browne during Friday night's ceremony at Brooklyn's Barclays Center.

The activist and singer-songwriter became an internationally known voice of the counter-culture during the early Sixties. Her original songs like "Diamonds & Rust" have become classics as well as her interpretations of material penned by peers like Browne, Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan.

The legendary artist used her time to deliver a passionate speech pleading for social justice. Read her acceptance speech below.

Joan: It gives me enormous pleasure to accept this prestigious, and very cool award tonight. Thanks to the Hall of Fame for this somewhat unlikely induction. A special thank you to my manager, Mark Spector, for having kept my career visible, viable, and vibrant.

I'm aware that I'm speaking to many young people, who, without this induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame would have no clue who I am. [Laughter] My granddaughter had no clue who I was until I took her backstage at a Taylor Swift concert, where she got a selfie, an autograph, a T-shirt and a newfound respect for her grandmother.

Though one can not say I am a rock & roll artist, one cannot overlook the folk music of the Sixties and the immense effect it had on popular music, including rock & roll. Nor can anyone overlook the role I played in that phenomenon. I was lucky enough to have found my voice when coffee shops were the order of the day. My first job in music was on Tuesday nights at Club 47 in Harvard Square where I sang three sets and made fifteen dollars a night, all as I gleefully flunked out of college. I owe my beginnings to the friends and folk artists from whom I picked up the chords, the melodies, the finger picking and a budding repertoire.

Again, at the right place and time, I knew and was friends with most of the rock & roll idols of the Sixties and Seventies. Some of those friendships I treasure to this day. Most of us in the community of both folk and rock music share with each other the similarities and the differences of how we got to where we are today. We also share the awareness of the blessed and the bizarre, which accompanies us in our everyday lives, lives which are seldom really private. Once a friend said to me when I was recognized and approached by a fan on the street, "Oh come on, admit it. You really like that." I told her there was nothing to admit. It was a fact. My public is a kind of family.

I am beholden to those rock and rollers who are long gone, and those who live on who have enriched and brightened my life, from vinyl to digital and everything in between - and back to vinyl. [Laughter]

My childhood and teen years were filled with classical, country and western, rhythm and blues, and the Hit Parade. When I was 16 my aunt took me to a Pete Seeger concert. And my mom brought home a Harry Belafonte album. Though Pete was not in any way gorgeous like Harry, he was already committed to making social change. He paid a high price for holding fast to his principles. I learned the meaning of “taking a risk” from Pete. The Cold War was getting a foothold and ushered in a shameful period in this country.

My family was by then Quaker, and socially and politically active. Pete's influence on me took like a good vaccine, and I turned my attention to folk music and political activism.

My voice is my greatest gift. I can speak freely about the uniqueness of it precisely because it is just that: a gift.

The second greatest gift was the desire to use it the way I have since I was 16 and became a student of and practitioner of nonviolence, both in my personal life and as a way of fighting for social change. What has given my life deep meaning, and unending pleasure, has been to use my voice in the battle against injustice. It has brought me in touch with my own purpose. It has also brought me in touch with people of every background. With open, generous, fun loving, hardworking people, here in this country and around the world. It has brought me in touch with the wealthy, the ones who are stuck in selfishness, and the ones who give generously of their time and resources to benefit the less fortunate, and light the way for others to do the same.

And I've met and tried to walk in the shoes of those who are hungry, thirsty, cold and cast out, people imprisoned for their beliefs, and others who have broken the law, paid the price, and now live in hopelessness and despair. Of exonerated prisoners who have spent decades in solitary confinement, awaiting execution. Of exhausted refugees, immigrants, the excluded and the bullied. Those who have fought for this country, sacrificed, and now live in the shadows of rejection. People of color, the old, the ill, the physically challenged, the LGBTQ community.

And now, in the new political and cultural reality in which we find ourselves, there is much work to be done.

Where empathy is failing and sharing has been usurped by greed and the lust for power, let us double, triple, and quadruple our own efforts to empathize and to give of our resources and our selves. Let us together repeal and replace brutality, and make compassion a priority. Together let us build a great bridge, a beautiful bridge to once again welcome the tired and the poor, and we will pay for that bridge with our commitment. We the people must speak truth to power, and be ready to make sacrifices. We the people are the only one who can create change. I am ready. I hope you are, too. I want my granddaughter to know that I fought against an evil tide, and had the masses by my side.

When all of these things are accompanied by music, music of every genre, the fight for a better world, one brave step at a time, becomes not just bearable, but possible, and beautiful.

Thank you again.
[video=youtube;DWQDRmReLJk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWQDRmReLJk[/video]
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By Kory Grow - April 8, 2017 - Rolling Stone
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2017 inductee Nile Rodgers speaks onstage at the 32nd Annual Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony at Barclays Center on April 7, 2017 in New York City. The event will broadcast on HBO Saturday, April 29, 2017 at 8:00 pm ET/PT

Guitarist Nile Rodgers was honored at this year's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony with the Award for Musical Excellence. Pharrell Williams presented him with the prestigious honor. "They just told me a couple of months ago that I've sold over 300 million albums and 75 million singles," Rodgers said during his speech. "I just wanted to have one hit record."

He went on to state that his work as a producer has been fulfilling, and the award was recognition of the accomplishments that he never would have imagined possible when he began to make music. "This award, which is amazing to me, is really because of all the people that have allowed me to come into their lives and just join their band," he said. "Be it Mick Jagger, be it Madonna, be it Duran Duran, be it Daft Punk, be it Pharrell Williams, be it Diana Ross, be it Sister Sledge. I mean it just goes on and on and on. Thank you all."

After accepting his award, he spoke to Rolling Stone about how profound the honor was to him.

What does it mean to you to get the Award for Musical Excellence?
I'm just blown away. I don't do music for awards or anything. I just do it because I love it. I've said many times this is a job I would do for free. I used to panhandle. You know, I ran away from home at 14 years old and I was on the streets. Basically on Eighth Street just begging for spare change. I went on my first audition for Sesame Street. I didn't know it was Sesame Street. They just said guitar player wanted for traveling band, and it was Sesame Street and I got that job and ever since then I've never looked back.

What does it mean for you to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
I still don't know. I mean – I was thinking maybe it was affirmation since after the whole disco reaction back then. To get an affirmation that you are rock & roll and this is rock & roll.

What makes it sort of odd to me is that we were a rock & roll band before we were an R&B band. We're working musicians first of all. That's how we make a living. So, when we did our first rock & roll stuff, it's because our lead singer had just left Jesus Christ Superstar. It's funny that we're here with Journey; we were trying just to be a funkier version of Journey. Our lead singer had that vocal style like Corey Glover or Ronnie [James] Dio.

So, we had our thing together and every record company kept our demos because they thought our songwriting and our playing was amazing. Then, when they saw that we were black, they were like, well you don't fit your music and we were like, what do you mean we don't fit your music? There was one Puerto Rican guy in our band who looked white and they kept thinking that it was his band. He was like, "Look I just joined the band, it's their band."

Is that when you discovered Roxy Music?
Yeah, I went to England with another band that I worked with and I got stranded there and I saw Roxy Music for the first time and I was like, I've never seen a rock & roll man get dressed up, because whatever we wore in the morning is the same thing we wore all day long. So these guys got all dressed up and I said, "Well, let's do the black version of that."

Then, when we came home, we started to try to put together these sophisticated looking people who would play this black R&B music. We met Tony Thompson, who had just left the group Labelle. So we knew that they were into this fantasy fusion, like weird clothing stuff, and that was cool. Then, we met this guy named Rob Sabino and Rob Sabino's best friend was a guy named Ace Frehley. Ace Frehley was in Kiss. We went to see Kiss and went, "Holy shit, look at these guys!" Their fans were going crazy. They didn't have a record deal, but as soon as they took off their makeup, no one had a clue who they were.

So, Ace and I would sit down and have drinks together and people were just walking by him and I'm like, "They were frenzied over you and now they don't even know you" and he was like, "Yeah, that's how we want it."

We thought, well we don't look like stars. What can we do where we can have the anonymity of Kiss and the sophistication of Roxy music? So we invented Chic and Chic is a mashup of Roxy Music and Kiss. ... We were going, "This shit makes total sense. Let's do this." Our first song was a hit, and we never stopped.

You've done R&B, disco, EDM, rock. Everything is rock & roll and it's a nice testament for them to recognize you for that.
Not only is everything rock & roll but when I first met [Chic's] Bernard [Edwards], he hung up the phone on me because I told him that I wanted my band to be a cross between Fairport Convention, Country Joe and the Fish, the Mahavishnu Orchestra and the Grateful Dead. And he slammed the phone on me and he said, "Man, lose my number."

But look at what happened. Here you are.
And what's great about it is that every single act that I've ever produced, I've produced way more rock acts than I've produced R&B acts. Way more. I play on every record I produce, whether the band has a guitar player or not. They could have two guitar players, I still play because my philosophy is that [when I produce] I join the band. If my guitar can't make your record better, I'm not your producer. Just get someone else. That's what I do. I communicate through music. I do my arrangements, sometimes I write on piano, but the guitar is my voice that I speak through, and I believe that if that voice is a voice that adds something, I want it to be on that person's record because I believe it will make it better.

Chic still isn't in yet. Are you still holding out hope that they'll get in the Rock Hall?
Of course. If you think about achievements and what people have done if you're in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, like, OK, so I'm in for musical excellence. Chic is ****ing musical excellence personified. It's funny, I was watching Neal Schon play and I kept thinking to myself, when I was a kid this was what I loved. All the virtuosos. Chic is a band of virtuosos. You can't play that shit. If I go out and ask half the dudes that I love and think are amazing to play – if you used to watch Jaco Pastorius sitting on the edge of the stage watching us play – you were just mesmerized with what we played.

But we make it sound like it's all poppy and simple because that's what we're into. We're not into ego-tripping and watching me play these lengthy solos. Now and then, someone asks me to do that. I've played on records where because of music videos someone else is taking the solo and they're known for being lead guitar players, people think that's them playing the solo. With Cyndi Lauper you have Rick Derringer who's a monster. Like, that's me playing; Rick Derringer is just doing the video.

I loved what you said about how you've worked with everybody in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Look, everybody on that stage tonight, I was going, "Oh shit, Snoop Dogg is my friend." Tupac I've known since he was a kid. I was in the Black Panthers with his mom. We were in the same branch. When they put up the picture of the Harlem branch, Afeni and I were in the same branch. So it was like Tupac, Snoop, Treach from Naughty by Nature, and then they showed every rock band. Jackson Browne is one of my best friends. When I played at Live Aid and I saw Joan Baez and she said hello to me and Richie Havens said hello to me, I was crying. I was like, Joan Baez knows who I am. It was the greatest day of my life.
[video=youtube;JnY7lG63dCQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnY7lG63dCQ[/video]
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by Gerrick D. Kennedy | October 5, 2017 | Los Angeles Times
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New Jersey-bred rockers Bon Jovi, singer-activist Nina Simone, new wave outfit Eurythmics and pioneering rapper LL Cool J are among this year’s nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Historically, the ballot has been capped at about a dozen acts, but last year that figure rose to 19, which repeats itself this year.

Ten of these, including Rufus featuring Chaka Khan, the Cars, J. Geils Band, MC5, the Meters, Link Wray, the Zombies, and Depeche Mode, have been nominated before, but there were notable first-timers, including Simone and Eurythmics.

L.A. rap metal collective Rage Against the Machine and English rockers Radiohead both made the ballot during their first year of eligibility (25 years must pass since an act’s first recording), and singer Kate Bush, heavy metal band Judas Priest, roots band Dire Straits, gospel singer Sister Rosetta Tharpe and art rockers the Moody Blues were also nominated for the first time.

Most of them will be disappointed. While the number of nominees has almost doubled, the number of inductees remains in the single digits; only five to seven artists will be selected.

“Voting in the past has been so close,” Hall officials said in a statement. “Similar to last year, the nominating committee wanted to be more inclusive and have more choices for fans and the voting body.”

Winners are chosen by an international voting body of more than 900 that includes past inductees, historians and members of the music industry as well as the aggregate results of the Rock Hall’s online fan vote.

Factors such as an artist’s musical influence on other acts, the length and depth of career and the body of work, as well as innovation and superiority in style and technique are considered. Tupac Shakur, Yes, Joan Baez, Pearl Jam, Electric Light Orchestra and Journey were this year’s inductees.

Not every musician is a fan of the process. Earlier this year Radiohead made headlines when its members seemed less than enthusiastic about its prospects of being inducted.

"I don't want to be rude about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame because for a lot of people it means something, but culturally I don't understand it,” member Ed O’Brien told Rolling Stone. “I think it might be a quintessential American thing. Brits are not very good at slapping ourselves on the back. It seems very showbiz and I'm not very showbiz … It's just really uncomfortable.”

Inductees for Rock Hall’s class of 2018 will be announced in December, with the ceremony, which takes place in New York, following in April. The ceremony will be broadcast on HBO as well as SiriusXM radio.

Fan voting on Rock Hall’s official site begins Wednesday and will continue through Dec. 5.

List of nominees:
Bon Jovi
Kate Bush
The Cars
Depeche Mode
Dire Straits
Eurythmics
J. Geils Band
Judas Priest
LL Cool J
MC5
The Meters
Moody Blues
Radiohead
Rage Against the Machine
Rufus featuring Chaka Khan
Nina Simone
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Link Wray
The Zombies
 
By Michele Amabile Angermiller • April 14, 2018 • Variety
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The 33rd annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony treated the audience at Cleveland’s Public Auditorium to a reunited Bon Jovi, a hilarious induction speech by presenter Howard Stern, and touching tributes to Tom Petty and Chris Cornell.

The April 14 event kicked off with The Killers, who honored Petty with a cover of “American Girl.” Singer Brandon Flowers also nodded to a bit of “Free Falling” during the performance. It was followed by Stern’s introduction of Bon Jovi. The SiriusXM radio host, and self-anointed “King of All Media,” commented: “It took years of pondering to decide that this glorious band that sold 130 million albums [should be let] in.

Jon Bon Jovi’s twenty minute long speech was a gracious nod to the history of the band, with generous mentions of people along the way who paved the way to the Rock Hall honors.

“I’ve been writing a speech like this since I first strummed a broom and sang from the top of the stairs of my childhood home,” said Bon Jovi from the stage. “I’ve written it many ways and many times. Some days, I write the ‘Thank you’ speech. Other days, I write the ‘F–k you’ speech. Writing it has been therapeutic in a lot of ways. I certainly see things differently tonight than I would have 10, 20, 30 years ago. In the end, it’s really all about time.”

Each member of Bon Jovi took a moment at the microphone, with Alec John Such thanking Bon Jovi for his “vision,” and former guitarist Richie Sambora saying, “If I wrote a book, it would be [called] ‘The Best Time I Ever Had.’”

Drummer Tico Torres thanked his mother, who supported his pursuit of music with words of advice: “Do what you want to do and play for your heart — just promise me you won’t get a tattoo.”

Keyboardist David Bryan, whose time in the band also led to work on Broadway, said that being in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame made him “proud as hell. … We grew up as nobody but became somebody.”

The band then took the stage for a lively four-song set that included, “You Give Love a Bad Name,” “It’s My Life,” “When We Were Us” from last year’s “This House Is Not for Sale” album, and “Livin’ on a Prayer.”
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Dire Straits bassist and co-founder John Illsley — who made a decision to induct the band itself — addressed singer Mark Knopfler’s absence, saying, “I can assure you, it’s for personal reasons, let’s just leave it at that. You’ve got to realize this is really more about a group of people more than one person. It’s a collective, a brotherhood, and that’s something that needs acknowledging tonight. … the many musicians who have worked with Dire Straits over the years and made the band’s success possible and led us all the way to Cleveland tonight.” Keyboardist Guy Fletcher made a few short remarks, noting that he never thought of Dire Straits as a “cool band.”

Alabama Shakes singer Brittany Howard brought down the house inducting and honoring Sister Rosetta Tharpe, singing from the gut on “That’s All.” Backstage, Sambora embraced Howard, giving her a big hug and telling her that nobody else could have been a better pick.

Speaking to Variety, Howard said she wishes more people knew about Tharpe, and suggested that her story is ripe for a movie.

The Cars finished their road to the Rock and Roll Hall in epic fashion, with singer Ric Ocasek decked out in a glittery silver jacket and Flowers paying homage to the band (“You’ll never forget your first”) and referencing Phoebe Cates and her iconic pool scene in “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” to “Movin in Stereo.”

Ironically, that afternoon was when the band decided to play that song, Greg Hawkes revealed to Variety in the press room. It got the hugest reaction of the set from the crowd, who were treated to “My Best Friend’s Girl,” “You Might Think,” and “Just What I Needed,” with Ocasek singing lead on the song, originally sung by Benjamin Orr. Weezer’s Scott Shriner filled in on bass.

“When the band first started, Ben was supposed to be the lead singer and I was supposed to be the good-looking guy in the band — but after a couple of gigs, I kinda got demoted to the songwriter,” Ocasek said. “But obviously it’s hard not to notice that Benjamin Orr is not here. He would’ve been elated to be here on this stage. It still feels strange to be up here without him.”
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During the set, Bon Jovi drummer Torres was spotted peeking behind an amplifier to get a glimpse of David Robinson.

Nina Simone’s younger brother Dr. Samuel Waymon and inductor Mary J. Blige gave beautiful speeches, with Blige saying Simone could “sing anything” and Waymon throwing down a gauntlet to other artists that if they are considering sampling his sister, “You better pay for it.”

Simone’s tribute was perfection, with Andra Day taking the stage and the performance capped off by an absolutely gorgeous version of “Feeling Good,” delivered by Lauryn Hill.
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The tributes continued with Heart singer Ann Wilson and Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell paying tribute to the late Chris Cornell with a moving cover of “Black Hole Sun.”

The audience was then schooled in rock history when E Street Band guitarist and resident musicologist Steve Van Zandt took to the stage for a special presentation inducting “The Hall of Fame Singles,” a new category introduced this year. The inaugural inductees for 2018 are: “Rocket 88” by Jackie Breston and his Delta Cats (1951), Link Wray and his Ray Men’s “Rumble” (1958), “Louie Louie” by The Kingsmen (1963), Procol Harum’s “A Whiter Shade of Pale” (1967) and Steppenwolf’s “Born to Be Wild” (1968).

The evening concluded with the induction of The Moody Blues. Wilson returned to the stage to tell of her personal relationship to the music of The Moodies, noting that they were not “cool or ironic.” Said Wilson: “The Moody Blues took me from childhood to adulthood as a disciple; their philosophical, spiritual, romantic and everyday messages were liberating and challenging to my then-forming mind. … The very few boys who took me on dates in those days were instantaneously upstaged if ‘Nights in White Satin’ or ‘Dawn Is a Feeling’ came on the car radio. And when ‘Legend of a Mind’ was played, the date was usually over because the awkward gropings of earthly boys didn’t seem to resonate like that astral plane.”
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She praised Justin Hayward, saying, “When I dreamed and began writing songs of my own, Justin Hayward’s work was my standard of beauty and purity. … The Moody Blues are as mind-blowing in concert as on record. They have sold 70 million albums and counting worldwide, and they have continued to do so without selling their creative soul for 54 years and counting. Tonight, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame finally honors what 70-plus million listeners and counting have known for over half a century.”

The Moodies then took the stage to perform, “I’m Just a Singer in a Rock and Roll Band,” “Wildest Dreams,” “Nights in White Satin,” and “Ride My See Saw.”

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony will air on HBO on May 5.
 
CLEVELAND (October 9, 2018)— The Nominees for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2019 are:

Def Leppard
Devo
Janet Jackson
John Prine
Kraftwerk
LL Cool J
MC5
Radiohead
Rage Against the Machine
Roxy Music
Rufus featuring Chaka Khan
Stevie Nicks
The Cure
The Zombies
Todd Rundgren

To be eligible for nomination, an individual artist or band must have released its first commercial recording at least 25 years prior to the year of nomination. Six out of 15 of the Nominees are on the ballot for the first time, including: Def Leppard, Devo, John Prine, Roxy Music, Stevie Nicks, and Todd Rundgren.

Inductees will be announced in December 2018. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2019 Induction Ceremony, presented by Klipsch Audio, will be held at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on March 29, 2019. Ticket on-sale information will be announced in January.

Ballots will be sent to an international voting body of more than 1,000 artists, historians and members of the music industry. Factors such as an artist’s musical influence on other artists, length and depth of career and the body of work, innovation and superiority in style and technique are taken into consideration.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will again offer fans the opportunity to officially participate in the induction selection process. Beginning October 9 and continuing through 11:59 p.m. EST on December 9, 2018, fans can visit rockhall.com to cast votes for who they believe to be most deserving of induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The top five artists, as selected by the public, will comprise a “fans’ ballot” that will be tallied along with the other ballots to choose the 2019 inductees. Fans will need to login to vote. Voting is capped at one ballot per day.

Fans can also visit the Museum in Cleveland to cast their vote in person using the Voice Your Choice interactives adjacent to the 2018 Inductee exhibit in the new Hall of Fame Gallery, presented by KeyBank.

HBO will also once again broadcast the ceremony in 2019 and SiriusXM will also carry a radio simulcast, along with specials leading up to the Ceremony devoted to the Rock Hall’s Inductees—past and present— on Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Radio (Ch. 310).

A limited number of pre-sale tickets for the 2019 Induction Ceremony will be made available for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame donors and members in advance of the public sale. To be eligible for the member pre-sale opportunity, you must be an active Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member by December 31, 2018. Supporters of the Donor Circle by December 31, 2018 have the opportunity to access premium balcony tickets and VIP packages directly through Rock Hall staff and skip the member pre-sale. Join or renew your Rock Hall membership or donor status by December 31, 2018 to gain access to these opportunities. For more information on how to become a member, call the membership hotline at (216) 515-8425 or email membership@rockhall.org. For information on the Donor Circle, call (216) 515-1222 or email mischay@rockhall.org.

Klipsch Audio, a leading global speaker and headphone manufacturer, is a strategic partner and presenting sponsor of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, its Induction Ceremony events and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s Main Stage. Klipsch’s renowned products deliver the power, detail and emotion of the live music experience throughout the iconic museum.

Follow the Rock Hall on Facebook, Twitter (@rockhall) and Instagram (@rockhall) and join the conversation at #RockHall2019.
 
by Matt Wardlaw December 6, 2018 Ultimate Classic Rock
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More than 3 million votes have been cast since fan voting for the class of 2019 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees opened in October. Def Leppard and Stevie Nicks have consistently been in the lead, with the Sheffield hard rockers logging more than 500,000 votes.Still, singer Joe Elliott is cautiously reserved about all of it. “Let's not get too excited,” he tells UCR. “The nomination is one thing, being inducted is another.”

As he notes, the fan vote is only one small part of the process, even if it has become an influential one over the years: The winner of every past fan vote has been inducted. “Essentially, it's worth one-thousandth of the entire vote, so it's not worth a great deal numerically speaking,” Elliott points out. “But I think the difference with the fan vote is the fact that everyday somebody's reported back who's top of the chart.”

The way he sees it, the results make it hard for the main voters to ignore. “The other 999 have got no option but to take notice of it," he says.

"Their management, their secretaries, their good selves are looking at this. Or they're getting involved in it in some form of social media every day that Def Leppard is at, they're No. 1 or if somebody else is catching 'em up on the outside. It's like a horse race. Well, they have to take notice of the vote, one way or another. They can either vote against it, out of principle, or they can say, ‘Well, okay, I get it. I think I have to say yes on this one.’”

It means a lot to Elliott that fans now have a say in the process. “The people we always tried to get to from day one [are] the audience,” he says. “[Because] they’re actually involved in it, in one form or another, makes it more valid to us.” Still, he says it always comes down to the music for him.

“I've never been one that's like, 'I have to have these Grammys on my shelf,' and all this kind of business, that's not why I did this,” he explains. “I wanted to try and write decent songs and sing them as well as I could, end of story. And come out and play them live in front of people. When we first got together as a band, it was because we'd been watching bands on Top of The Pops or The Old Grey Whistle Test or watching them live. It was what they did, it was their reaction with an audience.”
Elliott says when he was growing up, it was a “fantastic” feeling to be in the crowd, “screaming for your favorite band,” and the idea of being on the other side of that and onstage, had an appeal that was impossible to escape.

“It's such a cool thing to want to do, and that's all we really wanted,” he says. “The whole business side of it is something that we learned along the way, and this is part of it. You do these merry dances to get nominated for something, and we were like, ‘We don't want to do any merry dance, we either get nominated or we don't, but I'm not gonna get on my knees for it.' It's nice, and who wouldn't want to be in the same club as the Beatles and the [Rolling] Stones, and all that kind of stuff? But if we are, great. If we're not, then we're not.”

But he doesn’t want his words and thoughts to be misconstrued. “It sometimes will come across reading that I'm negative toward it,” Elliott points out. “I'm not negative toward it. I'm just ambivalent. I'm neutral. I'm not gonna get excited about it, 'cause we're not in. We’re waiting to see.”

One thing you can count on is if Def Leppard get inducted into the Hall of Fame, there'll be one more voice banging the drum for Ian Hunter to get some long overdue recognition. Elliott says "it's a crime" the Mott the Hoople frontman hasn't been inducted.

“It's still amazing output, better than Bob Dylan, for my taste," he says. "The fact that it took 13 years to get us nominated is all well and good, the fact that it took Roxy Music 21 and Todd Rundgren probably 30 is ridiculous.

"The whole thing is just subjective in the first place," he continues. "It's like, Who decides this? And that's why we've always been like, This is not public taste dictating how it should be. It's some invisible, Marvel Comics baddies or something. It's like some secret committee, and we don't know who they are. Mostly with bands like that, people like that, it just by nature, becomes elitist.”

That's one of the reasons Elliott prefers to stay away from that scene. “All of a sudden, you get invited into the smoking lounge at some gentleman's club, and all of a sudden you feel like, 'Oh, I don't want to go back to sitting in McDonald's anymore. I want to be in this thing,'" he says. “I think there's a lot of people probably think that's what it's like. We don't really think that way, never did. It's great if we get in for the fans -- that's what it would be for. I suppose my mom would think it was cool.”

For the moment, he’s looking forward to getting a small break after a year in which his band played to more than a million fans during a summer tour of stadiums and arenas with Journey. That run was just one part of the group’s busy recent schedule.
“I think by the time Christmas comes, we’re going to want to put our feet up a little bit, because it’s been a hell of a run," Elliott concludes. "And for me personally, I’ve been promoting this thing since at least January, so it will be a full year of talking the walk and then performing it. So I’m going to want a bit of time with the kids and the wife and the mom and my friends and my record collection and my two cats and my bike.”
 
By David Bauder Dec. 13, 2018 PBS
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NEW YORK — Janet Jackson joins her brother Michael and the Jackson 5 as members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, earning induction on Thursday along with Stevie Nicks and the top fan vote-getter, Def Leppard.

Radiohead, the Cure, Roxy Music and the Zombies will also be ushered in next spring at the 34th induction ceremony. It will be held March 29 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Jackson’s induction comes after her third time as nominee and many saw it as overdue, given her prowess as a hitmaker with “All For You,” ”That’s the Way Love Goes,” ”Nasty,” ”Together Again” and “What Have You Done For Me Lately.”

Her career has suffered from the fallout after the infamous 2004 Super Bowl appearance where her bare breast was briefly exposed. Jackson became eligible for the rock hall in 2007 and wasn’t nominated until 2016.

The Roots’ Questlove, in a social media post earlier this year, said her exclusion had been “highly criminal.” He cited the influence of her 1986 album “Control,” which he said set off the New Jack Swing trend.

“This was no one’s kid sister,” he wrote.

Jackson said on Thursday: “Thank you Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I am truly honored and I am happy to be in there with my brothers.”

It will be Nicks’ second induction into the rock hall, since she’s already there as a member of Fleetwood Mac. She launched a solo career in 1981 with her duet with the late Tom Petty, “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around.” Other hits followed, including “Edge of Seventeen,” ”Stand Back” and “I Will Run to You.”

Def Leppard earned more than half a million votes from fans, which are incorporated into more than 1,000 ballots from artists, historians, industry professionals and past winners in deciding who gets honored. The British heavy metal band with a pop sheen were huge sellers in the 1980s on the back of songs like “Photograph” and “Pour Some Sugar on Me.”

Frontman Joe Elliott said he was initially ambivalent toward the honor until Jon Bon Jovi suggested it would change his life.
“When I look at the list of who’s in, it’s just obvious you’d want to be in that club, isn’t it?” he told Billboard earlier this year. “When you think that every band that means anything in the world, starting from the Beatles and the Stones and any artist that influenced them — your Chuck Berrys, your Little Richards, etc., etc. — then of course you want to be in. Why wouldn’t you?”

Def Leppard, Nicks and Roxy Music were voted in during their first years as nominees. Other 2019 nominees who didn’t make the cut included LL Cool J, Devo, Rage Against the Machine, MC5, John Prine, Todd Rundgren and Kraftwerk.

There’s some question about whether Radiohead will shrug its collective shoulder as an inductees. The English band seemed like generic grunge rockers on their initial hit “Creep,” but with the album “OK Computer” and beyond have become consistent sonic pioneers. Among its rock hall class, Radiohead has the most impact on the current music scene.

In an interview with Rolling Stone earlier this year, Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood said “I don’t care” when asked about the rock hall. Bandmate Ed O’Brien said, “culturally, I don’t understand it. I think it might be a quintessentially American thing.”

The Cure and frontman Robert Smith resist their initial label as goth rockers, champions of fans who like black makeup, black clothes and darkly romantic songs. They have a durable catalog of hits, including “Friday I’m in Love,” ”Boys Don’t Cry,” ”Pictures of You” and “Let’s Go to Bed.”

Roxy Music came out of the 1970s progressive rock scene and had hits with “Love is the Drug” and “More Than This.” Dapper member Bryan Ferry had a successful solo career and Brian Eno has been an influential producer.

The heyday of British rockers the Zombies’ career was the 1960s, with big sellers “She’s Not There” and “Time of the Season.”
The hall will announce ticket sales for March’s ceremony next month. HBO and SiriusXM will carry the event.
 
By Adam Weddle | March 13, 2019 | Paste
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The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced the presenters for this year’s induction ceremony. Each presenter will represent one of the seven inductees, with David Byrne presenting for Radiohead, Trent Reznor for The Cure, Janelle Monáe for Janet Jackson, Queen guitarist Brian May for Def Leppard, Harry Styles for Stevie Nicks, Susanna Hoffs of The Bangles for the Zombies, and John Taylor and Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran for Roxy Music.

Roxy Music and Def Leppard were both first-time nominees this year, and Nicks received her first nomination as a solo artist (she was already inducted with Fleetwood Mac back in 1998). May was inducted into the Hall of Fame with Queen in 2001, and Byrne was inducted with Talking Heads the following year. Trent Reznor’s band Nine Inch Nails has been nominated twice, but never inducted. This year’s nominees also included Devo, Kraftwerk, LL Cool J, MC5, John Prine, Rage Against the Machine, Rufus ft. Chaka Khan and Todd Rundgren.

The 34th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will return to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Friday, March 29. As with previous years, the event will receive a television premiere on HBO. Learn more about this year’s inductees at the Rock Hall’s website and listen to a 1995 Radiohead performance from the Paste archives below.
 
By Chuck Yarborough, Mar 21, 2019 Cleveland.com
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CLEVELAND, Ohio – To be considered for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, a band has to have put out recorded music at least 25 years earlier.

With that in mind, Roxy Music’s eligibility is just about old enough to be eligible for the Rock Hall, so there’s a certain degree of “about time” in the induction of the influential British band as a member of the Class of 2019.

Bryan Ferry and his band, including Brian Eno, Andy Mackay, Phil Manzanera, Eddie Jobson and Paul Thompson, made it into the Rock Hall their first time on the ballot, a travesty considering the group that’s considered one of the founders of “glam rock” (a phrase Ferry dislikes) first qualified for membership in 1997.

In 2013, the website utimateclassicrock.com put it pretty well in discussing the group’s most prominent era, from 1972 to 1982: “Roxy’s remarkable decade saw the band combining the sublimely melodic with the strangely experimental, lending a suave sensuality to nerdy art-rock (and proving that oboes can exist on a sexy rock record). Thousands of punk, New Wave and college-rock bands were shocked into action by Roxy’s early records, while sophisticated pop stars and new-romantic bands took their cues from their later hits.”

The band’s importance has never been a question for fans and indeed for other musicians. So the biggest question for most is why the heck had Roxy never, ever been considered for the Rock Hall. It’s a question Ferry tackled in an email interview to discuss the group’s history. (Note that he uses British spellings for some words.)

Q: Where are you as you’re answering these?
A: In Cape Town [South Africa], where I begin a tour tomorrow which will then take me to Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

Q: You’re the one who instigated the formation of the band, so it had to be your vision that drove it. Can you explain what that vision was?
A: After art school I began to feel that the best way forward for me as an artist was via music rather than painting. I had a real passion for it.

At first, I wasn’t entirely sure what I was looking for, but I knew I didn’t want it to sound like any other band. I had been listening to a wide range of music from an early age – jazz, rhythm ’n’ blues, “art” music – all sorts, and I was keen to reflect these influences in my own work. I set about trying to find like-minded people who might share my interest in exploring diverse musical styles.

I had a few songs that I’d been rehearsing with the bass player Graham Simpson, who had played in my college band, and these songs eventually formed the basis of the first Roxy Music album.

A friend of mine introduced me to Andy Mackay, who was also into experimental music, and who had his own synthesiser, which was quite rare in those days. Andy also played oboe, one of my favourite instruments, as well as saxophone, and this added an extra dimension to the music.

Not long after, Brian Eno brought his tape machine to record what we were doing, and he stayed on to join the band as synthesiser operator and sound mixer. He became a really important part of our sound, adding layers of sometimes pre-recorded tapes, and using the synth to treat the instruments. The unusually versatile guitarist Phil Manzanera and the powerful rock drummer Paul Thompson completed the band.


Q: The “art school background” you and others had has often been cited as the foundation for Roxy Music – in its sound, in its look, in its essence. How did that background manifest itself in Roxy Music and later, in your solo work?
A: My four years at art school helped to give me a sense of who I wanted to be, and how I wanted to live. You could say it was a formative period. It was inspiring for me to be in such a creative environment, surrounded by so many people all striving for self- expression. Up till then I had lived at home, and when I got to college, I was bombarded with lots of fresh faces and new ideas.

The famous pop artist Richard Hamilton was teaching there at the time, and his intellectually disciplined work and hip/cool aesthetic had a profound effect on me and my contemporaries. Images of pop culture from magazines, movies and consumer advertising became integral sources of inspiration for us, and I was drawn very much to the collage techniques of Hamilton and the American artist Robert Rauschenberg.

[Marcel] Duchamp was another name on everyone’s lips at the time, and his will o’ the wisp contrariness had an effect on some of my music, such as when I began doing my own versions of other people’s songs, an echo of his “ready-mades.”
The first Roxy album was very much a collage of musical colours and textures, and we found it exciting to jump from one thing to another, sometimes within the same song.

Q: Speaking of art, what’s your favorite medium? I know you’ve taught ceramics, etc. And do you have a favorite piece?
A: As a student, painting was my medium, but I stopped painting as soon as Roxy came together. There was never enough time to follow both callings. Designing the album sleeves then became the focus for my visual creativity, working together with a series of photographers and the fashion designer Antony Price.

The first Roxy Music album cover is probably still my favourite. I remember seeing a display of LP sleeves in a record shop window on its day of release, like a group of Warhol multiple images, and I thought how great it was taking art onto the street.

Q: What made you choose music over art?
A: Well, there are a few reasons. The physicality of music is one. In 1957, I was lucky enough to win some tickets to see Bill Haley and the Comets on what was the first rock ’n roll show that came to the U.K., and then in 1967, when I was a student, I saw Otis Redding with the Stax Revue; so I saw at first-hand what a powerful force music could be.

I liked the idea of being able to reach a wide audience with my work, and in the 1960s the art scene was more elitist than it is today.

Q: How do you translate a visual medium into a sonic one?
A: With great difficulty! I guess close your eyes and hope for the best…

Q: I’m not sure how many people are aware of your connection with Robert Fripp and King Crimson. How did that relationship begin and develop?
A: Before Roxy got started, I went to meet Robert Fripp and Peter Sinfield when they were looking for a singer/bass player to join King Crimson. I think they liked my singing but unfortunately, I couldn’t play bass!
A few years later Fripp played on one of my solo records, and Peter Sinfield produced our first album. Crimson introduced me to EG Management, who then represented Roxy for the next 10 years.

Q: A writer for the Guardian once said Roxy Music is the most influential British band after the Beatles. Along those lines, I just did an interview with Nile Rodgers, a Hall of Famer himself, who said, “Without Roxy Music, there would have been no Chic.” How do you react to statements like that?
A: I can see how Roxy Music pointed the way for some, just as we were inspired and influenced by many people who came before us.

Nile is an amazing musician who’s always been incredibly generous. I’ve had some great times with him in the studio over the years.

Q: “Avalon” is the album most people cite when they mention Roxy Music. What are your recollections of writing and recording the album?
A: I have many fond memories of that time . . . I began writing some of the songs at a remote place on the west coast of Ireland, where we eventually went back to photograph the album cover. We did some of the recording at Compass Point Studios in Nassau [Bahamas], and a bit of that island atmosphere made its way into the music, like the sound of the ocean waves on “Tara.”

Rhett Davies was the producer, and we mixed the record at The Power Station studio in New York with the great Bob Clearmountain. The final song to be recorded was “Avalon,” which became the title of the album.

Q: Is it the best album in the Roxy catalog in your mind?
A: I’m not sure it was the best, but there is a completeness about it that works, and a particular atmosphere. It was definitely a labour of love.

Q: The musical landscape in the 1970s was really confused, with bands like Led Zeppelin and Lynyrd Skynyrd vying with disco and pure pop. Where does Roxy Music fit in that kaleidoscope?
A: I’m not sure we did fit in. I think as the band developed, it became more subtle and suggestive, moody and atmospheric. So, in that respect, maybe it stood out from a lot of other stuff that was going on at the time.

Q: A band, a real band, is a collection of its personalities. They don’t always have to get along, but there is something about the chemistry that triggers creativity. Can you talk about your relationship with some of your bandmates, including Brian Eno?
A: Humour was an important element within the band. I seem to remember we laughed a lot. Brian and I were very good for each other, and we both had strong ideas. Of course, in any band there is always going to be some friction, and I think that’s essential for creativity. However, I can’t remember any big rows. The first album in particular was recorded in a very convivial mood.

Q: I have read that you’re not a fan of the term “glam rock.” How would you describe Roxy Music when it began, and the final stanzas?
A: No, we were always a bit embarrassed by the term, and preferred not to be categorized, and placed alongside other bands who might not share the same ideals, etc.

Q: Technology has really evolved since then. What would a Roxy Music 2.0 sound like if you put it together today?
A: It’s hard to speculate, but I suspect it might not have been as much of an adventure if we had had the technology of today.

Q: Every time there’s one of these induction ceremonies and former bandmates play together, fans hope for a reunion. Any chance of that?
A: No. I already have a full programme.
 
By Janice Williams 3/29/19 Newsweek

Music lovers won’t have to wait until April to watch their favorite artist get inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Friday, because for the first time ever, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation is hosting a live stream of the ceremony.

Dubbed the Simulcast Party, the event will feature a live broadcast of the 34th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in two locations—the Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland Ohio as well as outside of The Barclay's Center in Brooklyn, New York, where the ceremony is being held. The Brooklyn location will be where the actual party occurs, while the museum will just have access to the stream.

Viewers that want to participate in the action can purchase tickets HERE. The viewing party kicks off at 6:30 p.m. ET while the broadcast will start at 7 p.m. ET.

Those not willing to make the trip (or pay the $75 fee) will have to wait until the ceremony airs in full on HBO on April 27. The show will also be available for streaming on HBO Now and HBO Go apps after it airs.

During the star-studded event, multiple musicians will get the high honor of being named a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer. Inductees include Janet Jackson, Def Leppard, The Cure, Radiohead, Roxy Music, The Zombies and Stevie Nicks, who is being inducted into the Hall of Fame for the second time.

Nicks first made it into the category of particularly esteemed musicians alongside her Fleetwood Mac bandmates in 1988. This time, she’s being recognized for her solo work.

All the inductees are expected to attend and perform. Although some members of Radiohead will reportedly be absent.
Each inductee will be introduced by a musician. Presenters include Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, Brian May of Queen, John Taylor of Duran Duran, Harry Styles, Janelle Monae, David Bryne of Talking Heads and Susanna Hoffs.
 
1/15/2020 by Joe Lynch Billboard
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The Rock Hall Class of 2020 was unveiled Wednesday (Jan. 15) morning, with six artists and one behind-the-scenes player joining the storied ranks of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And for many, the list – which includes four first-time nominees – will be fairly surprising. Depeche Mode, the Doobie Brothers, Whitney Houston, Nine Inch Nails, The Notorious B.I.G. and T. Rex will join the Rock Hall at the 35th annual induction ceremony, with Jon Landau (longtime industry manager who guided Bruce Springsteen's career) and Irving Azoff (personal manager of the Eagles since 1974) earning the Ahmet Ertegun Award.

Of the six musical acts entering the Hall, only Depeche Mode and NIN were previously nominated; each gets in on its third try. The rest are first-time nominees, with all but Biggie having been eligible for many years. Dave Matthews Band, despite winning the fan vote, will not see induction in 2020 (the online-centric fan vote is a contributing factor to the final induction lineup).

Moody synth-pop pioneers Depeche Mode will be represented in the RRHOF by Vince Clarke, Andy Fletcher, Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Alan Wilder; blue-eyed soul rockers The Doobie Brothers will bring Tom Johnston, Patrick Simmons, John McFee, John Hartman, Michael Hossack, Tiran Porter, Keith Knudsen, Jeff "Skunk" Baxter and Michael McDonald into the Hall; and for psych-folk-tinged glam rockers T. Rex, Marc Bolan, Mickey Finn, Steve Currie and Bill Legend enter the Rock Hall. Late East Coast hip-hop icon The Notorious B.I.G. (Christopher Wallace), departed pop/R&B vocal GOAT Whitney Houston and Trent Reznor of industrial rock outfit Nine Inch Nails enter the RRHOF as solo individuals.

The Class of 2020 will become official on May 2 at the 35th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Presented by Klipsch Audio, which for the first time ever will be broadcast live on HBO. This year's ceremony takes place at the Public Auditorium in Cleveland. Tickets go on sale Feb. 27 and performers and inductees will be announced at a later date.
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Congratulations to our fellow nominees that will be inducted into the <a href="https://twitter.com/rockhall?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rockhall</a> in 2020. We want to express gratitude for all of our amazing fans and their support. We reached over a million fan votes! Thank you!<br> <a href="https://t.co/VMIMls7SBS">https://t.co/VMIMls7SBS</a> <a href="https://t.co/GQMF7L4ci7">pic.twitter.com/GQMF7L4ci7</a></p>&mdash; dave matthews band (@davematthewsbnd) <a href="https://twitter.com/davematthewsbnd/status/1217466658387898369?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The Doobie Brothers' Tom Johnston reacts to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction (January 16, 2020)

 
PC

I'm surprised Phil Collins hasn't been inducted yet
He's in as a member of Genesis. I'm not sure he'll get inducted as a solo act, although Peter Gabriel has. But Peter was seen as cool by the rock media and Phil was not. I'm surprised Whitney got in as the Hall is not that friendly about adult contemporary style singers/bands, which is what Phil is considered as.
 
by Troy L. Smith • March 18, 2020 • Cleveland.com
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Fans hoping for a 2020 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Cleveland before the end of summer will probably have to wait a little bit longer. The Inductions, which were scheduled for May 2 at Public Auditorium, were postponed last week amid coronavirus concerns and after Governor Mike DeWine’s ban on large public gatherings.

The museum has yet to announce a new date for the ceremony. However, the Rock Hall’s own contest suggests the rescheduled ceremony won’t take place before the end of October. This week, people who entered the “2020 Induction Ceremony Ultimate Fan Sweepstakes,” which includes two tickets to the ceremony plus airfare and lodging, were sent a message about the sweepstakes being extended:

“Given recent news regarding coronavirus and the urging by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine regarding large public gatherings, we have made the decisions to postpone the 2020 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Induction Week festivities until later this year.

We are extending the sweepstakes deadline to October 1, 2020 at this time. This change will not impact your sweepstakes entry. Thanks and rock on!”

The original deadline for the sweepstakes, which is run through the Hive.co contest app and is sponsored by the Rock Hall in Cleveland, was April 3. Fall has always seemed like a best-case-scenario landing spot for the ceremony. However, given the uncertainty of the coronavirus outbreak, there are no certainties.

In response to this article, the Rock Hall said it can not confirm anything in terms of a new date for the Inductions and that the sweepstakes deadline was “moved out independent of the ceremony.”
 
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