Friedman: Rock Hall Chooses the Remaining Big Names

7 December 2011
Rock Hall Chooses the Remaining Big Names: Peppers, Guns N Roses, Rod Stewart Group

By Roger Friedman

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has chosen its five inductees, and they’re the last big names left: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Guns n Roses, Rod Stewart and Small Faces, Donovan and the late Laura Nyro. The last three have been on and off the ballot for the last several years. They’re finally in because almost no one is left who Jann Wenner will let in, barring Chicago, Hall & Oates, Linda Ronstadt and dozens of other acts who’ve been passed over. The Peppers and GnR are pretty much the last big names left to induct except for Bon Jovi. (I’m told Jon Bon Jovi is pretty furious at this point, and he’s right.) Left off the ballot completely this year, also, was Sting, whose 25 years as a solo act and output, as well as hits, certainly eclipses both GnR and the Peppers.

And so the drama begins: will Slash and Axl Rose make up and appear together? (This is such a pressing matter.) Will Anthony Kiedis of the Peppers wear a shirt? Will Rod Stewart remember the Faces a group he left in 1971? Will Ronnie Wood remember them either? Will Donovan allow his adult children, Donovan Leitch and Ione Skye, to attend despite ignoring them most of their lives? And who will sing for Laura Nyro since her biggest hits were performed by groups the Rock Hall shuns, the Fifth Dimension, Blood Sweat & Tears, and Three Dog Night?

And then what for the Rock Hall? Aside from Sting and Bon Jovi, and maybe Cyndi Lauper, their other choices narrow now. Without going back and correcting their mistakes, there is little to look forward to. The new group eligible in 2012 includes Milli Vanilli, MCHammer, and Sinead O’Connor. Yikes.

Meanwhile, the actual museum in Cleveland continues to do great work quite separate and apart from the New York foundation. They recently honored Aretha Franklin with a big gala that included lots of soul legends including Dennis Edwards of the Temptations and Cissy Houston. You’ll note that no black artists are being inducted in New York this year, however. Shameful.

Source: Showbiz 411

And I'll say again - no Rush? They are still touring out there and putting on incredible shows. And they started in the seventies. It's a travesty that they are not included and not even nominated.

The Rock n Roll Hall of Fame is as relevant as Rolling Stone and any other music shitrag that comes up with 100 greatest whatevers list.

I honestly doubt Jon, Sting or anyone else that is selling out stadiums year on year is foaming at the mouth at not being inducted.

That is awful. Rush is an amazing band, Limelight is one of the best songs I've heard.

Good to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers getting inducted.

I agree. At this point, I really don't care if Bon Jovi gets inducted or not. It's only bragging rights for the inductee, I don't hear anybody parading around saying "MY favorite band is in the Hall and YOUR'S isn't".

I am thinking Jon is. He always wants credibility. He might not admit it but he's probably pissed.

The thing is it's Jann W . that has made getting inducted into the Hall a farce, by using it for his own personal likes and dislikes and to " get even" with artists who pissed him off.
I agree with Kathleen that Rush belongs in there ahead of G&R and so did BJ.

Even my husband, who gives me crap about jovi, said jovi deserve to be in there if GnR are.

I'm happy for the Red Hot Chili Peppers!

But does he really?

As far as I'm aware Jon regularly mentions how he doesn't read or listen to critics because he knows what they're going to write. There's this perception that he desperately wants to be seen as a real serious musician but put yourself in his shoes, he plays to crowds of tens of thousands on every continent that isn't mainly populated by penguins, he's sold over 100 million records, his tunes are played so often on the radio and bars and clubs all over the world every single day of the year that he won't be able to keep track of how much money they're bringing in.

Do you think the fact that some snotty little prick from Q or Rolling Stone with an axe to grind or some stupid arbitrary "you're in or you're out." set up like the RnR Hall of Fame is going to get him worked up?

If he really wanted to be loved and seen as credible, they'd have gone into some pretty wild and dark territory after These Days instead of coming up with their most commercial album since Slippery.

I really doubt at showbiz parties guys like Bono and co are scoring points against each other on account of who's on it and who isn't.

Beastie Boys.

I'll never, for the life of me, understand their appeal.