Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Inductees Announced
The inductees for this year’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame have been announced, with first-time nominees Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker, and Bad Company making the cut.
The new class of inductees also includes pop star Cyndi Lauper, hip-hop icons Outkast, famous rock duo the White Stripes, and Soundgarden.
The first female rap act to achieve gold and platinum status, Salt-N-Pepa, and the late singer-songwriter Warren Zevon will be receiving the Musical Influence Award, while late record producer Thom Bell, pianist Nicky Hopkins, and bassist Carole Kaye will each be receiving the Musical Excellence Award.
The late Joe Cocker’s induction is supported by the likes of Billy Joel, ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, and member of Elvis Costello & The Attractions Pete Thomas, who stated that Cocker is “about as rock and roll as it gets.”
Soundgarden has been nominated for the Hall of Fame three times, and are following the only other grunge groups in the Hall, Nirvana and Pearl Jam.
With famous radio hits “Feel Like Makin’ Love,” “Can’t Get Enough,” and “Rock n’ Roll Fantasy,” Bad Company will be honored with an induction as well.
The Ahmet Ertegun Award is given out to a nonperforming industry professional who has had a major impact and influence on music. This year the award will be going to former head of Warner Bros. Records, Lenny Waronker.
Waronker signed both Prince and R.E.M., and also played a part in records from famous acts such as Madonna, Randy Newman, the Doobie Brothers, Paul Simon, Gary Clark Jr., and Rickie Lee Jones.
Chubby Checker has created what are known as some of the most popular songs in the history of rock and roll with “The Twist,” and “Let’s Twist Again.”
Cyndi Lauper has been a major figure in music since the 1980s with hits including “Time After Time” and “Girls Just Want To Have Fun.”
André 3000 and Big Boi, Outkast, have six Grammys and have consistently pushed the boundaries of hip-hop and blended it with other genres.
In order for an artist to be eligible for induction, they have to have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years before. The ceremony will be taking place in the fall this year in Los Angeles.
Eric Mastrota is a Contributing Editor at The National Digest based in New York. A graduate of SUNY New Paltz, he reports on world news, culture, and lifestyle. You can reach him at eric.mastrota@thenationaldigest.com.