FOO FIGHTERS, THE GO-GO’S, Jay-Z, Carole King, Todd Rundgren and Tina Turner will be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame this year. Additionally, LL Cool J, Billy Preston and Randy Rhoads will receive the Musical Excellence Award. KRAFTWERK, Gil Scott Heron and Charley Patton will get the Early Influence Award, and Sussex Records founder Clarence Avant will be given the Ahmet Ertegun Award.
“This is our most diverse class in the history of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame,” chairman John Sykes says. “It really represents the Hall‘s ongoing commitment to honor the artists that have created not only rock and roll, but the sound of youth culture.”
Even though artists are eligible for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 25 years after the release of their first album or single, iconic hard rock and metal groups like MAIDEN, JUDAS PRIEST and MOTÖRHEAD have yet to be recognized by the institution, which inducted GUNS N’ ROSES in that band’s first year of eligibility.
In a 2019 interview with Rolling Stone, IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris says that he doesn’t care that British heavy metal legends have yet to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame despite the fact that it has been eligible since 2004.
“I don’t mind that we’re not in things like that,” he said. “I don’t think about things like that. It’s very nice if people give you awards or accolades, but we didn’t get into the business for that sort of thing. I’m certainly not going to lose sleep if we don’t get any sort of award, not just that one, any award. I don’t think we deserve to have this or that necessarily. With what we do, whatever comes of it is great. Whatever doesn’t come of it is great, too.”
Bruce Dickinson previously slammed the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, saying that he is “really happy” Iron Maiden has not yet been inducted.
Dickinson described Rock Hall as “an utter and complete load of bollocks run by a bunch of sanctimonious bloody Americans who wouldn’t know rock and roll if it hit them in the face.”
In an interview with The Jerusalem Post, Dickinson said: “I was so annoyed with that coverage because they took my statement out of context to make it seem like I was upset that we weren’t in the Hall Of Fame.
“I’m really happy we’re not there and I would never want to be there,” he continued. “If we’re ever inducted, I will refuse — they won’t bloody be having my corpse in there.
Bruce added: “Rock and roll music does not belong in a mausoleum in Cleveland. It’s a living, breathing thing, and if you put it in a museum, then it’s dead. It’s worse than horrible, it’s vulgar.”
