There's been some Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame anniversary concerts in NY this week. This of course get's me going on the sore topic of Dionne and Burt/Hal's exclusion from said Hall.
Brenda Lee has been inducted. I could stop there.
There is simply no logic to who's in and who's not which for me, completely devalues the whole.
I am one of the biggest Dusty Springfield fans in the world but how can she be in, and Dionne out ?
Please don't talk to me about the psychic friends network. If the decision makers put more value on some stupid commercials than Walk on By (even that one song), then their ears aren't working properly (they are the wrong people for the job).
Part of this I attribute to that peculiarly American Music Business trait, whereby artists MUST be pigeon-holed. Are they R&B, pop, rock, etc...as far as I'm concerned, if you're hung up on that, you really don't get music.......and...... if Burt Hal and Dionne don't belong in the Rock'n'Roll bucket, where does Brenda Lee belong ? I'm sorry but for this Hall to be legitimate, Burt, Hall and Dionne have to be in.
Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame
Moderator: mark
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BachtoBacharach
- Posts: 530
- Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2007 3:32 pm
Re: Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame
That's the whole thing...it has been argued for years that many influential artists like Dionne/Burt/Hal are snubbed while less influential artists like Madonna are inducted. Dusty was influenced by Dionne...in fact Dusty acknowledged that Dionne was probably THE major influence on her career when she went into more popular music and left folk music behind. Others Dionne, Burt and Hal influenced are Petula Clark, Aretha Franklin, Linda Ronstadt, Olivia Newton-John, Melissa Manchester, Cilla Black, Brian Wilson, Alice Cooper, Donald Fagin, Jackie DeShannon and the list goes on and on. Dionne was a true pioneer...a strong black woman singing tunes by Bacharach./David that could absolutely not be pigeonholed! Not rock, not pop, not R &B but something totally unique that appealed to everyone...and rock and roll kids put their music on the top of the charts along side the Beatles, the Stones, Hendrix, etc. The RRHOF is rather irrelevant in my opinion and the inclusion of Dionne, Burt and Hal in such a relatively irrelevant organization will certainly not enchance them in any way...and their exclusion has nothing to do with their music...look at the Mamas and the Papas...no more "rock and roll" than Dusty if folks are going to split hairs and in fact the Mamas and the Papas were the just about the ultimate pop group. Jan Wenner et al have had a lot to do with Dionne's exclusion and the board of the RRHOF is very secretive...it is really NOT about the music but about marketing...again, I believe the RRHOF is relatively irrelevent these days...just as DIck Clark tried to make the American Music Award more relevent than the Grammy Award but in the end, the AMA is nice but ask any artist if they would rather take home a Grammy or an American Music Award, I can guess what most would answer; the Grammy. An AMA is nice but irrelevant as is, IMO, the RRHOF.
Re: Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame
Hi Bach,
To some degree, I share your sentiment that the RRHOF is irrelevant. (The music is the music) I wasn't aware / forgot that Jann Wenner is in someway connected. That fact alone supports your opinion.
However, I was reading that Bruce Springsteen was lobbying hard for Darlene Love's inclusion this year. Bruce ain't exactly chopped liver and his patronage - along with that of other regulars - Bono, Keith Richards, Elton John, Stevie Wonder etc, etc...lend a great deal of legitimacy to the organization.
What I don't get is.....OK - so Bruce is a fan of the "Phil Spector" sound ? Didn't he ever hear the Walker Brothers doing Make it Easy on Yourself ? and notice who wrote it ?
....and Bono and Bruce are huge on moral justice issues - yet their beloved Hall is unjust.
To some degree, I share your sentiment that the RRHOF is irrelevant. (The music is the music) I wasn't aware / forgot that Jann Wenner is in someway connected. That fact alone supports your opinion.
However, I was reading that Bruce Springsteen was lobbying hard for Darlene Love's inclusion this year. Bruce ain't exactly chopped liver and his patronage - along with that of other regulars - Bono, Keith Richards, Elton John, Stevie Wonder etc, etc...lend a great deal of legitimacy to the organization.
What I don't get is.....OK - so Bruce is a fan of the "Phil Spector" sound ? Didn't he ever hear the Walker Brothers doing Make it Easy on Yourself ? and notice who wrote it ?
....and Bono and Bruce are huge on moral justice issues - yet their beloved Hall is unjust.
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grooverider
- Posts: 373
- Joined: Sun Sep 10, 2006 8:13 pm
Re: Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame
IMO, all awards (Grammy, Academy, Emmy, etc.) are more of a promotional tool for their respective governing bodies. We could have many discussions over who was left out and who was included but I believe that awards are just too irrelevant to warrant too much debate, although sometimes it is fun to do just that.
The real reward is the person, young or old, who hears "Walk on By" for the first time and is just blown away, to the point where they seek out just who Burt Bacharach, Hal David and Dionne Warwick are. Just look at the faces of the people at a Burt Bacharach or Dionne Warwick concert, their smiles say it all.
The music is "it".
The real reward is the person, young or old, who hears "Walk on By" for the first time and is just blown away, to the point where they seek out just who Burt Bacharach, Hal David and Dionne Warwick are. Just look at the faces of the people at a Burt Bacharach or Dionne Warwick concert, their smiles say it all.
The music is "it".
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nymusicalsguy
- Posts: 275
- Joined: Fri May 05, 2006 10:39 am
Re: Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame
The RRHOF is political, like any other organization, but that shouldn't take away from the good they do. The list of those ignored by the Hall is as substantial as the list of inductees: Bacharach & David, Greenwich & Barry, Mann & Weil, Neil Sedaka, Neil Diamond, Chicago, Genesis, Dionne, the list goes on & on. Darlene Love and the Hollies are seeing first-time ballot recognition this year; Randy Newman was on the ballot one year then summarily dropped.
I hate to see Burt, Hal, Dionne & co. ignored, year after year. It makes it hard to swallow the RRHOF. But they do a lot of good charitable work in the field of music education, and the Hall itself is worth a trip to Cleveland. Let's just keep pushing Mr. Wenner & co. to turn the spotlight onto these unsung heroes.
And I've always wondered what Bruce thought of Burt's work; he's never commented one way or another (to my knowledge), but knowing his love of the Spector sound, I wouldn't be surprised if he's a fan, to a degree. He's covered in concert tunes by Greenwich & Barry, Goffin & King, Jackie DeShannon, etc., and Burt's work fits right into that "wheelhouse."
Joe
I hate to see Burt, Hal, Dionne & co. ignored, year after year. It makes it hard to swallow the RRHOF. But they do a lot of good charitable work in the field of music education, and the Hall itself is worth a trip to Cleveland. Let's just keep pushing Mr. Wenner & co. to turn the spotlight onto these unsung heroes.
And I've always wondered what Bruce thought of Burt's work; he's never commented one way or another (to my knowledge), but knowing his love of the Spector sound, I wouldn't be surprised if he's a fan, to a degree. He's covered in concert tunes by Greenwich & Barry, Goffin & King, Jackie DeShannon, etc., and Burt's work fits right into that "wheelhouse."
Joe
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BachtoBacharach
- Posts: 530
- Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2007 3:32 pm
Re: Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame
Am a huge Springsteen fan but would his "endorsement" of Bacharach/David/Warwick somehow lend more legitimacy to their music in the eyes of the RRHOF? Probably, and that's my beef. That they, Darlene and others would not be judged based upon their influence and importance strikes me as rather odd regardless of all the "good" the RRHOF does to promote music and music education. If a Springsteen endorsement or lobbying for anyone gets them in I rest my case about how political and a**kissing the organization really is. The fact that Springsteen has to lobby for Darlene speaks volumes.
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BachtoBacharach
- Posts: 530
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Re: Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame
Interesting article by Roger Friedman on the RRHOF
Rock Hall of Shame
Monday , March 10, 2008
By Roger Friedman
The ailing Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation puts on its show Monday night with John Mellencamp performing and Madonna preening in the audience as a rare non-performing inductee.
It’s an audience that pays up to $100,000 a table in some cases, and a minimum of $2,500 a seat for individuals.
But how to explain the newly available actual finances of this corrupt, dying establishment created by Rolling Stone’s Jann Wenner?
According to the 2006-2007 federal tax filing for the Foundation just published at guidestar.org, expenses are higher than ever while charity remains almost nil.
Consider that in 2006-2007, the Foundation — which claims assets of over $14 million — made just four charitable donations.
They were:
A mere $475 — the cost of a lunch at say Harry Cipriani — was sent to the T.J. Martell Foundation, the music business’s indisputable main medical charity and a key player in worldwide cancer research.
An equally astounding $500 to City of Hope, the important Duarte, Calif., cancer research center and hospital: $500. Yes, just $500.
A third donation, of $167,000, went to the Rock Hall Museum in Cleveland. This was not for the museum itself, which the Foundation doesn’t support. It was to pay for staff to maintain the Foundation’s archives, which are housed there.
The fourth donation was $25,000 to New York’s Fund for Public Schools. You might wonder what the motivation was there, since the preservation of rock 'n' roll probably isn’t on this group’s mandate.
But the $25,000 is well spent. This is where Wenner receives perhaps a twofer: socialite Agnes Gund, head of the Museum of Modern Art, is on the board. Her family’s foundation secured the original mortgage for the Cleveland Museum. Wenner also gets to play with big time New York socialites and moguls like board members Caroline Kennedy, Mort Zuckerman and Lenny Riggio (Barnes & Noble).
Then there’s the itchy-scratchy relationship between the Cleveland Museum and the Foundation. A Rock Hall source says that although it may not have shown up yet in the filings, the Foundation has pledged $8 million to the Cleveland museum. Of that, they say, $1 million has already been paid, although it’s not evident from the new filing.
Nevertheless, the Foundation’s coffers remain full while their attitude toward charity has been scant.
For example, last year, according to the filing, the Foundation gave a measly $4,183 to indigent musicians.
This total is actually broken down on the filing to food, shelter and clothing ($2,400) and medical, dental and hospital expenses ($1,783).
By comparison, in 2006, MusiCares, the arm of the Grammy Foundation that supports musicians, gave away $6 million in Specific Assistance to Individuals. This ranged from musicians with addictions to those who’d lost their homes and livelihoods to Hurricane Katrina to those who simply never had medical insurance and require it now.
An insider from the Rock Hall explains: “They’ve done away with the mandate of helping musicians. They’ve turned their attention now to scholarships for students in New York and Cleveland instead.”
Indeed, the Foundation’s latest PR effort is to offer four high school students in Cleveland and New York each $5,000 checks to study music or the music business.
What could the great charitable fundraisers of the rock world — like Sting, Bruce Springsteen, Bono and this year’s inductee, John Mellencamp, who helped start Farm Aid — make of this?
What’s even more outrageous is that -- given that they now report over $14 million in assets — the Hall of Fame Foundation also claims it finished $120,857 in the red for fiscal year 2007!
It’s hard to believe, but not after you look at their other expenses.
Last year, the new head of the Foundation, former Clear Channel exec Joel Peresman, was paid a salary of $331,229. That’s double the salary of the former chief, Suzan Evans Hochberg.
That would be bad enough, but Evans Hochberg is still being paid nearly two years after she was usurped by Peresman at Wenner’s behest. She’s still getting $150,000 a year.
(For several years, Evans Hochberg was also paid $300,000 a year until this column revealed it. After that, her salary was mysteriously halved for reporting purposes.)
Yes, that’s just about $500,000 a year for two people, one of whom has been more or less “retired.”
They paid $80,000 in legal fees to the firm Grubman, Indursky, even though Alan Grubman, one of the top music attorneys in the biz, is on their board. (No discounts there!)
Another $80,000 went to “occupancy,” meaning rent, although their suites are within the Rolling Stone offices.
Just under $37,000 is attributed to Travel. But this isn’t travel for even past inductees to attend the annual ceremony. Hypothetically, if someone like Smokey Robinson or Elvis Costello wanted to come to the Waldorf Monday night, they’d be required to pay for their tickets and provide their own transportation. That’s why you rarely see, with the exception of Robbie Robertson of the Band, any alumni at the dinners.
In other words: some of Monday night's less wealthy inductees, like the Ventures or Little Walter, will not be returning anytime soon unless someone sponsors them.
Meantime, controversy continues to rage over who’s allowed into the Rock Hall anyway. Madonna was allowed in during her first year of eligibility presumably because she’d be a draw for the TV audience on VH-1. She refused to perform, it’s been suggested by sources, because she may have requested an in-kind donation to her own charity, the Kabbalah-based Raising Malawi, and was turned down.
And Madonna, whether you like her or not, is decidedly not a rock act. Still, as she steals the thunder of publicity Monday night at the Waldorf, consider again who’s not in the Hall of Fame yet after two decades of fabulous dinners and incredible “travel” expenses:
Neil Sedaka, Linda Ronstadt, Chicago, Carly Simon, Neil Diamond, Laura Nyro, The Moody Blues, Ben E. King, the late Billy Preston, Todd Rundgren, Kiss, Carole King, the late Mary Wells, Chubby Checker, Hall & Oates, Iggy Pop, Patti LaBelle, Rufus and Carla Thomas, Alice Cooper, Sonny & Cher, Glen Campbell, Leon Russell, Dionne Warwick, Ringo Starr (the only Beatle not in as a solo artist), Lesley Gore, Petula Clark, many famous record producers (Richard Perry, Phil Ramone), DJs (Cousin Brucie, Dan Ingram, Wolfman Jack, et al) who created the genre, or two dozen R&B or early rock doo-wop acts including the magnificent and tragically overlooked Little Anthony and the Imperials.
And this is really funny: Quincy Jones is not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Luckily, he doesn’t need them as much as they need him. But that’s the whole story right there, isn’t it?
Rock Hall of Shame
Monday , March 10, 2008
By Roger Friedman
The ailing Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation puts on its show Monday night with John Mellencamp performing and Madonna preening in the audience as a rare non-performing inductee.
It’s an audience that pays up to $100,000 a table in some cases, and a minimum of $2,500 a seat for individuals.
But how to explain the newly available actual finances of this corrupt, dying establishment created by Rolling Stone’s Jann Wenner?
According to the 2006-2007 federal tax filing for the Foundation just published at guidestar.org, expenses are higher than ever while charity remains almost nil.
Consider that in 2006-2007, the Foundation — which claims assets of over $14 million — made just four charitable donations.
They were:
A mere $475 — the cost of a lunch at say Harry Cipriani — was sent to the T.J. Martell Foundation, the music business’s indisputable main medical charity and a key player in worldwide cancer research.
An equally astounding $500 to City of Hope, the important Duarte, Calif., cancer research center and hospital: $500. Yes, just $500.
A third donation, of $167,000, went to the Rock Hall Museum in Cleveland. This was not for the museum itself, which the Foundation doesn’t support. It was to pay for staff to maintain the Foundation’s archives, which are housed there.
The fourth donation was $25,000 to New York’s Fund for Public Schools. You might wonder what the motivation was there, since the preservation of rock 'n' roll probably isn’t on this group’s mandate.
But the $25,000 is well spent. This is where Wenner receives perhaps a twofer: socialite Agnes Gund, head of the Museum of Modern Art, is on the board. Her family’s foundation secured the original mortgage for the Cleveland Museum. Wenner also gets to play with big time New York socialites and moguls like board members Caroline Kennedy, Mort Zuckerman and Lenny Riggio (Barnes & Noble).
Then there’s the itchy-scratchy relationship between the Cleveland Museum and the Foundation. A Rock Hall source says that although it may not have shown up yet in the filings, the Foundation has pledged $8 million to the Cleveland museum. Of that, they say, $1 million has already been paid, although it’s not evident from the new filing.
Nevertheless, the Foundation’s coffers remain full while their attitude toward charity has been scant.
For example, last year, according to the filing, the Foundation gave a measly $4,183 to indigent musicians.
This total is actually broken down on the filing to food, shelter and clothing ($2,400) and medical, dental and hospital expenses ($1,783).
By comparison, in 2006, MusiCares, the arm of the Grammy Foundation that supports musicians, gave away $6 million in Specific Assistance to Individuals. This ranged from musicians with addictions to those who’d lost their homes and livelihoods to Hurricane Katrina to those who simply never had medical insurance and require it now.
An insider from the Rock Hall explains: “They’ve done away with the mandate of helping musicians. They’ve turned their attention now to scholarships for students in New York and Cleveland instead.”
Indeed, the Foundation’s latest PR effort is to offer four high school students in Cleveland and New York each $5,000 checks to study music or the music business.
What could the great charitable fundraisers of the rock world — like Sting, Bruce Springsteen, Bono and this year’s inductee, John Mellencamp, who helped start Farm Aid — make of this?
What’s even more outrageous is that -- given that they now report over $14 million in assets — the Hall of Fame Foundation also claims it finished $120,857 in the red for fiscal year 2007!
It’s hard to believe, but not after you look at their other expenses.
Last year, the new head of the Foundation, former Clear Channel exec Joel Peresman, was paid a salary of $331,229. That’s double the salary of the former chief, Suzan Evans Hochberg.
That would be bad enough, but Evans Hochberg is still being paid nearly two years after she was usurped by Peresman at Wenner’s behest. She’s still getting $150,000 a year.
(For several years, Evans Hochberg was also paid $300,000 a year until this column revealed it. After that, her salary was mysteriously halved for reporting purposes.)
Yes, that’s just about $500,000 a year for two people, one of whom has been more or less “retired.”
They paid $80,000 in legal fees to the firm Grubman, Indursky, even though Alan Grubman, one of the top music attorneys in the biz, is on their board. (No discounts there!)
Another $80,000 went to “occupancy,” meaning rent, although their suites are within the Rolling Stone offices.
Just under $37,000 is attributed to Travel. But this isn’t travel for even past inductees to attend the annual ceremony. Hypothetically, if someone like Smokey Robinson or Elvis Costello wanted to come to the Waldorf Monday night, they’d be required to pay for their tickets and provide their own transportation. That’s why you rarely see, with the exception of Robbie Robertson of the Band, any alumni at the dinners.
In other words: some of Monday night's less wealthy inductees, like the Ventures or Little Walter, will not be returning anytime soon unless someone sponsors them.
Meantime, controversy continues to rage over who’s allowed into the Rock Hall anyway. Madonna was allowed in during her first year of eligibility presumably because she’d be a draw for the TV audience on VH-1. She refused to perform, it’s been suggested by sources, because she may have requested an in-kind donation to her own charity, the Kabbalah-based Raising Malawi, and was turned down.
And Madonna, whether you like her or not, is decidedly not a rock act. Still, as she steals the thunder of publicity Monday night at the Waldorf, consider again who’s not in the Hall of Fame yet after two decades of fabulous dinners and incredible “travel” expenses:
Neil Sedaka, Linda Ronstadt, Chicago, Carly Simon, Neil Diamond, Laura Nyro, The Moody Blues, Ben E. King, the late Billy Preston, Todd Rundgren, Kiss, Carole King, the late Mary Wells, Chubby Checker, Hall & Oates, Iggy Pop, Patti LaBelle, Rufus and Carla Thomas, Alice Cooper, Sonny & Cher, Glen Campbell, Leon Russell, Dionne Warwick, Ringo Starr (the only Beatle not in as a solo artist), Lesley Gore, Petula Clark, many famous record producers (Richard Perry, Phil Ramone), DJs (Cousin Brucie, Dan Ingram, Wolfman Jack, et al) who created the genre, or two dozen R&B or early rock doo-wop acts including the magnificent and tragically overlooked Little Anthony and the Imperials.
And this is really funny: Quincy Jones is not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Luckily, he doesn’t need them as much as they need him. But that’s the whole story right there, isn’t it?
Re: Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame
Great insight from all - Thanks.
The first time I heard "(There Goes) The Forgotten Man", I thought it was ripe for a Springsteen cover.
Bruce ?
The first time I heard "(There Goes) The Forgotten Man", I thought it was ripe for a Springsteen cover.
Bruce ?
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An Enormous BB Fan
- Posts: 1194
- Joined: Fri Feb 20, 2004 11:14 pm
Re: Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame
The organization is totally corrupt. Figures. Over the years, I've read about many organizations that supposedly are in the business of giving money to charities. Then when you see the outrageous salaries they pay themselves and then see how little money actually goes to help the needy, you wanna throw up. About 10 years ago, "United Way" was caught in a big scandal. Any way, I'm glad the article mentioned Dionne. I wish it had mentioned Burt and Hal, too. Well, you can be sure that in 50 years no one will know who Madonna is. But Burt and Hal's songs will be sung forever.
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vincent.cole
- Posts: 788
- Joined: Thu Feb 19, 2004 12:45 pm
- Location: Staten Island N.Y.
Re: Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame
I just want to say that the time has pass for the RRHOF to admit, Bacharach/David/Warwick!
Personally I would consider it a grave insult “At This Time”, if they are!
It’s reprehensible that Burt, Dionne and Hal are not in the RRHOF!
You should be judge on your merits, not politics!
Interestingly, I would love to know who are the board members that have the voting rights that select new members to the RRHOF?
Vincent
Personally I would consider it a grave insult “At This Time”, if they are!
It’s reprehensible that Burt, Dionne and Hal are not in the RRHOF!
You should be judge on your merits, not politics!
Interestingly, I would love to know who are the board members that have the voting rights that select new members to the RRHOF?
Vincent
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BachtoBacharach
- Posts: 530
- Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2007 3:32 pm
Re: Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame
The names of the board members of the RRHOF are top secret and have never been released. It is not even known how artists are really chosen for a ballot and some are dropped off a ballot after being on a ballot for years. It seems corrupt to me and apparently many others and I am surprised that legitimate folks like Springsteen haven't spoken out about it. The RRHOF is more relevant in hype than it really is in fact. It's certainly a tourist attraction if you are going to Cleveland but it has never really caught on as a legitimate and prestegous award as the Grammy and the Oscar have. In fact, most folks really don't give a rat's a** about the RRHOF. Although award shows tend to be rather narcissistic, the RRHOF is really totally narcissistic. What's ironic is that Jann Wenner's own Rolling Stone magazine used to feature Dionne Warwick in the 60s and 70s frequently and in a very positive way as a serious artist, and not as a pop throwaway a la Madonna. The folks who are eligible to be nominated but haven't been tells the whole story here, doesn't it? Any organization that ignores the contributions of those artists listed in the article and others and deems them irrelevant and promotes and salivates over the likes of a throw-away talent Madonna can't really be called legitimate in my opinion. I'm just sayin'......
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ron hertel
- Posts: 482
- Joined: Tue Mar 16, 2004 7:08 pm
Re: Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame
When I think of Rock 'n' Roll - 3 of the names I least associate with it are - Burt Bacharach, Hal David & Dionne Warwick. I would like to hear that those 3 names were to be honored at the annual Kennedy Center Awards for Lifetime Achievement while they are still able to participate in the ceremony and enjoy the recognition!
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An Enormous BB Fan
- Posts: 1194
- Joined: Fri Feb 20, 2004 11:14 pm
Re: Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame
ron, that's so very true. I don't associate Burt, Hal and Dionne with R&R either. That's because they aren't R&R. But is Aretha Franklin a Rock & Roll artist? No, she isn't. And that's the point. You should see the whole list of NON-R&R artists who are in that Hall of Fame. So if all these other non-R&R artists are in, then certainly Burt, Hal & Dionne should be honored in the same manner.ron hertel wrote:When I think of Rock 'n' Roll - 3 of the names I least associate with it are - Burt Bacharach, Hal David & Dionne Warwick. I would like to hear that those 3 names were to be honored at the annual Kennedy Center Awards for Lifetime Achievement while they are still able to participate in the ceremony and enjoy the recognition!
As far as the Kennedy Center Awards, I couldn't agree with you more--and I have said so here many times before!
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vincent.cole
- Posts: 788
- Joined: Thu Feb 19, 2004 12:45 pm
- Location: Staten Island N.Y.
Re: Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame
Bachtobacharach, Ron & An Enormous BB Fan;
So the board members are top secret. Well that explains a whole lot!
Also what is the measuring stick so to speak to become a member?
I have been to Cleveland a couple of times on business and had no thoughts of visiting the RRHOF! It's nothing against the people who have been inducted, but the voting body!
The great Nat King Cole was inducted into the RRHOF in 2000. Ray Charles was his presenter.
In my judgment, Nat King Cole's recordings are light years from RR!
As Ron mention, hopefully the Kennedy Center will give honor to Burt, Dionne & Hal in the very near future!!!
Take care;
Vincent
So the board members are top secret. Well that explains a whole lot!
Also what is the measuring stick so to speak to become a member?
I have been to Cleveland a couple of times on business and had no thoughts of visiting the RRHOF! It's nothing against the people who have been inducted, but the voting body!
The great Nat King Cole was inducted into the RRHOF in 2000. Ray Charles was his presenter.
In my judgment, Nat King Cole's recordings are light years from RR!
As Ron mention, hopefully the Kennedy Center will give honor to Burt, Dionne & Hal in the very near future!!!
Take care;
Vincent
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grooverider
- Posts: 373
- Joined: Sun Sep 10, 2006 8:13 pm
Re: Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame
In Rolling Stone's new "Special Issue" (11-26-09) that covers the Rock n Roll Hall Of fame, there is a very interesting article written by rock critic Anthony DeCurtis entitled, "How Do You Get Into The Hall Of Fame". Mr. DeCurtis, one of the 35 voting members, relates how artists are voted upon and inducted into the Hall of Fame. The 35 members are musicians, industry figures, and journalists who nominate 10 to 15 artists a year, which then goes out to a larger body of more than 500 voters. The 5 acts that receive the most votes get in. Jann Wenner says the criteria now is deliberately left open, a mix of "quality and influence." More importance is "quality": how many great records an act made; how original they are; how well their music has aged. Also looked at: significant artists who have been inspired by the artist. The voting is done by secret ballot.
Madonna, a rock & roll artist?: "Her string of great songs, stubborn longevity, and willingness to "provoke"", says DeCurtis were reasons enough.
Catch up: Jon Landau (head of the nominating committee)says that there are so many people who deserve to be in, who are not--yet. Steve Van Zandt(E Street Band Member) says that, "We'll never get them all in at this rate." Jann Wenner says he resists adding more than 5 inductees per year, "It can't be popularity contest."
Madonna, a rock & roll artist?: "Her string of great songs, stubborn longevity, and willingness to "provoke"", says DeCurtis were reasons enough.
Catch up: Jon Landau (head of the nominating committee)says that there are so many people who deserve to be in, who are not--yet. Steve Van Zandt(E Street Band Member) says that, "We'll never get them all in at this rate." Jann Wenner says he resists adding more than 5 inductees per year, "It can't be popularity contest."