Mary J. Blige,Cher, Foreigner, A Tribe Called Quest, Kool & The Gang and Ozzy Osbourne have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, a class that also includes folk-rockers Dave Matthews Band and singer-guitarist Peter Frampton.
Quick Read
- 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees Announced: The latest inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame include Mary J. Blige, Cher, Foreigner, A Tribe Called Quest, Kool & The Gang, Ozzy Osbourne, Dave Matthews Band, and Peter Frampton.
- Special Awards Granted: Alexis Korner, John Mayall, and Big Mama Thornton received the Musical Influence Award. The late Jimmy Buffett, MC5, Dionne Warwick, and Norman Whitfield were honored with the Musical Excellence Award, while Suzanne de Passe earned the Ahmet Ertegun Award.
- Induction Ceremony Details: The ceremony is scheduled for October 19 at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio, and will be streamed live on Disney+, with a later broadcast on ABC and availability on Hulu the next day.
- Notable Supporters and Achievements: There was significant celebrity support for Foreigner’s induction, with endorsements from Mark Ronson, Jack Black, Slash, Dave Grohl, and Paul McCartney. Ozzy Osbourne is recognized again as a solo artist after his previous induction with Black Sabbath.
- Diversity and Recognition: The induction of artists like Cher and Mary J. Blige is noted as a positive step toward increasing the representation of women in the Hall, which has been criticized as being too low.
- Nomination and Voting Process: Over 1,000 artists, historians, and music industry professionals, along with fan votes, determined this year’s inductees, showcasing a broad appreciation for their contributions to music and culture.
- Notable Non-Inductees: Among those nominated but not inducted this year were Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz, the late Sinéad O’Connor, Sade, Oasis, Eric B. & Rakim, and Jane’s Addiction.
- Historic Impact: Each inductee has significantly influenced the music industry, breaking musical barriers and setting new cultural benchmarks across various genres and eras.
The Associated Press has the story:
Mary J. Blige, Cher, Ozzy Osbourne, A Tribe Called Quest & Foreigner get into Rock Hall
Newslooks- NEW YORK (AP) —
Mary J. Blige,Cher, Foreigner, A Tribe Called Quest, Kool & The Gang and Ozzy Osbourne have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, a class that also includes folk-rockers Dave Matthews Band and singer-guitarist Peter Frampton.
Alexis Korner, John Mayall and Big Mama Thornton earned the Musical Influence Award, while the late Jimmy Buffett, MC5, Dionne Warwick and Norman Whitfield will get the Musical Excellence Award. Pioneering music executive Suzanne de Passe won the Ahmet Ertegun Award.
“Rock ‘n’ roll is an ever-evolving amalgam of sounds that impacts culture and moves generations,” John Sykes, chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, said in a statement. “This diverse group of inductees each broke down musical barriers and influenced countless artists that followed in their footsteps.”
The induction ceremony will be held Oct. 19 at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio. It will stream live on Disney+ with an airing on ABC at a later date and available on Hulu the next day.
Those music acts nominated this year but didn’t make the cut included Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz, the late Sinéad O’Connor, soul-pop singer Sade, Britpoppers Oasis, hip-hop duo Eric B. & Rakim and alt-rockers Jane’s Addiction.
There had been a starry push to get Foreigner — with the hits “Urgent” and “Hot Blooded” — into the hall, with Mark Ronson, Jack Black, Slash, Dave Grohl and Paul McCartney all publicly backing the move. Ronson’s stepfather is Mick Jones, Foreigner’s founding member, songwriter and lead guitarist.
Osbourne, who led many parents in the 1980s to clutch their pearls with his devil imagery and sludgy music, goes in as a solo artist, having already been inducted into the hall with metal masters Black Sabbath.
Four of the eight nominees — Cher, Foreigner, Frampton and Kool & the Gang — were on the ballot for the first time.
Cher — the only artist to have a No. 1 song in each of the past six decades — and Blige, with eight multi-platinum albums and nine Grammy Awards, will help boost the number of women in the hall, which critics say is too low.
Artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years before they’re eligible for induction.
Nominees were voted on by more than 1,000 artists, historians and music industry professionals. Fans voted online or in person at the museum, with the top five artists picked by the public making up a “fans’ ballot” that was tallied with the other professional ballots.
Last year, Missy Elliott, Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow, Chaka Khan, “Soul Train” creator Don Cornelius, Kate Bush and the late George Michael were some of the artists who got into the hall.
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