Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2023 Is Announced
Announced this morning were the inductees of the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. 12 musical inspirations will be
Victoria Liotta
Announced this morning were the inductees of the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. 12 musical inspirations will be honored in November for their work as well as Don Cornelius who will receive the Ahmet Ertgun Award. John Sykes, Chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation said in a press release, “This year’s incredible group of Inductees reflects the diverse artists and sounds that define rock & roll. “We are honored that this November’s Induction Ceremony in New York will coincide with two milestones in music culture; the 90th birthday of Willie Nelson and the 50th Anniversary of the birth of Hip Hop.”
Your Hall of Fame Inductees
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Recognition comes in three categories. Performer – music creators whose originality, impact, and influence changed the course of rock and roll. Musical influence – artists whose music and performance style directly influenced, inspired, and evolved rock and roll. And musical excellence – artists, musicians, songwriters, and producers whose originality and influence in creating music have had a substantial impact on music itself. Alongside all of that is the Ahmet Ertegun Award which is given to non-performing industry professionals who have had a measurable influence don’t he creative development and growth of rock and roll and music, while impacting youth culture.
Getting inducted into the Hall of Fame performer category is:
- Kate Bush
- Sheryl Crow
- Missy Elliott
- George Michael
- Willie Nelson
- Rage Against the Machine
- The Spinners
The musical influence award will go to:
- DJ Kool Herc
- Link Wray
The musical excellence award will go to:
- Chaka Khan
- Al Kooper
- Bernie Taupin
And, as we mentioned, Cornelius will receive the Ahmet Ertegun Award.
Four of the seven inductees in the performer category were on the ballot for the first time including, Crow, Elliot, Michael, and Nelson. This was also the first year of eligibility for Elliot.
“Sometimes It Takes A Major Moment”
Bush has kept herself out of the public eye for years but she’s been back on the map ever since her track “Running Up That Hill” made its way on the popular TV series Stranger Things. Sykes explained, “She’s been nominated many times, so the nominating committee was very happy that the general ballot voted Kate in this year.” Adding in “Sometimes it takes a major moment like Willie’s 90th birthday or, in the case of Kate Bush, music being played in ‘Stranger Things’ to shine a light on them for a lot of younger people who didn’t know who she was in 1985; they probably weren’t even born yet.”
And, speaking of Nelson, he is also breaking the barriers for country music being related to rock and roll. “It’s long overdue,” says Sykes. “And I think Dolly Parton getting inducted last year opened up the eyes of a lot of our voters to understand that country is a part of rock ‘n’ roll right next to gospel and rhythm and blues. I think that also shined a light on the incredible contributions that Willie’s made in, what, 98 records that he’s made over the years. So it was great to see him get so many votes from the body of 1200 voters. Now, remember, Hank Williams, Brenda Lee, Johnny Cash, they’re all in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, but there was I think a long dearth of country artists that contributed to rock ‘n’ roll that had gone unnoticed before we’ve seen two iconic country artists get recognized in the last two years.”
The 38th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will happen Friday, November 3 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.