Tupac Shakur and Pearl Jam among 1st-time Hall nominees
Late rapper Tupac Shakur, left, and Eddie Vedder, frontman of Seattle band Pearl Jam.
The late rapper Tupac Shakur and Seattle-based rockers Pearl Jam are among the first-time nominees on the ballot for induction next year into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Nine of the 19 acts nominated Tuesday are on the ballot for the first time, with Shakur and Pearl Jam in their first year of eligibility.
Results will be announced in December. The induction ceremony will be in April in Cleveland.
The prolific Shakur was shot and killed at his peak in 1996. His album “Me Against the World” hit the top of the charts when he was in prison for sexual assault. “Keep Ya Head Up,” “Life Goes On,” “Ambitionz Az a Ridah” and “Changes” are among his best-known songs.
Behind frontman Eddie Vedder, Pearl Jam was a huge initial success behind songs like “Jeremy,” “Even Flow,” “Alive” and “Better Man.” They consciously stepped back from the commercial world and persist as a respected and popular touring outfit.
Other first-time nominees are American rock band Journey; the hardcore punk pioneers Bad Brains; 1980s synth-poppers Depeche Mode; Jeff Lynne’s 1970s hit machine Electric Light Orchestra; Lollapalooza instigators Jane’s Addiction; 1960s folkie Joan Baez; and Steppenwolf, Canadian rockers of “Born to be Wild” fame. work’s schedule for second seasons, Variety reports. “BrainDead” debuted in June to more than 4.5 million viewers for its first episode but sank throughout the season, with the final episode bringing in just over 2 million viewers. “American Gothic” also struggled to find an audience, with its highest-rated episode bringing in just under 3.6 million viewers.
Actor John Lithgow is 71. Singer Jennifer Holliday is 56. TV host Ty Pennington is 52. Singer-guitarist Todd Park Mohr is 51. Actor Jon Favreau is 50. Comedian Chris Kattan is 46. Actress Hunter King is 23.