Nelson gets overdue nod to Rock Hall
By the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame admission standards, Willie Nelson has been eligible for induction since 1986, which was the year of the first hall inductees: Chuck Berry, Ray Charles, Sam Cook, James Brown, Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis, among them.
But Nelson appears for the first time on a Rock Hall ballot for the Class of 2023; the list was announced Wednesday.
He’s joined by A Tribe Called Quest; New Order/joy Division; Missy Elliott; Kate Bush; the White Stripes; Sheryl Crow; Warren Zevon; the Spinners; Soundgarden; Cyndi Lauper; Rage Against the Machine; George Michael; and Iron Maiden.
Among the scores of inductees over the years, few have been classified as country musicians.
The list of double inductees into the Rock Hall and Country Music Hall of Fame is a short one: Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bob Willis and His Texas Playboys, the Everly Brothers, Chet Atkins, Brenda Lee, Elvis Presley,
Hank Williams, Bill Monroe, Sam Phillips, Floyd Cramer, Jimmie Rodgers.
More than his longevity —
formidable considering he started writing hit songs in the late 1950s — Nelson’s sway over all popular music over the past
50 years certainly makes him a deserving candidate for dual citizenship in both halls of fame.
In addition to scores of country hits, Nelson crossed over onto the Billboard 100 13 times. His “Stardust” album from 1978 was radical at the time — a prestige artist recording classic tunes from the ‘30s, ‘40s and ‘50s. Several Rock Hall members followed his lead and did likewise.
When Nelson cut bait in Nashville and returned to Texas to make his music his way, he cut a path for other musicians who wished to do likewise. And his music, wideranging and inclusive, has inspired an unquantifiable number of musicians to pick up a guitar and write a song.
Icons of 20th century music, regardless of genre, warrant inclusion. Nelson certainly qualifies as iconic.
Nelson’s 90th birthday is in April, which feels like a factor that the Rock Hall voters will take into account. That said, he should’ve been inducted long ago.
But from his weird phrasing and his philosophical take on life, Nelson has always had a peculiar way with time. It seems unlikely he spent much time worried about induction in any institution.