Rock hall announces eclectic class of 2022
British new wave stars Duran Duran, Detroit rapper Eminem and country music icon Dolly Parton are the acts that lead the 2022 class of inductees to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, announced Wednesday, May 4, marking one of the most eclectic rosters of inductees in the program’s 37 years.
Also making the cut in the performer category, which recognizes originality and impact, are 1980s singer-songwriter Pat Benatar, English synth-pop duo Eurythmics, singer-songwriter Carly Simon and Lionel Richie, the current “American Idol” judge and former Commodores singer who has released a string of solo hits and co-wrote 1985’s “We Are the World.”
“This diverse group of inductees each had a profound impact on the sound of youth culture and helped change the course of rock ’n’ roll,” Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Chairman John Sykes said in a statement. “Their music moved generations and influenced so many artists that followed.”
The 37th annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony is scheduled to take place on Nov. 5, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. The program will air at a later date on HBO and stream on HBO Max. A radio simulcast will also be available on SiriusXM.
Following the rock hall’s nomination announcement in February, Parton took to social media to “respectfully bow out” of the process, saying she did not feel like she belonged in the rock hall and did not want to take votes away from other nominees. But earlier this week she said on NPR that she would “accept gracefully” if inducted into the institution.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation said in a statement in March that it was up to the voters to decide whether Parton is elected, adding there was room in the hall for all kinds of artists but also citing previous country-leaning inductees such as Brenda Lee, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Chet Atkins, Hank Williams and the Everly Brothers.
“From its inception, rock ’n’ roll has had deep roots in rhythm & blues and country music. It is not defined by any one genre, rather a sound that moves youth culture,” the statement said. “We are in awe of Dolly’s brilliant talent and pioneering spirit and are proud to have nominated her for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.”
Other artists receiving recognition at this year’s event include the British metal act Judas Priest and the studio duo Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, who produced platinum-selling hits for Janet Jackson and the Human League. Both will receive a musical excellence award.
Harry Belafonte, who gave pop music a Caribbean spin, and the self-taught left-handed guitarist Elizabeth “Libba” Cotten, a key player in the development of American roots mu-*
sic, will receive early influence awards.
Entertainment lawyer Allen Grubman, Interscope Records founder Jimmy Iovine and label executive Sylvia Robinson are the non-performing industry professionals receiving the Ahmet Ertegun Award for “the creative development and growth of rock & roll and music that has impacted youth culture,” according to the rock hall.
The rock hall, which was founded in 1983 and moved into a museum in Cleveland in 1995, selects its nominees each year through a committee of 1,000 musicians, journalists and industry members. Artists are eligible for induction 25 years after the release of their first commercial recording.
Eminem got in his first year of eligibility, while veteran acts like Duran Duran, Parton, Richie and Simon — who have been eligible for years — were on the ballot for the first time.
This year also marks the first time six of the inductees have been female-fronted acts.
Among the artists and groups who were on the short list, announced in February, were Rage Against the Machine, A Tribe Called Quest, Dionne Warwick, Beck, Kate Bush, Devo, Fela Kuti, MC5 and the New York Dolls.
Details on tickets to attend the Los Angeles ceremony will be announced at a later date.
In the meantime, local fans of Duran Duran, which this month celebrates the 40th anniversary of the release of its breakthrough album 1982’s “Rio,” can catch the groupat San Francisco’s Chase Center on Sept. 4. The scheduled concert is part of its North American headlining tour this summer.
The band’s frontman Simon Le Bon thanked fans on Twitter for their support over the years.
“This distinction,” he wrote, “is due in large part to the fact that we have an army of fans around the world who have unwaveringly supported us for the past four decades.”
“This diverse group of inductees each had a profound impact on the sound of youth culture and helped change the course of rock ’n’ roll.” Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Chairman John Sykes