Rush compete for Hall of Fame
Toronto’s own Rush as well as Deep Purple, Public Enemy and N.W.A. are among the group of first-time nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
They join returnees Heart, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Randy Newman, Donna Summer and Kraftwerk among the 15 artists vying for entry, according to the hall’s Thursday announcement. “We are honoured to be among the nominees . . . We are especially thrilled for the many, many dedicated Rush fans to whom this nomination is so very important,” the band members — Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart — said in a statement on their website.
Even in the iPod age, the list of nominees up for induction in 2013 is as eclectic as they come. Nominees differ wildly in sound, origin and influence, ranging from the enduring prog rock of Canadian trio Rush and Procol Harum to German proto-electronica act Kraftwerk, the disco of Chic and Summer to the New Orleans funk of The Meters and the blues of Albert King and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band.
Joel Peresman, president and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, acknowledged the extreme variety of this year’s nominee class in a Thursday news release.
“The definition of ‘rock and roll’ means different things to different people, but as broad as the classifications may be, they all share a common love of the music,” Peresman said.
A group of 600 artists, music historians and members of the industry will choose the inductees for 2013.
They will be honoured April 18 in Los Angeles.