NOMS IN FOR ROCK ROYALTY
Whitney, Biggie up for Hall of Fame spots
Tragic music icons Whitney Houston and the Notorious B.I.G. topped an eclectic list of recording artists nominated Tuesday to the 2020 class of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
A total of 16 bands and artists were nominated for induction including Motörhead, Judas Priest, Thin Lizzy and Soundgarden.
Also on the lineup are Pat Benatar, Dave Matthews Band, the Doobie Brothers, Kraftwerk, and Rufus featuring Chaka Khan.
Artists become eligible for the Hall 25 years after releasing their first commercial recording.
Inductees, usually between five and seven, will be announced in January, with the Hall’s 35th annual ceremony scheduled for May 2 in Cleveland.
In total, nine nominees this year are on the lineup for the first time, including Biggie, Houston, Soundgarden and the Dave Matthews Band.
“Nominee ballots are sent to an international voting body of more than 1,000 artists, historians and members of the music industry,” reads a press release by the Hall. “Factors such as an artist’s musical influence on other artists, length and depth of career and the body of work, innovation and superiority in style and technique are taken into consideration.”
Eligible acts that were overlooked this year include Willie Nelson, Mötley Crüe, Iron Maiden, Rage Against the Machine, and LL Cool J, a fivetime nominee.
Kraftwerk is hoping the sixth time’s the charm. Despite its initial nomination in 2003, it has failed to make the final cut on five previous attempts, including last year.
But it has nothing on Chic, which holds the record for most nominations without entry. Shockingly, the disco/ funk group has been denied entry a staggering 11 times — as recently as 2017.
If Big Poppa does get in, he will join such rappers as Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Run-D.M.C., the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, N.W.A. and Tupac Shakur, who was inducted in 2017.
Biggie, 24, whose real name was Christopher Wallace, was killed in 1997, gunned down in a drive-by shooting after an awards ceremony in Los Angeles. No one was ever charged in his murder.
Houston, a top-selling artist, died at a pre-Grammys party in 2012 after years of drug abuse. She racked up an amazing 11 No. 1 singles before her accidental death.
Fans are encouraged to vote online or at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland, with the top five recipients being included on a fan ballot that will be factored in along with the other voters’ selections.
Those inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019 were Janet Jackson, Stevie Nicks, Radiohead, the Zombies, the Cure, Def Leppard and Roxy Music.