POP, RAP & ROLL
WHITNEY, BIGGIE ELECTED TO ROCK HALL
When it comes to musical honors, this one’s a Biggie.
Two late greats, Whitney Houston and the Notorious B.I.G., are among the artists being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s Class of 2020. This year marked the first time either of them appeared on the ballot.
They will be joined by Nine Inch Nails, Depeche Mode, the Doobie Brothers and T. Rex as well as music executive Irving Azoff and veteran nominating committee member Jon Landau. The induction ceremony will take place May 2 in Cleveland, where the hall is located.
The Brooklyn-born Notorious B.I.G., who was killed at age 24 in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles in 1997, is among the most influential rappers of all time. His recordings “Ready to Die” and “Life After Death” both made Rolling Stone magazine’s top 500 albums of all time.
Biggie, whose real name was Christopher Wallace, is the first rapper to be inducted since Tupac Shakur posthumously made the cut in 2017. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, RunD.M.C., N.W.A., the Beastie Boys and Public Enemy are also in the hall.
In a Twitter video, Sean “Diddy” Combs shouted out joy over the selection and said, “We miss you, King. New York, stand up! Brooklyn, yeah!”
Houston, who was born and raised in New Jersey, is the lone woman being inducted this year. The beloved pop and R&B crooner is a six-time Grammy winner whom Billboard ranked the 11th Greatest Artist of All Time last month, based on chart rankings.
The “I Will Always Love You” singer died at age 48 in 2012 from drowning caused by heart disease and cocaine use.
The living members were grooving to the good news.
“We’re honored to be included as one of this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, and to stand alongside the other incredible acts in the Rock Hall and those joining this year,” reads a statement from British new wave group Depeche Mode. “A huge thank you to everyone who has supported us and our music over the years.”
The Doobie Brothers, known for songs like “Listen to the Music” and “What a Fool Believes,” were also thrilled.
“Earning the recognition of our peers is a great honor that I don’t take lightly, but it’s our fans who kept us believing that we could get in,” singer and guitarist Tom Johnson said. “This is a stellar moment for the Doobie Brothers.”
One of the most noteworthy omissions from the 2020 class was Long Island native Pat Benatar, who was on the ballot for the first time despite having become eligible in 2004.
Performers qualify for Hall of Fame induction 25 years after their first commercial recording.
The Grammy-winning “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” singer wasn’t one to complain that voters didn’t treat her right.
“Congratulations to the 2020 RRHOF inductees.
Thanks to all of you for taking time out of your busy lives to vote 882,207 times!” Benatar wrote on the Facebook page she shares with her husband and longtime musical collaborator Neil Giraldo. “We are humbled and grateful for 41 years of love and support! You continue to amaze us.”
Not as gracious in defeat was Judas Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner, who blasted the entire institution after fans complained the heavy metal band, which has been eligible since 1999, had been left out again.
“The rock hall has and has never had any credibility for me,” the axman tweeted. “If you wanna call it the ROCK hall, then you should START with a healthy foundation of ROCK (in all its forms) to build on.”
Soundgarden and the Dave Matthews Band were also nominated, but didn’t make the cut.