Rock Hall’s Class of 2021 includes King and other musical royalty
This is a “Public Service Announcement”: Jay-Z will be inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on his first year eligible for the honor.
Artists become eligible 25 years after the release of their first album, EP or single and Jay-Z released his debut album, “Reasonable Doubt,” in 1996.
The 2021 Rock Hall class is a veritable who’s who of modern influencers: Foo Fighters, The Go-Go’s, Todd Rundgren, Carole King and the Queen of Rock ’n’ Roll Tina Turner.
Foo Fighters, who dropped their debut album in 1995, and The Go-Go’s, whose first album was “Beauty and the Beat” in 1981, also made it into the Rock Hall on their first try.
“This diverse class of talented inductees reflects the Hall’s ongoing commitment to honor artists whose music created the sound of youth culture,” John Sykes, chairman of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation said.
This will be the second trip to the Rock Hall for three of this year’s inductees. Foo Fighter’s frontman Dave Grohl got his first Rock Hall induction with Nirvana in 2014. Turner was welcomed into the Hall in 1991 as a member of Ike and Tina Turner, and King has held a spot with songwriter Gerry Goffin since 1990. This time around Turner and King will be honored for their solo careers.
King paved the way for some of today’s most popular artists, including Taylor Swift. At the 2019 American Music Awards, Swift said King’s “Tapestry,” which turned 50 this year, showed her “that artists could transcend so many different phases and changes in people’s lives.”
Turner, with her signature sequins, voluminous hair and throaty growl, became an unlikely rock icon at age 44 when she released “Private Dancer,” her 1984 solo breakthrough that featured hits “What’s Love Got to Do With It” and “I Can’t Stand the Rain.”
The third time’s the charm for Rundgren, who has been nominated since 2019.
Also in 2021, LL Cool J, Billy Preston and Randy Rhoads will receive musical excellence awards; Clarence Avant the Ahmet Ertegun award; and Kraftwerk, Gil Scott Heron and Charley Patton get early influence awards.
This year’s ballot was the most female-heavy in the group’s more than 30-year history. Seven women were up for induction, including Mary J. Blige, Chaka Khan, Kate Bush and Dionne Warwick. Iron Maiden, Fela Kuti, Rage Against the Machine, LL Cool J, Devo and The New York Dolls round out the nominees.
Inductions will take place Oct. 30, a instead of the usual spring or early summer.
Cleveland’s Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse offers increased space and flexibility for the event, and prioritizes health and safety, according to a release. The ceremony will air on HBO and stream on HBO Max.