The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has officially released the Class of 2014 inductees. In their first year of eligibility Nirvana is one of the mega-bands to make the cut. KISS, Hall & Oates, Cat Stevens, Linda Ronstadt and Peter Gabriel top the list as well. Beatles manager Brian Epstein and Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham will receive the Ahmet Ertegun Awards, Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band will be given an honorary Award For Musical Excellence.
The highly-influential Grunge trio, Nirvana was among the first band’s in history to be elected in their first year of eligibility, their single “Love Buzz” was released in 1988. Surprisingly, KISS has been eligible for 15 years and are finally going to receive their honors, die-hard fans have been campaigning for some time now for these iconic rockers to join the Hall. Linda Ronstadt who is battling Parkinson’s Disease told Rolling Stone “My health is not great right now…It’s most likely I that I won’t be able to make it to New York in April. Travel is very difficult for me.” Sadly it is likely she will not be able to sing at the event.
Peter Gabriel actually was previously inducted in 2010, as a member of Genesis. He was unable to attend the event that year. He told Rolling Stone that for his solo induction, “This time I will definitely go. I’m very grateful to have gotten in again. It’s a huge honor since it’s for your whole body of work and not just a specific project. . .I’ll probably perform, but if I do ‘In Your Eyes’ it’ll take 10 minutes and that might be all the time I have.”
Hall & Oates’ fans pressed hard for the duo’s entry in the 2014 class, “It was a bit of a surprise to me,” Daryl Hall tells Rolling Stone. “I’ve always been sort of on the other side of the fence with the old guard and the powers that be. . .This whole new generation of people are looking at me and John in a different way.”
The whole event, the 29th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place on Thursday, April 10, 2014 at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. This year’s ceremony will be open to the public, a first for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. “This year’s Hall of Fame Inductees really capture the passion of the fans,” said Joel Peresman, President/CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. “We’re thrilled to again be able to have the fans be a part of the show, especially as we bring the ceremony to Barclays Center and partner again with HBO and Playtone.”
Be on the look out for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame airing live on HBO April 10, 2014.
