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Though long vilified by critics, Kiss (L-R) Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer and Paul Stanley have finally been rewarded for their populist brand of three chord rock — with a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame gets a strong Noo Yawk accent this year.
Its induction ceremony will take place in Brooklyn for the first time — specifically at the Barclays Center, April 10, moving from its older New York perch at the tony Waldorf-Astoria. This marks the event’s first stop in the city in three years and the first time tickets to the ceremony will be available to New York fans.
Denis O’Regan
Nirvana’s short reign ended with lead singer Kurt Cobain’s death (c., with Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl), but the band earned its spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame because of its long-lasting legacy.
In another move toward both the city and populism, the Hall voted in the critically loathed, locally bred band Kiss. The controversial ascent of the cartoon-faced rock group had been lobbied by fans for years, but long put off by the Hall’s old guard.
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Linda Ronstadt (pictured in 1974)’s election comes the same year she announced she has Parkinson’s disease and can no longer perform.
Another incoming act with a deep association with the city is Hall & Oates.
Other inductees include Nirvana, who got fast-tracked during this, their first year of eligibility; world music pioneer Peter Gabriel; multigenre singer Linda Ronstadt and folk-rocker Cat Stevens.
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Peter Gabriel has now made the Hall of Fame twice: once as the former lead singer of Genesis and now as a solo artist.
This will be Gabriel’s second induction into the Hall, having been ushered in with his early band Genesis in 2010.
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Voters no longer out of touch: Hall & Oates also made the cut.
The initial managers of both the Beatles and the Rolling Stones (Brian Epstein and Andrew Loog Oldham, respectively) will receive the Ahmet Ertegun award, given to nonperformers of note. In addition, the E-Street Band will be given a special Award for Musical Excellence.
Tickets for the event at Barclays go on sale in January, on a date to be announced. The show will be broadcast in May on HBO.
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Hall of Famer Cat Stevens, also known as Yusuf Islam, performs during the 10th edition of the Mawazine international music festival “World Rythms” in Rabat in 2011.
No fewer than nine nominees didn’t make the cut this year. They include art-rock pioneers Yes, British Invasion vets the Zombies, rumbling guitar god Link Wray, heavy metal stars Deep Purple, nice-guy rapper LL Cool J, L.A. gangsta poets N.W.A., and dance kings Chic.
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The controversial ascent of Kiss had been lobbied by fans for years. Here, Gene Simmons gives his trademark tongue flip during a performance.
Chic has the dubious distinction of being the most-nominated act yet to make the grade, with no fewer than nine thwarted attempts.
Recently, the inductees have taken on a more of-the-people feel. Last year, Rush got in, a move that would have been unthinkable in earlier times. While fans got to vote for the first time last year, their collective input adds up to only a single vote.
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Nirvana got fast-tracked during this year, their first year of eligibility. The band’s lead singer, the late Kurt Cobain, is seen here in Dec. 1993.
Ronstadt’s induction comes at a dramatic time in her career. The singer announced earlier this year that she has Parkinson’s disease and can no longer perform.
