The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced which of this year’s nominees Wednesday morning, May 12th. These artists will be inducted at the 2021 ceremony on October 30th, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Rock Hall hailed the Class of 2021 as “the most diverse list of Inductees in the history of the organization.” This is the first year in the Hall’s 36-year history that three all-female acts will be inducted in the performers category at the same time.
Queen of Rock n’ Roll Tina Turner, new wave pioneers The Go-Go’s, singer-songwriter north star Carole King, East Coast hip-hop icon JAY-Z, rock genius Todd Rundgren and alt-rock veterans Foo Fighters make up the Class of 2021. Of the 2021 performer inductees, Turner, King and Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl are already in the Rock Hall: King as part of the songwriting duo Goffin/King, making her the first person in the Rock Hall as a performer and non-performer; Turner for her incendiary work in the R&B duo Ike & Tina Turner; and Grohl as drummer of grunge legends Nirvana.
But that’s not all. Early rap pioneer LL Cool J, keyboard master Billy Preston and hard rock guitar ace Randy Rhoads are also joining the Rock Hall with the “award for musical excellence” (which was originally titled the “sidemen” category when it debuted). And under the “early influence award” category, electronic trailblazers Kraftwerk, spoken-word poet Gil Scott-Heron and Father of the Delta Blues Charley Patton are joining the RRHOF. Music impresario Clarence Avant is the recipient of the Ahmet Ertegun award.
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