“We should always focus on it it should always be better,” Sykes says of a move toward greater gender parity. Last year’s class of 2022 was the first in which a majority of nominees, four out of seven, were either women or female-fronted bands. The selection of three women among the seven 2023 inductees may help further assuage concerns that the hall has been too slow in electing female artists, as charged by Courtney Love in a much-disseminated column. Now, remember, Hank Williams, Brenda Lee, Johnny Cash, they’re all in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, but there was I think a long dearth of country artists that contributed to rock ‘n’ roll that had gone unnoticed before we’ve seen two iconic country artists get recognized in the last two years.” So it was great to see him get so many votes from the body of 1200 voters. I think that also shined a light on the incredible contributions that Willie’s made in, what, 98 records that he’s made over the years. “And I think Dolly Parton getting inducted last year opened up the eyes of a lot of our voters to understand that country is a part of rock ‘n’ roll right next to gospel and rhythm and blues. (Presumably Nelson will not be trying to reject his nomination this year, as Parton briefly did in the previous cycle.) Nelson represents the further breaking of a logjam that seemingly kept classic country artists from getting in, as busted up by Dolly Parton last year. “Sometimes it takes a major moment like Willie’s 90th birthday or, in the case of Kate Bush, music being played in ‘Stranger Things’ to shine a light on them for a lot of younger people who didn’t know who she was in 1985 they probably weren’t even born yet.” “She’s been nominated many times, so the nominating committee was very happy that the general ballot voted Kate in this year,” John Sykes, chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, tells Variety. Although Bush has refrained from being in the public eye for years, her name was on music lovers’ lips for months as a sync placement on the TV series “Stranger Things” resulted in “Running Up That Hill” become a major resurgent hit.

Nelson’s headlines came just this past weekend, as he celebrated turning 90 on Saturday with a two-night all-star birthday salute at the Hollywood Bowl. Nelson and Bush are especially topical picks, both having been in the news cycle in the last year.

A media partner is expected to be named soon, since the hall’s contract with HBO has expired.įor anyone keeping score of the artists who don’t make it in, the seven nominees on the general ballot who missed the cut with voters this go-round (surely the hall would prefer no one call them “snubs”) are A Tribe Called Quest, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, Cyndi Lauper, Soundgarden, the White Stripes and Warren Zevon. These 13 honorees will be celebrated in an induction ceremony and concert to take place Nov.

Road to Yesterday by Greta Cribbs