Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees React To Recently Announced Honors

Three of the inductees, Cheap Trick, Chicago and Miller, had been nominated for the very first time, but they have been eligible for many years. Those who missed out, apart from Chic and Jackson, were the Cars, Nine-Inch Nails, the Smiths, Chaka Khan, the Spinners, Los Lobos and the J.B.s.

Steve Miller, the San Francisco guitarist who courted global fame in the 1970s with a string of radio staples such as “The Joker” and “Fly Like an Eagle”, will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at its 31st ceremony April 8 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

This year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony is going to feature mostly classical rock members, as four out of the five newcomers are of that genre, leaving only N.W.A.as the outsider – they are a Los Angeles gangsta-rap group representing a very different style.

Fans could vote online for those that were nominated, but their votes only counted for one percent of the final tally.

Cheap Trick bassist Tom Petersson said in a statement: “We can’t thank the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame enough for honoring Cheap Trick”.

“I started playing rock & roll in 1956, so I’ve been here from the beginning”, Miller tells Rolling Stone.

Steve Miller on the rest of the Steve Miller Band not making it in: “Anyone that was ever in the Steve Miller Band will feel that they were definitely part of what made the band. Worthy”, the Hall of Fame’s press release says of the group. Cheap Trick is finishing their label debut album, titled Bang Zoom Crazy…

Looking back on his career, and the fact that he finally is being acknowledged by the Rock Hall, Steve says, “It’s been a great, long life of playing music, and I’m really honored to be inducted”.

Classic rock icons are coming up big at this year’s Rock and Roll hall of fame, with Chicago, Cheap Trick, Steve Miller, and Deep Purple set to be inducted next year, along with iconic hip hop group N.W.A.

N.W.A. formed in 1986 – two years after James’ birth – and its most influential rap album (Straight Outta Compton, now the name of a biographical, major motion picture) was released in 1988.

In a lot of ways, it was a year for the Hall to make amends for artists they previously overlooked.

Are you in favor of the musical acts who made it onto the list of inductees?