Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducts first woman - Jan 03, 1987 - HISTORY.com Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducts first woman Share this: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducts first woman Author Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducts first woman URL Publisher A+E Networks In 1986, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced its first group of inductees: Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Fats Domino, James Brown, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke and the Everly Brothers. Since then, the Hall has added a new class of inductees each year, expanding by January 2008 to 209 honorees in four categories: Performers, Non-Performers, Sidemen and Lifetime Achievers. The category in which the Hall is most conspicuously lacking, however, is women. Of the 159 total inductions in the Performers category, 135 have been of solo male performers or male groups.

Only 10 solo female performers and 13 groups containing at least one female performer have been added since the Hall admitted its first woman—Aretha Franklin—on January 3, 1987. A combination of history and Hall of Fame policy help explain the gender imbalance. To be considered for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, candidates must have released their first album at least 25 years earlier. This means that in its first ten years of existence, the Hall of Fame considered only female rock and roll figures from the 1960s and earlier, a period during which there were relatively few prominent women working in what would generally be considered rock and roll. There was Aretha, there were girl groups like the Supremes and Martha and the Vandellas (inducted in 1988 and 1995, respectively) and there was Tina Turner (inducted with Ike in 1991), but beyond those obvious choices, the Hall had to look to three women—LaVern Baker, Etta James and Ruth Brown—who were really more R&B than rock and roll.

In its second 10 years, women fared better with the Hall of Fame as artists like the Jefferson Airplane (1996), Joni Mitchell (1997), Bonnie Raitt (2000) and the Pretenders (2005) became eligible for induction. Still, considering how few female artists and groups are likely to be given serious consideration in the coming years—Heart? Joan Jett? Chaka Khan?—the Hall’s roster of honorees is a striking reflection of how much rock and roll really has been, and continues to be, a man’s world. For the record, the solo women and groups containing women who have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as of 2008 are (in order of induction): Aretha Franklin January 03, 1987 : Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducts first woman Introduction In 1986, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced its first group of inductees: Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Fats Domino, James Brown, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke and the Everly Brothers.

Since then, the Hall has added a new class of inductees each year, expanding by January 2008 to 209 honorees in four categories: Performers, Non-Performers, Sidemen and Lifetime Achievers. The category in which the Hall is most conspicuously lacking, however, is women. Of the 159 total inductions in the Performers category, 135 have been of solo male performers or male groups. Only 10 solo female performers and 13 groups containing at least one female performer have been added since the Hall admitted its first woman—Aretha Franklin—on January 3, 1987. A combination of history and Hall of Fame policy help explain the gender imbalance. To be considered for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, candidates must have released their first album at least 25 years earlier. This means that in its first ten years of existence, the Hall of Fame considered only female rock and roll figures from the 1960s and earlier, a period during which there were relatively few prominent women working in what would generally be considered rock and roll.

There was Aretha, there were girl groups like the Supremes and Martha and the Vandellas (inducted in 1988 and 1995, respectively) and there was Tina Turner (inducted with Ike in 1991), but beyond those obvious choices, the Hall had to look to three women—LaVern Baker, Etta James and Ruth Brown—who were really more R&B than rock and roll. In its second 10 years, women fared better with the Hall of Fame as artists like the Jefferson Airplane (1996), Joni Mitchell (1997), Bonnie Raitt (2000) and the Pretenders (2005) became eligible for induction. Still, considering how few female artists and groups are likely to be given serious consideration in the coming years—Heart? Joan Jett? Chaka Khan?—the Hall’s roster of honorees is a striking reflection of how much rock and roll really has been, and continues to be, a man’s world.

For the record, the solo women and groups containing women who have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as of 2008 are (in order of induction): Aretha Franklin Aretha Franklin | Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Sign up for E-news Aretha Franklin is the “Queen of Soul” and the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She is a singer of great passion and control whose finest recordings define the term soul music in all its deep, expressive glory. “I don’t think there’s anybody I have known who possesses an instrument like hers and who has such a thorough background in gospel, the blues and the essential black-music idiom,” noted Ahmet Ertegun, co-founder of Atlantic Records, where much of Franklin’s best work was done. “She is blessed with an extraordinary combination of remarkable urban sophistication and deep blues feeling... The result is maybe the greatest singer of our time.” Aretha was born in Memphis and grew up in Detroit. Her father, Rev. C.L. Franklin, was the charismatic pastor at New Bethel Baptist Church, which he turned into a large and thriving institution.

His services were broadcast locally and in other urban markets around the country, and 60 of his sermons (including the legendary “The Eagle Stirreth Her Nest”) were released in album form. One of the best-known religious orators of the day, Rev. Franklin was a friend and colleague of Martin Luther King, Jesse Jackson, Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. and other key figures in the civil-rights movement. On the musical side, some of the greatest vocalists of the gospel age were acquaintances and guests in the Franklin household. Aretha and her siblings – sisters Erma and Carolyn and brothers Cecil and Vaughn – grew up hearing the likes of Clara Ward (her greatest influence), Mahalia Jackson and James Cleveland both in their father’s church and the family’s living room. From an early age, Aretha sang at her father’s behest during services at New Bethel. Her first recordings turned up on an album called Spirituals, recorded at the church when she was only 14. (It also included material by gospel singer Sammie Bryant and C.L. Franklin.) Spirituals was released locally on the J.V.B. label in 1956 and re-released on the Battle label in 1962.

Aretha’s five tracks formed the basis of the 1964 album Songs of Faith: The Gospel Sound of Aretha Franklin, issued on Checker (Chess Records’ companion label), with additional material recorded by Franklin at services in other locales. In her autobiography, Aretha notes that some of it came from a performance at the Oakland Arena. As a teenager, Aretha accompanied her father on gospel bills and services as far away as California and the Deep South. Although she was firmly rooted in gospel, Franklin also drew from such blues and jazz legends as Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington and Sarah Vaughn as she developed her singing style. On the male side, she was inspired by Ray Charles, Nat King Cole and Sam Cooke (both with and without the Soul Stirrers). From the emerging world of youthful doo-wop groups and early soul, Aretha enjoyed the likes of LaVern Baker, Ruth Brown, Little Willie John, the Falcons (featuring Wilson Pickett), and Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers. Out of an array of influences both sacred and secular, Franklin forged a contemporary synthesis that would speak to the Sixties generation in the revolutionary new language of soul music.

As Jerry Wexler, Aretha’s longtime producer, observed: “Clearly, Aretha was continuing what Ray Charles had begun – the secularization of gospel, turning church rhythms, church patterns and especially church feelings into personalized love songs.” It took Aretha awhile to find that fire in the studio. Before she signed with Atlantic, she spent six years at Columbia Records. She was signed to the label in 1960 by John Hammond, the label’s legendary producer and talent scout, who’d heard a demo she cut in New York Her tenure at Columbia yielded nine R&B hits (the most memorable being “Today I Sing the Blues” and “Runnin’ Out of Fools”). She also scored some pop crossovers (“Rock-a-Bye Your Baby With a Dixie Melody” and “Won’t Be Long”) that were was far removed from the fiery, gospel-fueled soul for which she would become known. Hammond produced Franklin’s most satisfying Columbia sides, but overall the nine albums she cut for the label failed to fully tap her capabilities. Paired with pop-minded producers, she dabbled in a variety of styles without truly finding her voice.

Franklin was never averse to the idea of crossover music, being a connoisseur of pop and show tunes, but she needed to interpret them in her own soulful way. In Hammond’s words, “I cherish the albums we made together, but Columbia was a white company who misunderstood her genius.” Jerry Wexler was waiting in the wings to sign Franklin when her contract with Columbia expired. With her switch to Atlantic in 1966, Aretha proceeded to revolutionize soul music with some of the genre’s greatest recordings. Her most productive period ran from 1967 through 1972. The revelations began with her first Atlantic single, “I Never Loved a Man (the Way I Loved You),” a smoldering performance that unleashed the full force of Franklin’s mezzo-soprano. Offering call-and-response background vocals on this and other tracks were Aretha’s sisters, Carolyn and Erma. The Sweet Inspirations, a Memphis-based vocal quartet that included Cissy Houston (mother of Whitney), also contributed background vocals to Aretha’s work in the studio and onstage.

Franklin’s greatest triumph –and an enduring milestone in popular music – was “Respect.” Her fervent reworking of the Otis Redding-penned number can viewed in hindsight as an early assertion of selfhood in the women’s movement. It was the opening track on I Never Loved a Man the Way I Loved You, her classic first album for Atlantic. Other memorable tracks from this pivotal release are “Do Right Woman - Do Right Man,” “Dr. Feelgood” and her cover of “A Change Is Gonna Come,” Sam Cooke’s civil rights-era anthem. The Rolling Stone Album Guide contends that I Never Loved a Man the Way I Loved You “may stand as the greatest single soul album of all time.” Of her work at Atlantic Records during that charmed period, Franklin offered these recollections in her autobiography: “Jerry [Wexler] handled all the technical aspects and made sure I put my personal stamp on these songs. Atlantic provided TLC – tender loving care – in a way that made me feel secure and comfortable....Putting me back on piano helped Aretha-ize the new music....The enthusiasm and camaraderie in the studio were terrific, like nothing I had experienced at Columbia.

This new Aretha music was raw and real and so much more myself. I loved it!” Working closely with producer Jerry Wexler, engineer Tom Dowd and arranger Arif Mardin – a production team that was on-board for Franklin’s greatest work at Atlantic – she followed her debut for Atlantic with a torrent of strong recordings. Her next three albums – Aretha Arrives (1967), Lady Soul (1968) and Aretha Now (1968) – included “Chain of Fools,” “Think,” “Baby, I Love You,” “Since You’ve Been Gone (Sweet Sweet Baby),” and a soulful rendering of Carole King’s “A Natural Woman (You Make Me Feel Like).” Her fifth Atlantic album,Aretha in Paris (1968), was record live before an appreciative European audience. It was during the triumphant year of 1968 that Aretha was anointed the Queen of Soul. Legendary deejay Pervis Spann, the Blues Man, did the honors, ceremoniously placing a crown atop her head during a performance at Chicago’s Regal Theater. The honorific has endured, and no one disputes it.

The Seventies brought continued success to Franklin. In the early years of that decade, she released such critically acclaimed albums as Spirit in the Dark (1970), Aretha Live at Fillmore West (1971), Young, Gifted and Black (1972) and Amazing Grace (1972). Spirit in the Dark and Young, Gifted and Black found Franklin tapping into themes of resiliency and empowerment. Spirit in the Dark was her most autobiographical album, featuring five songs penned by Franklin – more than on any other album of hers, before or since – and thematically driven by the highs and lows of a recent divorce and new relationship. The title of Young, Gifted and Black tapped into the African-American zeitgeist, while the album itself “may have been my most personal – and most romantic – album to date,” according to Franklin. “Aretha reflected a pride in every facet of the blackness we were fighting to preserve every day,” journalist A. Scott Galloway wrote of the album in Urban Network. Aretha Live at Fillmore West, by contrast, introduced the Queen of Soul to a hip, white audience.

It was recorded over the course of three nights at Bill Graham’s San Francisco venue with a crack band that included keyboardist Billy Preston, guitarist Cornell Dupree, drummer Bernard Purdie, saxophonist King Curtis, and the Memphis Horns. Ray Charles was brought onstage from the audience by Aretha herself for an impromptu duet on “Spirit in the Dark.” Amazing Grace found Franklin accompanied by James Cleveland (former music director at her father’s church in Detroit) and his Southern California Community Choir. It was a landmark gospel recording that returned Aretha to the music of the church. In addition to making albums with Jerry Wexler – the 14th and final of which, You, was released in 1975 – Aretha tried working with other producers while at Atlantic. Her collaborators included such renowned figures as Quincy Jones (Hey Now Hey [The Other Side of the Sky], 1973) and Curtis Mayfield (Sparkle, 1976). Her tenure with Atlantic came to an end in 1979 after twelve years and nineteen albums. During this same year, her father was shot during a home robbery, leaving him in a coma from which he never recovered.

Aretha signed to Arista Records, a label founded by former Columbia Records president Clive Davis. In the Eighties, she recorded everything from dance pop to sacred gospel for Arista. She began scaling the upper reaches of the charts again with “Jump to It” and “Get It Right” (both produced by rising star Luther Vandross). She followed these with two more sizable mid-Eighties dance-floor hits, “Freeway of Love” and “Who’s Zoomin’ Who.” In 1987, Franklin scored the second Number One pop hit of her career – “I Knew You Were Waiting (for Me),” a duet with George Michael – which came exactly 20 years after she topped the charts with “Respect.” Aretha teamed up with Keith Richard in 1986 for a rousing version of “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” that appeared in the Whoopi Goldberg movie of the same name. Also in 1987, Aretha returned to her roots by recording a gospel album at New Bethel Baptist Church, the very same Detroit institution at which her father had presided for so many years.

Entitled One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism, it earned strong reviews and won a Grammy for Best Soul Gospel Performance. On the pop side, she struck more gold at decade’s end with “Through the Storm,” a duet with Elton John, and “It Isn’t, It Wasn’t, It Ain’t Never Gonna Be,” a duet with Whitney Houston. The Nineties started off slowly for Franklin, with only one major hit (“Willing to Forgive,” in 1994) to show for most of the decade. However, one of the stellar moments of her career occurred at the Grammy Awards ceremony on February 25, 1998. Subbing at the last minute for Luciano Pavarotti (who was too ill to perform), Franklin brought the house down with her resounding performance of the operatic aria “Nessum Dorma,” from Puccini’s Turandot. Proving her continuing viability as a contemporary artist, Franklin scaled the charts soon after with “A Rose Is Still a Rose” (Number Five R&B, Number 26 pop), which was written and produced by Lauryn Hill (late of the Fugees).

The hits have come as recently as 2003, when “The Only Thing Missin’” and “Wonderful,” from So Damn Happy, became popular album tracks. Incidentally, with the release of that album, Aretha had now been with Arista longer than Atlantic. Moreover, she’d managed the incredible feat of having hits in five consecutive decades. As a measure of her impact, Aretha Franklin has charted 43 Top Forty singles since 1961. Franklin has also earned 18 Grammy Awards, the most recent coming in 2007. In addition, she has sung at the inaugurations of two U.S. presidents (Bill Clinton and Barack Obama) and received the Presidential Medal of Honor from another (George W. Bush). Franklin suffered some health issues in 2010, including broken ribs and a major surgery. However, she released a new album in 2011 (A Woman Falling Out of Love) and returned to live performing in better health and high spirits. All along, the basis of Aretha Franklin’s success – and the essence of soul music - has been her ability to communicate.

“Music is my way of communicating that part of me I can get out front and share,” she told Essence magazine in 1973. “It’s what I have to give; my way of saying, ‘Let’s find one another.’” Aretha Franklin (vocals, piano; born March 25, 1942) Aretha Franklin is Inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame | World History Project Jan 21 1987 Aretha Franklin is Inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame January 21, 1987: Aretha Franklin is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the second annual induction dinner. Keith Richard is her presenter. Source: Wikipedia Added by: Dan Harpaz “ Music is my way of communicating that part of me I can get out front and share... what I have to give; my way of saying let’s find one another.” — Aretha Franklin Source: Rock Hall Added by: Dan Harpaz Aretha Franklin is the undisputed “Queen of Soul” and the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

She is a singer of great passion and control whose finest recordings define the term soul music in all its deep, expressive glory. As Atlantic Records co-founder Ahmet Ertegun observed, “I don’t think there’s anybody I have known who possesses an instrument like hers and who has such a thorough background in gospel, the blues and the essential black-music idiom.…She is blessed with an extraordinary combination of remarkable urban sophistication and of the deep blues feeling that comes from the Delta. The result is maybe the greatest singer of our time.” Aretha Franklin | About Aretha Franklin | American Masters | PBS About Aretha Franklin Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul About Aretha Franklin Comments In 1987, singer Aretha Franklin became the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This was a testament to her impact on the music world over the course of her long and exciting career. From her teenage days singing gospel in her father’s church to her ascendancy to rock and roll royalty, “The Queen of Soul” has expressed a passion and intensity that has never failed to move her listeners. Franklin’s roots, which she never abandoned, are in gospel music.

As a girl, she began singing in the choir of her father’s church, the New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit. The Reverend C.L. Franklin, a noted figure in black America in the 1950s and 60s, was one of the first ministers to have his own nationally-broadcast radio show. Because of his stature, many famous black musicians, including Sam Cooke, Clara Ward, Mahalia Jackson and Jackie Wilson, visited the Franklin home. In the early 1960s, legendary talent scout and record producer John Hammond signed Franklin to her first recording contract with Columbia Records. Hammond said Franklin was the greatest voice since Billie Holiday. Unfortunately, her advisors had different ideas about the direction her career should take. Occupying a space between Rock and Roll and Gospel, Franklin could not find her niche. Those years at Columbia gave her experience and exposure, but no big hits. In 1967, however, Franklin moved to Atlantic records, where she finally achieved a commercial breakthrough with “I Never Loved a Man.” She had found her style with a new blend of gospel vocals with inventive piano playing in passionate secular love songs.

For Franklin, soul music combined a personal and emotional voice with the drive of the 1960’s black pride movement. In the late 60s and early 70s, it was the rare Franklin recording that did not become a soul classic. In these early years Franklin was viewed as a potent symbol of black advancement. She often lent her talents to the civil rights cause, and performed publicly in support of Martin Luther King, Jr., a family friend. But by the mid-1970s, soul music had lost much of its political and social significance. The musical trends of the time reflected new values, and Franklin lost momentum and direction. She again switched record companies, and began to record a wide variety of music. Throughout the eighties, Franklin had major hits such as “Who’s Zoomin’ Who” and “Freeway of Love,” but her biggest songs were collaborations. She recorded duets with Annie Lenox, James Brown, Whitney Houston, and had a number one hit, “I Knew You Were Waiting (for Me),” with George Michael.

Always trying to expand her range, Franklin sang and performed in the movie THE BLUES BROTHERS, worked with Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, and recorded an amazing gospel album in 1987, “One Lord One Faith One Baptism.” Now in her late fifties, Franklin continues to make exciting, vibrant, and personal music. The range of her achievements and of her commitment continue to be an inspiration to young musicians everywhere. It is clear however, that with such songs as “Do Right Woman—Do Right Man,” “Chain of Fools,” and “Respect,” it is those great early hits that will remain the defining work of “the Queen of Soul.” This Day In History 1-3-1987 Aretha Franklin, First Woman Inducted Into Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame - YouTube This Day In History 1-3-1987 Aretha Franklin, First Woman Inducted Into Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented.

This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Jan 3, 2014 This Day In History 1-3-1987 Aretha Franklin Became First Woman Inducted Into Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Category When autoplay is enabled, a suggested video will automatically play next. Up next BackstageAxxess interviews Aretha Franklin on 5/28/11. - Duration: 5:46. BackstageAxxess 1,912 views 5:46 Aretha Franklin is First Woman Ever Inducted into Rock Hall - Duration: 5:24. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 5,197 views 5:24 Aretha Franklin on Oprah (1999) - Duration: 28:21. Andrew M 169,517 views 28:21 Lyle Lovett Inducts Johnny Cash into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - Duration: 8:35.

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 74,653 views 8:35 "Nessun Dorma", (Turandot), Aretha Franklin, New York [1998] - Duration: 6:17. ecceben 1,669,410 views 6:17 1986 - Elvis Presley's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony - Duration: 6:19. Memphis Sounds with George Klein 24,399 views 6:19 Jan 3rd, 1987 - Aretha Franklin inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame - Duration: 0:35. ITN Source 531 views 0:35 Aretha Franklin becomes the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Aretha Franklin becomes the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by jessica-rayside Aretha Franklin, the woman that demands R-E-S-P-E-C-T possesses a unique vocal quality and is known as one of the best vocalist in the world.

Through her lyrics and style, she defines soul music in all its forms. Initially, Franklin was rooted in gospel music, but as her singing style developed, she incorporated blues, jazz, and funk to her music. Her inspirations come from many and her sacred and secular approach to music forged her way into the hearts of the 60’s generation. On this day, January 3rd, in 1987, Aretha Franklin is the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She is known for her role in defining the language of new age soul music, and her fire performance in the studio and on stage. In 1968 she was officially honored with the title “Queen of Soul.” As a measure of her impact, Franklin has won over 19 Grammys, charted Top 40 Singles 43 times, received the Presidential Honor Award, and has sung for the inaugurations of President Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. Today’s History Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – Michigan is Amazing January 21, 1987 Singer Aretha Franklin became the first female inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Born in Memphis, Tennessee on March 25, 1942, Aretha Franklin moved with her family to Detroit when she was two. Her father, C. L. Franklin, became pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church and an important civil rights leader. As a teenager, Aretha was a star in her father’s traveling gospel show. Franklin struck out on her own at age seventeen to make it in the music business. Some of her early hits include “Respect,” which won two Grammy Awards and an honorary award from Martin Luther King Jr., “Think” and a remake of Carol King’s “A Natural Woman (You Make Me Feel).” Franklin, who still lives in Detroit, holds the record of most Grammy Awards for a female artist. Thank you Michigan Start Pages for this glimpse into our past. See more here . 26 Musicians Too Rock to Show Up for Their Own Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction - Noisey 26 Musicians Too Rock to Show Up for Their Own Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction What's more anti-establishment than not showing up for your own party?

Rock ‘n’ roll was already 32 years old when the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was founded in 1983. A genre born out of the rebellious spirit of youth, it had evolved from an electric fusion of country and blues into sub genres like americana and psychedelic rock in the ‘60s and heavy metal and punk rock in the ‘70s. By the 1980s, rock ‘n’ roll was old enough to look back on its own history. One would think that an industry filled with inflated egos would relish the idea of another “Hall of Fame,” since The Country Music Hall of Fame (1961), The Songwriters Hall of Fame (1969), and The Canadian Music Hall of Fame (1978) were all pre-existing by the time the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was created, but instead the Hall repulsed many musicians.

The major issue artists had with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is that it was founded not by artists, but by record company and industry executives (Atlantic Records Founder Ahmet Ertegun, Rolling Stone magazine publisher Jann Wenner, music critic, producer and manager Jon Landau, record executives Seymour Stein and Bob Krasnow and attorneys Allen Grubman and Suzan Evans). Being nominated and voted into a Hall of Fame by your peers is an honour, but to be inducted by label heads and attorneys sounds like a night of selling out. Rock ‘n’ roll was always the home of wild spirits whose rebellious energy sparked some of the most innovative music of the century. The idea of dressing up in suits to attend an extravagant ballroom dinner and be given a nod of approval by “The Man” is the complete opposite of what rock ‘n’ roll represents. In the words of The Kinks’ lead singer Ray Davies, “...it makes me realize that rock and roll has become respectable.

What a bummer.” Here’s how the induction process currently works: Each year, nominees whose first single or record was released at least 25 years prior to the induction year are selected by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation's nominating committee. These nominees are then voted on by an international voting body of over 600 artists and members of the music industry. The five to seven nominees that receive the highest votes are then inducted into the Hall of Fame. Nominee voting was opened to fans in 2012 but the fan voting barely influences the results of the inductions. The top five nominees voted by fans only receive one ballot entry apiece. In 1999, Ozzy Osborne wrote an open letter to the Hall saying, “Just take our name off the list. Save the ink. Forget about us. The nomination is meaningless, because it’s not voted on by the fans.

It’s voted on by the supposed elite for the industry and the media, who’ve never bought an album or concert ticket in their lives, so their vote is irrelevant to me.” However, when the Hall of Fame inducted Black Sabbath in 2006, Osborne not only attended the ceremony but was humble in his acceptance of the induction. It’s complicated. On one hand, the induction process is bullshit. What kind of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame fails to induct Nine Inch Nails, The Guess Who, Black Flag, Pixies, The Doobie Brothers, Soundgarden, The Smiths, etc.? That list goes on and on. There’s also the confusion of musicians from other genres being inducted. Why is it called the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame if artists who have nothing to do with rock ‘n’ roll music (Aretha Franklin, Neil Diamond, ABBA, Donna Summer, etc.) are inducted? On the other hand, to be awarded a place in your craft’s Hall of Fame undeniably cements your legacy in music history so why not show up and take your pat on the back from the industry?

Because you’ve got the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll in you and you don’t give a fuck, that’s why.Here’s the list of every inductee since the first ceremony in 1986 who did just that: They skipped the self-love fest that is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Continued below... James Brown James Brown was inducted by Steve Winwood during the Hall’s first ever induction ceremony in 1986. His fellow inductees were some of early rock ‘n’ roll’s elite including Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard and Elvis Presley. Brown boycotted his induction ceremony because he didn’t consider himself to be a rock ‘n’ roll musician. He’s the godfather of soul, not the godfather of rock ‘n’ roll! Aretha Franklin In 1987 Aretha Franklin became the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She was inducted by Keith Richards who had just produced and performed on Franklin’s version of “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.” Leave it to the ultimate diva to be a no-show at her own historic induction ceremony.

It was reported that her fear of flying kept her from the New York ceremony but Aretha was living in Detroit at the time. No flying required. She just didn’t show. Diana Ross Diana Ross preferred to skip the induction of the Supremes rather than be in the same room as Mary Wilson. The last time the Supremes had been reunited was at the taping of Motown 25 during which Ross pushed Wilson’s microphone away from her face. Two years later, Wilson released her memoir, Dreamgirl: My Life as a Supreme, in which she wrote many negative tales about Ross. It was probably a good thing that Ross avoided another reunion, but imagine those two fighting for the microphone during their acceptance speech?! Paul McCartney The 1988 induction of The Beatles would have been the first time the band had made a public appearance together in America since 1966, but McCartney squashed all hopes of a reunion. Moments before the ceremony began a statement was released in the press room citing McCartney’s legal battles within the band as the reason for his absence. He knew that the Hall of Fame had built up the anticipation of a Beatles reunion and he couldn’t have cared less.

In his statement he said, “I would feel like a hypocrite waving and smiling with them at a fake reunion.” Sorry, not sorry. Charlie Watts When Pete Townsend inducted The Rolling Stones into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989, Charlie Watts was nowhere to be seen. He didn’t bother to show up or to release a statement saying why he was skipping his induction. Guess he just didn’t give a shit. Bill Wyman Along with Watts, Bill Wyman could’ve cared less about the induction of The Rolling Stones into the Hall of Fame. When asked about why he didn’t show up for the ceremony a few days later, he snapped, “I was busy!” Wyman actually spent the evening working on opening his new restaurant instead of attending his induction ceremony. Burn. Ike Turner Ike Turner was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991 by Phil Spector. Now those are two dudes you don’t want to be left alone in a room with. Turner missed his induction ceremony because he was serving jail time for cocaine possession. That’s some Ike Turner shit, right there.

Tina Turner When Tina Turner was inducted alongside her ex-husband Ike Turner into the Hall of Fame in 1991, she chose not to go. After achieving a massively successful solo career in the ‘80s, Turner didn’t want the public to further associate her with her abusive ex-husband. This guy poured hot coffee on her face and burned her lip with a lit cigarette. It’s not surprising she skipped a public celebration of her life with that bastard. That’s some serious Ike Turner Shit. Wilson Pickett So get this—Apparently the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was unsuccessful at contacting Pickett about his induction. Are you kidding me? What, did they try to call and there wasn’t an answering machine? How do you not get in touch with a legendary soul singer that you’re inducting into the Hall of Fame? Pickett released albums up until 1999; you’re saying you can’t contact a working, touring legendary musician?! In addition to that huge F you, the Hall of Fame then chose the human mess that is Bobby Brown to induct the legendary Pickett.

Pickett’s induction has to be one of the biggest screwups by the Hall of Fame to date. Van Morrison Any Van Morrison fan won’t be surprised to see his name on this list. Morrison has had his share of battles with the music industry and the thought of thanking a bunch of industry big wigs probably made him ill. What is surprising, is the statement Van Morrison had his presenter Robbie Robertson read aloud during his induction: “Ladies and gentlemen, due to work commitments in Europe beyond my control, I am unable to attend this induction dinner, and personally receive my award. However, thank you very much for inviting me, and I would like to take this opportunity of wishing you all a very enjoyable evening, and hope that everything goes well. Best Wishes, from Van Morrison." Say what? That’s very un-“Van the Man!” Rod Stewart Rod Stewart is the only artist that has skipped TWO inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 1994 he was inducted as a solo artist and skipped the ceremony claiming that his children were shaken up from the massive earthquake that had struck L.A. a few days before.

Then in 2012, when The Small Faces were inducted into the hall, Stewart also skipped that induction ceremony stating that he had the flu. Stewart, come on. Grow a pair and flip the bird already. We know you want to. Jerry Garcia As if you need another reason to love Jerry Garcia. Garcia boycotted The Grateful Dead's 1994 induction ceremony because he didn't agree with the concept of a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Everybody love everybody! The rest of the band attended though, and brought a cardboard cutout of him onstage with them. Hilarious. Eric Burdon Eric Burdon decided he would rather play gigs in Dusseldorf, Germany than attend the 1994 induction of The Animals into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Dusseldorf over a Hall of Fame induction? Rock on, Burdon. Levon Helm Levon Helm and Robbie Robertson had been at each other’s throats for years by the time The Band was inducted into the Hall of Fame by Eric Clapton in 1994. After disbanding in 1976, Robertson refused to join the band when they reformed in 1983.

A decade later Helm released his autobiography This Wheel's on Fire in which he openly criticized Robertson for claiming full writing credits for music that was collaboratively created by The Band. While the rest of the surviving members of The Band attended the ceremony, Helm refused to accept the induction alongside Robertson. Might as well take full credit for this too, Robbie. David Bowie David Bowie had better things to do than to spend a night reliving the past at his 1996 induction ceremony - he was busy paving the way of the future. In the same year that Madonna inducted him into the Hall of Fame, Bowie released the first ever downloadable single from the internet by a major artist. “Telling Lies” was downloaded 350,000 times in America in 1996. To addition to the download, Bowie hosted an online chat in relation to the “Telling Lies” theme where he and two mystery Bowies answered questions from fans. Bowie answered with the truth and the two fake Bowies answered with lies. At the end of the chat session the audience was asked to vote for who they thought the real Bowie was. The real Bowie came in 3rd place. This was in 1996.

Again, 1996. Bowie is way too cool for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Roger Waters Surprise, surprise, Roger Waters refuses to join Pink Floyd in ANYTHING! After leaving the band in 1983, Waters took David Gilmour and Nick Mason to court in 1986 in hopes of dissolving the trio’s partnership and revoking their right to use the name Pink Floyd. Waters lost his suit and Gilmour, Mason and keyboardist Rick Wright continued to release successful albums and tour as Pink Floyd up until their induction in 1996. Waters boycotted the ceremony and pouted at home instead. Grace Slick Grace Slick’s reason for refusing to attend the 1996 induction of Jefferson Airplane into the Hall of Fame might just be the best one on this list: “All rock and rollers over age 50 look stupid and should retire.” Neil Young Neil Young is rock ‘n’ roll. He doesn’t give a fuck. He’ll play songs about GMOs with five-minute-long guitar jam sessions in the middle of them when he knows that most of his audience just wants to hear his old classic hits.

He’ll write books about energy efficient cars and capturing the quality of analog recording on digital media players. But most of all, he stands up to The Man like the best rock stars do. And he does it loudly. After attending his first solo induction into the Hall of Fame in 1995, Young boycotted Buffalo Springfield’s induction in 1997 - the first year that the ceremony was being edited and broadcast on VH1. Young wrote a two-page letter addressed to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Hall of Fame’s co-chairman and Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun, fellow Buffalo Springfield members and the Hall of Fame’s broadcasting station VH1. In the letter he said, “The VH1 Hall of Fame presentation has nothing to do with the spirit of Rock and Roll. It has everything to do with making money. Inductees are severely limited in the amount of guests they can bring. They are forced to be on a TV show, for which they are not paid, and whatever comments they would like to make, dirty laundry they would like to air, thanks they would like to give, are all subject to the VH1 editor. Someone who has absolutely no right to interfere.

At over a thousand dollars a seat, many of the inductees can not even afford to bring the family members they would like to accompany them to see the event. For these reasons I regretfully will not be present to accept the honors along with my brothers in the Buffalo Springfield.” Keep on rockin’ in the free world, Neil. Joni Mitchell Joni Mitchell is the kind of woman who is simultaneously vulnerable, fearless, compelling and intimidating. She is an authentic artist who hides nothing and sacrifices anything. One of her most painful sacrifices was giving up her daughter for adoption when she was 21 years old. Mitchell had reunited with her daughter, Kilauren, in the same year that she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Mitchell, never really one for award ceremonies, blew off her induction so she could spend her first Mother’s Day with her daughter and grandson. The Sex Pistols In true punk rock spirit, The Sex Pistols basically told the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to take their induction and shove it.

In response to their 2006 induction, they posted a note handwritten by lead singer Johnny Rotten, misspellings and all, onto their website that read: “Next to the SEX-PISTOLS rock and roll and that hall of fame is a piss stain. Your museum. Urine in wine. Were not coming. Were not your monkey and so what? Fame at $25,000 if we paid for a table, or $15000 to squeak up in the gallery, goes to a non-profit organisation selling us a load of old famous. Congradulations. If you voted for us, hope you noted your reasons. Your anonymous as judges, but your still music industry people. Were not coming. Your not paying attention. Outside the shit-stem is a real SEX PISTOL.” Preach, Sex Pistols! Preach! Alex Van Halen Alex Van Halen straight up skipped Van Halen’s induction ceremony in 2007. His brother Eddie had just entered rehab and was unable to attend so Alex chose to skip the induction as well. Only two out of the five inducted members of Van Halen attended the ceremony - Michael Anthony and Sammy Hagar.

David Lee Roth David Lee Roth was pissed with the Hall of Fame about Van Halen’s induction ceremony. After both Eddie and Alex made it clear to the Hall that they were not going to be attending the ceremony, event coordinators for the Hall of Fall scheduled Velvet Revolver to perform Van Halen songs the night of the induction. In response to the Hall of Fame’s decision, Roth boycotted the ceremony. "It's just not an option for me to go and watch some other band—who are only performing because they have some new record coming out—do our music," Roth said. "I have nothing against Velvet Revolver—I'm not familiar with their music—but that was my 3 minutes and 22 seconds up there." Who knows if Roth was misinformed, tricked or if it was a last-minute decision, but the attending Van Halen members Michael Anthony and Sammy Hagar did in fact perform at the ceremony. It’s too bad that Roth didn’t attend, it would have been pretty entertaining to watch two lead singers of the same band attempt to share the same stage. Peter Gabriel Peter Gabriel shut down any hopes of a Genesis reunion when he refused to attend the 2010 induction of Genesis into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Stating scheduling conflicts with his European tour, he skipped the ceremony. The night would have marked the first time Genesis would have been together on stage in 30 years. The attending members of Genesis watched as Phish performed their music. Ouch. Bjorn Ulvaeus and Agnetha “Anna“ Faltskog of ABBA Only once, in 2005 at the “Mama Mia!” gala in Stockholm, have all four members of ABBA made a public appearance together since their disbandment in 1983. After turning down an alleged billion-dollar offer for a reunion tour, it wasn't shocking that the band failed to reunite for the ceremony. If a billion-dollar offer isn’t going to entice a reunion, the Hall of Fame sure as hell isn’t either. Axl Rose Axl Rose revealed his decision to boycott the induction of Guns N’ Roses into the Hall of Fame by releasing a letter three days before the ceremony. With years of tension and no communication between Rose and Slash, it had been uncertain whether a Guns N’ Roses reunion would occur for their induction, however, the letter quickly answered that question.

Addressed to “The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, Guns N' Roses Fans and Whom It May Concern,” the letter stated that Rose felt that “the Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony doesn't appear to be somewhere I'm actually wanted or respected... That said, I won't be attending The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction 2012 Ceremony and I respectfully decline my induction as a member of Guns N' Roses to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. I strongly request that I not be inducted in absentia and please know that no one is authorized nor may anyone be permitted to accept any induction for me or speak on my behalf. Neither former members, label representatives nor the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame should imply whether directly, indirectly or by omission that I am included in any purported induction of ‘Guns N' Roses’.” Regardless of his written request, Axl Rose has indeed been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame alongside the other Guns N’ Roses members. Damn The Man! Andrew Loog Oldham The most recent addition to this list is Andrew Loog Oldham’s boycott of his 2014 induction ceremony. The Rolling Stones manager had more than one issue with his induction.

The fact that he and Beatles manager Brian Epstein were scheduled to be inducted together and the way the Hall of Fame ceremony had changed over the years caused Oldham’s decision to boycott his induction. He explained further by stating, “without Brian Epstein securing a recording contract for the Beatles none of us would be having this conversation. By having both Brian (whom I worked for doing PR for the Beatles until I met the Rolling Stones) and myself squeezed into one ‘British Invasion managers class of '64’ segment, that would seem to be failing to address the reason we are being inducted: our artists. … I think the honor is in the work and so, with all these factors: no input, no discussion, just an attitude of ‘show up, smile, read your speech and enjoy the evening,’ I decided it was not for me and at the beginning of last month I wrote the [Hall of Fame] that I would not be attending. I did not go into detail, I just said ‘due to circumstances...’. They just wrote back and asked for an address to send the trophy.

It is a long way from the Waldorf-Astoria [where the first induction ceremonies were held] and I do understand that the [Hall of Fame] has to dance to a new beat to survive but it's hardly rock 'n’ roll.” If there was ever a reason to boycott an induction, being slotted in alongside a peer instead of being given a rightful personal induction and then being treated with insensitive disregard is a damn good one. If you’re going to have a “Non Performer” category, be prepared to give them their due inductions. Stephanie Horak is a Toronto-based music writer and founder of Stories Behind The Songs. Follow her on Twitter.

Question: In January 1987, who became the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Answer: Aretha Franklin