Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Glaring, Embarrassing Omissions
neil diamond
03/13/11 11:36pm Jim Bessman 4


The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 26th annual induction ceremony tomorrow night at the Waldorf is bound to have at least one indisputably great moment when Darlene Love finally gets her due, having first set the rock ‘n’ roll world on fire in 1962 as the voice of The Crystals on the Phil Spector-produced chart-topper “He’s A Rebel.” Neil Diamond, long ignored but equally deserving for his 1960s Brill Building songwriting and early hits, rectifies another glaring omission. I’ll leave others to sing the praises of Alice Cooper, Tom Waits and Dr. John–who are certainly credible.

This still leaves at least a score of music heroes I’d induct if given carte blanche, starting with Paul Anka, far and away the most important of the teen idols that made up much of early rock ‘n’ roll, and Lesley Gore, whose early ’60s Quincy Jones-produced classics include “It’s My Party” and the proto-feminist anthem “You Don’t Own Me.”

That surf music royalty Jan & Dean have been denied is, as they say, a travesty. I’d say the same about Lou Christie, one of rock ‘n’ roll’s most distinctive vocalists and songwriters. British Invasion group The Zombies have likewise been overlooked, despite its unique creativity.

The Turtles, Paul Revere & Raiders, Tommy James and Mitch Ryder all had landmark hits in the 1960s–lots of them–and merit RockHall recognition. Nancy Sinatra was a true female icon of the period, and has a score more hits than “These Boots Are Made For Walkin’.” Laura Nyro didn’t have any major hits of her own, but wrote key ones for the varied likes of Blood, Sweat & Tears, Three Dog Night, the 5th Dimension and Barbra Streisand–and her albums remain hugely influential.

The missing Roc kHall travesty of the 1970s is the New York Dolls, who helped set the stage for punk rock. Like ‘em or not, Kiss did in fact “rock and roll all nite,” and Grand Funk Railroad was the ultimate arena/stadium rock act. And Joan Jett should go in, with or without her pioneering 1970s girl rock group The Runaways.

This website would also cite Chicago, Sonny and Cher, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Linda Ronstadt, Carly Simon, Chubby Checker and Mary Wells–and could easily make a strong case for all of them.

And let’s not forget one special man who should have gone in long ago as a Non-Performer: Ed Sullivan. Ed gave so many Rock and Roll Hall of Famers of all subgenres primetime national network TV exposure–for which all rock ‘n’ roll fans are forever indebted.

PS Editor’s note: and producers–Richard Perry, Phil Ramone, and Richard Gottehrer, just for example, as well as Quincy Jones. And of course, the glaring omission: the late, great Don Kirshner.

PS I hope when Neil Diamond makes his speech he mentions all the artists who’ve been ignored. He’s been on the ballot for years. It’s only been with a lot of outside pressure that he finally made it. Believe me, he was never Wenner’s first choice.
http://www.showbiz411.com/2011/03/13/rock-roll-hall-of-fame-glaring-embarrassing...

A preview of last night's Rock & Roll HOF.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQdWLJY5JpE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2cinGgaCGw&feature=player_embedded#at=118

Alice Cooper, Darlene Love, Neil Diamond Make for Unforgettable Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony

Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Elton John and John Mayer jam with the inductees
Paul Simon, Neil Young and Inductee Tom Waits backstage at the 26th annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in New York City, March 14, 2011.
Kevin Mazur/WireImage
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By Andy Greene
March 15, 2011 7:25 AM ET

It was nearly 1:00 a.m. and Neil Diamond's three-song set at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's induction ceremony was over, but the singer was simply having too much fun to stop. He had just wrapped up a joyous sing-along rendition of "Sweet Caroline" by running into the crowd and having Robbie Robertson and Bruce Springsteen sing a bit of the chorus into the mic ("keep practicing and you'll go places!" he joked to Springsteen) when he stood on the chair in the center of the floor and made a seemingly spontaneous decision.

"What am I doing out here?" he said, turning to bandleader Paul Shaffer. "Hey Paul, can we do it one more time just to get me the heck out of here?" Diamond then proceeded to sing the entirety of "Sweet Caroline" again, and somehow it was even more euphoric the second time around.

Watch Tom Waits, Neil Young, Darlene Love and Bruce Springsteen Perform at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony

About 15 minutes later, as the tipsy black-tie crowd at the Waldorf-Astoria looked like they were ready to collapse, Shaffer called Diamond, Alice Cooper, Bette Midler, Elton John, Alice Cooper and Darlene Love back to the stage as Leon Russell played the opening notes to Love's Wall of Sound classic "Da Doo Ron Ron Ron" – just as he did on the original 48 years ago. Standing side-by-side, the unlikely duo of Cooper and Diamond traded off lines with everybody on the stage. It was the perfect way to end the long, amazing evening.

Such unexpected collaborations are the greatest thing about the annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. This year's class – Alice Cooper, Darlene Love, Neil Diamond, Dr. John, Tom Waits and Leon Russell – seem to have very little in common. It's to the credit of the organizers that they constructed a show that highlighted the threads between them, while staging an incredibly fun concert. It was the 27th ceremony, and this time around the night was arranged very differently than in the past. Most of the speeches were at the beginning of the night, while the second half was basically one long concert.

Photos: 2011 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

The show began with John Legend inducting New Orleans piano legend Dr. John. "No other place has shaped our music and captured our imagination than the Crescent City," Legend said. "For more than 50 years the singer, musician, producer, songwriter and all-around instigator Dr. John has served as as leading local ambassador to New Orleans and it's incomparably funky musical gumbo."

Wearing a purple suit and a fedora, Dr. John seemed overjoyed by the kind words. "I feel like I'm blessed to be singing," he said. "To be breathing. Music is something and there ain't nothing like it. I don't care what you do with your life … Everybody in my life was a blessing to me."

After Dr. John stepped offstage the Ahmet Ertegun Award was presented to Specialty Records founder Art Rupe by Lloyd Price, and to Elektra Records founder Jac Holzman by Doors drummer John Densmore. The 93-year-old Rupe sent a letter saying he couldn't make it, but Holzman (looking spry at 79) showed up and gave a moving speech about the importance of music in his long life. "It's been a long, magical road," he said. "And the road beckons still."

Midler then took the stage to induct her longtime friend Love. "She has been robbed of royalties," Midler said, referring to Love's legal battles with Phil Spector. "But she is without bitterness…She's also one of the greatest voices in the history of rock and roll."

Hall of Fame 2011: Elton John, Bette Midler and More Pay Tribute to Their Heroes

Looking radiant in a black dress, Love seemed to be holding back tears as she walked to the podium. "This year, in July, I will turn 70 years old," she said. "This is the best gift that I could ever had. I have given over 50 years of my life and talent to the music industry. I am so thankful for the genius of Phil Spector for his recognition of my talent to be the main voice of his Wall of Sound."

Things then took a dramatic shift when Rob Zombie stepped up to induct Cooper. "They were the most rock-star destroying band of all-time," he said. "They took everything to a new level … They were more than a band. They were more like a murderous gang of drag queens. Their mission was to destroy the hippie dream of peace, love and understanding."

Photos: Random Notes

When he finished, the original Alice Cooper band – minus the late Glen Buxton – ripped into a ferocious version of "I'm Eighteen." Many in the buttoned-up crowd didn't quite know what to make of the aggressive performance (much like the Stooges last year). Undeterred, the band carried on with "Under My Wheels" and "School's Out" with Rob Zombie guesting.
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/alice-cooper-darlene-love-neil-diamond-ma...

Alice Cooper's School's Out performance.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mx2xEhmVP2g