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Rock Hall honors Michael Jackson, Paul Simon, Aerosmith, others
Michael Jackson , Paul Simon , Aerosmith , Queen and Steely Dan were among those inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during a Monday night (3/19) ceremony in New York City. Other honorees included doo-wop group the Flamingos, “La Bamba” singer Ritchie Valens and soul vocalist Solomon Burke.
Jackson and Simon had each been inducted into the hall before--Jackson as a member of the Jackson 5 and Simon for his work in Simon and Garfunkel.
Though he first became a star when he was still a child, Jackson reached his commercial peak with the album “Thriller,” which has sold nearly 47 million copies worldwide since its 1987 release. Simon’s solo career has produced the critically acclaimed 1986 album “Graceland,” as well as the hit singles “Mother and Child Reunion” and “Kodachrome.”
Aerosmith released its self-titled debut album in 1973 and became stars with the release of their third album, 1975’s “Toys in the Attic.” The group’s popularity waned in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, as members of the group battled well-publicized drug problems, but it began a long-running comeback when core group members Joe Perry and Steven Tyler appeared on Run D.M.C.’s cover of the Aerosmith single “Walk This Way.”
British rock band Queen melded heavy metal bombast and the theatrics of prog-rock to great commercial success from the mid-‘70s through the mid-‘80s. The band’s charismatic frontman Freddie Mercury died of AIDS in 1991.
Steely Dan--which features the duo of Donald Fagen and Walter Becker--was known for its heady jazz-rock. The group released a series of pop and rock staples during the '70s and early ‘80s, including “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number,” “Hey Nineteen” and “Reelin’ in the Years.” The group picked up three Grammys last month, including album of the year, for its 2000 release “Two Against Nature.”
Inducted to the Rock Hall’s side men category in 2000 were Johnnie Johnson, who played piano for Chuck Berry and is considered a major influence on Berry’s musical style, and Elvis Presley guitarist James Burton.
Island Records founder Chris Blackwell was inducted in the Rock Hall’s “non-performer” category. Among Blackwell’s signings were Steve Winwood, U2, Bob Marley and Tom Waits.
Artists become eligible for induction 25 years after the release of their first record. New inductees are usually revealed in December, and induction ceremonies take place early the following year.
Though the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is located in Cleveland, induction ceremonies typically take place in New York. This year’s ceremony took place at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, and was taped for a VH1 telecast that will air on Wednesday (3/21).
