This just in: Rock Hall of Fame Scandal?
FOX News Entertainment reporter Roger Friedman claims in Wednesday's "411" column that the Dave Clark Five, passed over in this year's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame awards, actually received more votes than the hall's first hip-hop act, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. According to the report, new HOF chairman and Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner chose Flash and company for the fifth inductee anyway, claiming that the final ballot, which had the rock Five pulling ahead of the rap Five, was turned in late. Friedman's source further alleges that Wenner used the "technicality" to induct the Hall's first rap act, feeling that it needed to finally acknowledge the genre. (Acts must have recorded for 25 years to be eligible, and hip-hop has been on record for 28.)The Hall could have easily inducted six acts, bypassing the problem entirely, but the source reported that an Aretha Franklin tribute to former Hall chairman and Atlantic label founder Ahmet Ertegun, who passed away last year, would have had to be scrapped for time concerns. (Ertegun already has a postmortem tribute scheduled to be held for him in New York City in April.)
Further upsetting DC5 fans is the fact that the band, responsible for hits like "Bits and Pieces" and "Glad All Over" during the British Invasion, has been eligible for induction since way back in 1989. In the meantime, original member Denis Payton has died and lead singer Mike Smith has suffered a crippling and debilitating injury. Friedman further speculates that the changes stem from Wenner's recent housecleaning of committee and administrative members, including the installation of at least one former associate of media giant Clear Channel.
Comments
I’m a big DC5 fan. I think The Hall Of Fame, needs to do some more housecleaning. They need to start with Jann Wenner. Maybe then we can call it The Hall Of Fame, and not The Hall Of Shame.
I think it’s disgraceful that one of the biggest groups of the ’60s has yet to be inducted. True fans of rock know the huge contribution the Dave Clark 5 made to rock music.
It is hard to imagine a group that brought so much joy to the early days of the “Brisish invasion”, isn’t even in The rock n roll hall of fame. I loved the Dave Clark 5, they got me though the 60’s along with the other great Brisish bands. Wake up “hall of Fame” and do Rock n roll justice!! Gary schell
I think the RRHF is doing the bet they can. There are SO MANY great singers and bands who should be inducted into the hall. One more is Melanie. http://LetHerIn.org
It IS the ROCK & ROLL hall of fame, not the “anytype of music” hall of fame. Anything that is NOT R & R doesn’t belong there! Let them start their own “Hall of Fame” or at least the R & R Hall should introduce another catagory.
At least the DC5 will be inducted THIS year. (It should have happened a LONG time ago!) Too bad that Denny Payton is not here THIS year! Rest in Peace, Denny, and congratulations to all of the DC5 bandmembers!
i don’t think the RnR hall of fame should allow acts like hip hop or rap. that’s not rock n roll, it’s wretched. it also bothers me that many years down the road when acts like missy elliot and fergie reach their 25th year in the biz, will get inducted. that stuff’s NOT rock n roll. get bands like DC5 and the like in there and let these other clowns get their own hall of fames. there.