USA: KISS and Peter Gabriel, Nirvana and Hall and Oates among acts inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Record ID: 688618

  • Title: USA: KISS and Peter Gabriel, Nirvana and Hall and Oates among acts inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
  • Date: 11th April 2014
  • Summary: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (APRIL 10, 2014) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF GARBIEL POSING FOR PICTURES IN PRESS ROOM
  • Embargoed: 26th April 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Entertainment,General
  • Reuters ID: LVA4R2JUWBZ2PFEQJZF4F3BAUJU5
  • Story Text: Flamboyant rockers KISS, singer-songwriter Peter Gabriel, grunge band Nirvana and chart-topping duo Hall and Oates were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Thursday (April 11), but as they had vowed the four original KISS members did not perform.
    Also inducted were country rock star Linda Ronstadt, who revealed last year that she is battling Parkinson's disease and did not attend, and Cat Stevens, the British musician who has gone by the name Yusuf Islam after converting to Islam, eschewing the stage for decades.
    The E Street Band, the group behind Bruce Springsteen, was inducted by the rocker through the Award for Musical Excellence.
    Brian Epstein, the music entrepreneur who managed The Beatles before he died in 1967 and onetime Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham rounded out the 2014 Hall of Fame roster, each receiving the Ahmet Ertegun Awards for lifetime achievement.
    The pair were inducted by music producer Peter Asher.
    "Finally, someone to bring The Beatles and Stones together in glorious harmony, it's true. Yes, at the time of course a lot was made of that. Indeed one of Andrew Oldham's strokes of genius was, you know, positioning the Stones as the dangerous Rolling Stones against the lovable Beatles. Whereas in fact they both could both dangerous and lovable at one time or another," said Asher.
    The annual ceremony, to be aired May 31 on HBO, is centered on lives performances but the 1970s shock-rockers KISS, known for their outrageous costumes and makeup and hits such as "Rock and Roll All Nite" stayed true to their vow not to perform.
    However, that wasn't a unanimous decision.
    "It wasn't my choice I wanted to do it. But bottom line is we're still brothers in rock and roll," said Kiss member Ace Frehley.
    The four inductees did not all pointedly comment on the Hall of Fame's decision to honor only the band's original members, leaving out current bandmembers Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer.
    Founding member Gene Simmons said "We are humbled to stand up on this stage" after induction by guitarist Tom Morello, but did mention by name other KISS members who were not honored.
    Gabriel, lead vocalist for the progressive rock band Genesis who went on to a solo career that included hits such as "Sledgehammer," was inducted by Chris Martin and sang "Digging in the Dirt" with Martin, followed by his hit "In Your Eyes," from the 1980s youth romance, "Say Anything."
    While Ronstadt was absent, a roster of top female stars paid musical tribute to her oeuvre with Carrie Underwood, Emmylou Harris, Sheryl Crow and Stevie Nicks bringing the audience at a Brooklyn arena to its feet with rousing renditions of "You're No Good," "Different Drum" and "When Will I Be Loved."
    Stevens was inducted by Art Garfunkel. His induction could signal a return to the spotlight after decades of not performing for the "Wild World" and "Peace Train" singer, both of which he sang live on Thursday night.
    After a more than one-hour appearance by the E Street Band in which each member spoke followed by several songs including "The E Street Shuffle" and "Kitty's Back," Hall and Oates lightened things up as Daryl Hall quipped "Lucky for all of you there are only two of us," garnering applause.
    The duo, one of the most successful in rock history, performed "I Can't Go For That," "You Make My Dreams Come True" and "She's Gone."
    Nirvana's Hall of Fame induction, which came in its first year of eligibility, capped the ceremony and was made by REM's Michael Stipe. It was accepted by Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl.
    Founder Kurt Cobain committed suicide in 1994 aged 27, but his widow, Courtney Love, made a surprise appearance on stage, saying "I have a big speech, but I'm not going to say it." Instead she thanked the band's "family" and said simply "I wish that Kurt was here."
    Cobain's mother, Wendy Cobain, also spoke: "I'm probably going to cry. I'm already crying because he would be so proud. He'd say he wasn't, but he. I just miss him so much, he was such an angel. Thank you."
    The group's surviving members then took to the stage at the evening's end fronted by Joan Jett for a raucous rendition of "Smells Like Teen Spirit." Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon then joined the Nirvana members for "Aneurysm."
    Oldham, who did not attend, said on Twitter: "Like Brian Epstein, I was not consulted as regards this matter, & like dear Brian I will not be going."
    The inductees, who will join the Hall of Fame's 719 other musicians and executives as members, were chosen by more than 700 voters from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation.
    Fans were allowed to cast votes online for the artists they believe were the most deserving of induction, with three of their top five choices making the cut this year.
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