Cyndi Lauper, Joe Cocker, Chubby Checker and 1970s “quintessential supergroup” Bad Company are among this year’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees, the institution announced Sunday.
Outkast, Soundgarden and The White Stripes were also in the performer lineup, while hip-hop pioneers Salt-N-Pepa and “artist’s artist” Warren Zevon were given the Musical Influence Award for “artists whose music and performance style have directly influenced, inspired, and evolved rock & roll and music impacting culture,” the hall of fame said.
Checker, Cocker, Bad Company and Outkast were nominated for the first time, while grunge band Soundgarden had been nominated twice before. Lauper and the White Stripes were chosen on their second nomination.
The performers category awards “artists who have created music whose originality, impact, and influence has changed the course of rock & roll,” the hall said.
The late pianist Nicky Hopkins, record producer Thom Bell and bassist Carole Kaye will get posthumous Musical Excellence Awards.
“Each of these inductees created their own sound and attitude that had a profound impact on culture and helped to change the course of Rock & Roll forever,” Rock & Roll Hall of Fame chairman John Sykes said in a statement. “Their music gave a voice to generations and influenced countless artists that followed in their footsteps.”
An award given to industry professionals who had a major influence on music, the Ahmet Ertegun Award, goes to Lenny Waronker, who used to head Warner Bros. Records.
“Celebrated for his artist-first philosophy and transformative leadership,” the hall said, he’s credited with “ushering in a seismic sea change for the music industry,” making Warner Bros. into one of the world’s most successful record companies. Waronker signed Prince and R.E.M. and had a role in albums from Madonna, Randy Newman, the Doobie Brothers, Rickie Lee Jones, Paul Simon and Gary Clark Jr.
They were announced by Ryan Seacrest live on Sunday’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame episode of “American Idol.” The induction ceremony will be held Nov. 8 in Los Angeles and air live on Disney+.
With News Wire Services
