Guitarist Joe Bonamassa has criticised the induction policy of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for waiting too long to celebrate older musicians.
The blues rock musician’s comments were triggered by the recent death of British rock legend John Mayall, who only learned a few months before his passing that he was to be welcomed into the Hall at the age of 90, as part of the ‘Musical Influence Award’.
Bonamassa was speaking on the Artists on Record podcast, where he said that while he was “glad” that Mayall at least was able to learn of his induction before he passed, “I am sad and slightly pissed off that he didn’t live to see it because he deserved to go in decades ago.”
“There’s a lot of omissions that I think they need to start reconciling quickly, because you cannot wait for them all to die to then go, ‘Well, we’re gonna put you in posthumously.’ It means something,” he added. “It would have meant something to John to get that statue.“
“There’s a lot of people that are now aging out or becoming in their late 70s and 80s that really should have been in decades ago. They need to get them in because it’s the right thing to do for the artist,” he added.
In April, this year’s class of inductees to the Hall were announced, with Ozzy Osbourne, Cher and Mary J. Blige leading the way.
Other acts to be welcomed in this time around include Dave Matthews Band, A Tribe Called Quest, Peter Frampton, Foreigner and Kool & The Gang.
Jimmy Buffett, MC5, Dionne Warwick and Norman Whitfield will be inducted in the Musical Excellence category, while Mayall, Alexis Korner and Big Mama Thornton will be honoured with the Musical Influence Award. Entertainment producer Suzanne de Passe will receive the Ahmet Ertegun Award.
The ceremony will take place in Cleveland on October 19.
Musicians who were nominated for induction but did not make the cut this year include Oasis, Mariah Carey, Sinead O’Connor, Sade, Jane’s Addiction, Eric B. & Rakim and Lenny Kravitz.
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