BMI Leads 2001 Class of Rock Hall Inductees
Congratulations to the following BMI artists, songwriters and publishers who have just been inducted into to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Solomon Burke, The Flamingos, Michael Jackson, Queen (PRS), Paul Simon, Ritchie Valens, James Burton ( Sidemen category) and Island Records founder Chris Blackwell (Non-Performer category). Other inductees included Aerosmith, Steely Dan and sideman Johnnie Johnson.
 Michael Jackson |  Paul Simon |
To date, BMI represents 73% of the members of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame including such notables as Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Bo Diddley, B. B. King, Aretha Franklin, Roy Orbison, the Beach Boys, the Supremes, Woody Guthrie, the Rolling Stones (PRS), the Temptations, Holland-Dozier-Holland, the Who (PRS), Bobby Darin, John Lee Hooker, Wilson Pickett, Doc Pomus, Elton John (PRS), the Allman Brothers Band, David Bowie, the Velvet Underground, the Bee Gees, the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Santana, Eric Clapton (PRS), and many others.
The 16th Annual Induction Ceremony was held on Monday, March 19 at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. VH-1 will telecast highlights tonight (March 21) at 9:00 pm EST. Check your local listings or VH1.com for further details.
Artists become eligible for induction 25 years after the release of their first record. Criteria considered includes the influence and significance of the artist's contribution to the development and perpetuation of rock and roll. Similar criteria is used for the "Non Performer" and "Side-men" categories. Those eligible for the "Non Performer" category include songwriters, producers, disc jockeys, record company executives (mainly related to A&R), recording engineers, managers, journalists and other industry professionals.
The Foundation's nominating committee, composed of rock and roll historians, selects 15 nominees each year in the "artist" category. Ballots are sent to an international voting body of about 1,000 rock experts, including BMI executives. Those performers who receive the highest number and more than 50% of the votes are inducted. There are usually between 5-7 artists inducted annually.
A special selection committee elects inductees in the "Non Performer" "Early Influence" and "Side-men" categories.
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