Rock Hall Names 2007 Inductees
Indie rockers R.E.M. and hip-hop pioneers Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five are among the BMI talents set to be inducted into the 2007 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The 22nd annual induction ceremony, which will make history by welcoming Grandmaster Flash as its first rap act, will be held March 12 at New York's Waldorf Astoria Hotel.
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| R.E.M. | Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five | Ahmet Ertegun |
Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun, who died Dec. 14, 2006, will also be honored. Ertegun was a crucial figure in the careers of artists such as Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and The Rolling Stones, and one of the leading figures in the creation of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
R.E.M. was the quintessential indie rock band until breaking through to mass success in the early 1990s with hits including ''Losing My Religion.''
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five led the most innovative act in hip-hop's formative era in the late 1970s, and the song ''The Message'' was like a letter from urban America. Grandmaster Flash was considered a pioneer in many DJ techniques.
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. Past inductees include Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Cream, Bruce Springsteen and The Rolling Stones, among many others. All inductees are represented in the permanent exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame & Museum in Cleveland, Ohio, which contains the largest collection of rock and roll artifacts chronicling the history of popular music.
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