Axl Rose booed at Rock Hall of Fame induction
CLEVELAND, April 17 — A range of musicians from rockers Guns N’ Roses to R&B legends the Miracles were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in a night as notable for who was not there as who was.
Axl Rose, frontman for Guns N’ Roses, earlier this week turned down the honour by the Hall, situated in Cleveland, after years of feuding with his former “Appetite for Destruction” bandmates, and his name was greeted with catcalls from the crowd when it was mentioned on Saturday, when the honour roll was presented.
Axl Rose, seen here performing solo in this October 2011 file photo, turned down the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame honour. — Reuters picBoos rang out from some of the 6,000 in attendance early in the evening when Billie Joe Armstrong, lead singer of Green Day, asked the crowd “who was missing” as members of Guns N’ Roses were up on stage accepting their award.
“Most singers are crazy,” Armstrong told the audience. “I can vouch for that.” He praised Rose: “He is one of the best front men to ever touch a microphone.” Then added: “Sometimes you have to look back at chapters of your life to move forward.”
Rose was the first artist to publicly snub the honour since surviving members of punk rockers the Sex Pistols, inducted in 2006, refused to attend the ceremony.
Earlier in the week, Rose issued an open letter to the public saying he would “respectfully decline my induction as a member of Guns N’ Roses to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame” at its 27th annual ceremony.
Two other notable absences were Rod Stewart, inducted with other band members from the Faces/Small Faces, and the Beastie Boys’ Adam Yauch.
Yauch was diagnosed with cancer in 2009 and couldn’t accept his award with band members Mike D (Michael Diamond) and Ad-Rock (Adam Horovitz).
Stewart, previously inducted as a solo performer, couldn’t attend because he was ill with the flu and had to stay away under doctor’s orders.
The Rock Hall, which has been criticised in the past for inducting lead performers over the iconic groups they led, appointed a committee to choose six additional overlooked groups this year.
Those groups included The Miracles led by Smokey Robinson; The Crickets, backing band to Buddy Holly; Bill Haley and his Comets; Gene Vincent’s the Blue Caps; and the back-up band for James Brown, the Famous Flames.
Robinson told Reuters on Saturday he was at the ceremony to support his group. “I always thought that the Miracles should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,” he said. “I am absolutely elated this is actually happening.”
Performances during the more than four-hour ceremony included Green Day and Kid Rock, as well as inductees Donovan, Faces and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
The artists and bands inducted at the ceremony were chosen by 600 music industry professionals. Inductees are represented in a permanent exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland. — Reuters
