The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation was established April 20, 1983 and after a long search for the right host city, Cleveland was chosen in 1986. The first inductees included, among others, Elvis Presley, James Brown and Sam Cooke. The 2020 inductees were recently announced to include Whitney Houston and the Notorious B.I.G., sparking the most debate in years over induction criteria. Given Key West’s own lineup of local talent, we asked a few of our very own rock stars…
Who deserves to be in the RRHOF and why?
“Easy. Sheryl Crow. It’s shocking she isn’t already in there. She started by singing backup for Michael Jackson, had numerous No.1 songs, a catalogue of other hits — and she is still going strong.” — Marjory Lee
“Dave Matthews Band. They’ve been around since 1991 and have toured rigorously for 20 years. They received 1 million fan votes for induction this year and were snubbed. They gave it to T. Rex instead. Can anybody name a T Rex song?” — Mike Dillon
“Warren Haynes — he is a living legend!” — Nick NormanÂ
“The Meters! Talk about a band who had the undeniable groove, musicianship and innovative style to arguably create a new genre. It’s hard not to induct The Meters, not only for the funk they provided, but for the funk they inspired!” — Andy WestcottÂ
“Can I say the J Geils Band because the lead singer is my cousin?! But seriously, his music and charisma on stage should be recognized.” — Belle Jampol
