She was often referred to as the “greatest singer of her generation,” and her voice was heralded as a “national treasure,” so it was only a matter of time before the late, great Whitney Houston was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
The Rock Hall unveiled the 2020 Class of Inductees on Wednesday, Jan 15. Among the honorees was slain rapper the Notorious B.I.G. aka Biggie Smalls aka Christopher George Latore Wallace, who the Rock Hall noted, “prophesied his short but impactful career with albums ‘Ready to Die’ and ‘Life After Death’—two of hip hop’s most influential albums.” His life was memorialized in the 2009 film “Notorious.”
Joining the Notorious B.I.G. and Houston as first-time ballot inductees are the Doobie Brothers and T.Rex. Techno pop band Depeche Mode and ’90s industrial rockers Nine Inch Nails round out the list. The inductees were selected from among 16 bands and musicians nominated by a committee in October.
From the moment Houston’s name was unveiled, many on social media pondered who should induct the fallen songstress. Some of the artists suggested included soulstress Deborah Cox, gospel singer Kim Burrell, and pop songbird Jessie J., to name a few. Pop legend Mariah Carey, a one-time duet partner of Houston’s, received numerous mentions and was the top choice by a wide margin on Billboard’s reader poll. The two superstars joined forces in 1998 on the inspirational ballad “When You Believe” from the “Prince of Egypt” soundtrack.
The 35th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place on Saturday, May 2, 2020, at Public Auditorium in Cleveland, Ohio. The ceremony will be broadcast live for the first time on HBO on May 2 at 8 pm ET. Performances and special guests and Induction Week programs will be announced later.
For more, go to www.rockhall.com/class-2020-inductees.
Reach the staff at the MSR at msrnewsonline@spokesman-recorder.com.