When the 2011 nominees for Rock Hall of Fame were announced Tuesday, a couple of very-deserving names were left off.
One of them was Ringo Starr, the only solo Beatle not in the Hall.
At least former Ringo All-Starr Band member Dr. John was nominated, as was Beatle friend Donovan.
But there were so many others missing from the nomination list of Alice Cooper, Beastie Boys, Bon Jovi, Chic, Neil Diamond, Donovan, Dr. John, J. Geils Band, LL Cool J, Darlene Love, Laura Nyro, Donna Summer, Joe Tex, Tom Waits, Chuck Willis.
How can the Hall nominate Bon Jovi and ignore Ringo, along with the Monkees, the Moody Blues, Yes and Paul Revere and the Raiders?
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Comments
WHERE THE HELL IS LEON RUSSEL- AGAIN, AND AGAIN
What about Sid Bernstein and Brian Epstein ???? Is anyone at home at 1100 Rock and Roll Blvd. Cleveland?
Chic? Oh Please. Ringo got robbed again. I can't believe they nominated Chic...
I really love The Beatles, and it isn't just that Ringo isn't in the Hall, he's near to be perfect! He must to be nominated!
The absence of Ringo's nomination is almost criminal. The man was a Beatle, for crying out loud!
Yes, Ringo was a Beatle - and was already inducted as a Beatle. That doesn't entitle him to a free pass to a second induction as a solo member. If you think his solo catalog warrants it, then argue that point - but the HoF has already recognized his 1960s work and doesn't need to do it again.
On the other side of the coin, Paul McCartney certainly deserved solo induction - but why not Wings? At the very least, they should have also inducted Denny Laine and Linda (the only other constant members of the group); they weren't just his nameless backing band. (With the ongoing failure to induct the Moody Blues, that's a double snub for Denny.)
what about linda ronstad?
Don't pass me by, don't make me cry, don't make me blue...
Tomorrow never knows what goes on.
Ringo is already in the Hall of Fame. They should never have started putting people in as solo artists -- Clapton three times? really? -- because it put it on the slope it's one and has cheapened the institution from whatever relevance it once had.
He's in already. I'm sure he's fine with it.
I DON'T THINK IT'S A MUST THAT RINGO HAS TO BE IN THA ROCK HALL OF FAME.
HE'S NOT A GREAT SONGS WRITTER.
Well, Ringo was the first Beatle to have a #1 hit after the breakup and several other Top 10 hits (including the #1s):
It Don't Come Easy
Photograph
You're Sixteen
No No Song
Top Ten:
Back Off Boogaloo
Only You (And You Alone)
Oh, My My
Played on the following artists albums:
Paul McCartney
John Lennon
George Harrison
Jackie Lomax
Peter Frampton
The Who
Bob Dylan
Tom Petty
And on top of all that, still remains active and tours with his All-Starr Band.
Whew!
Can most of the inductees say they've done as much as this for Rock & Roll? Not even close and that's not counting being the funny Beatle and the heart of that group, let alone the only professional musician in the Beatles when they became big.
Well deserved entry material for sure.
What??!! Are you even human. Ringo is the most amazing musician EVER!!!! How can anyone possibly say that! He has to be on the top ten list of most talented drummers. Ringo Starr is by far the most AMAZING person ever... End of story.
The songwriting aspect doesn't come into it, that's a different hall of fame altogether. It's for being an artist. Ringo deserves to be in. He had more hits than people like Dr. John (who was an All Starr by the way).
Why are people like Joe Tex and Chic, etc. even nominated, they aren't rock and roll!
As I read the previous comments, I'm amazed at the number of deserving people who have not been nominated. They can't seem to get to them 'cause they have those "rockers" Chic and Donna Summer to get to first. We all need to just recognize that none of this is about rock and roll at this point. It's an all purpose thing. Jann Wenner and the Hall of Fame should just drop the "Rock and Roll" part of the Hall they're being inducted into and just call it "Music Hall of Fame" or whatever, And drop that moniker from the name of the actual building in Cleveland as well.. It just ain't about that at all. To pretend it is serves no purpose.
I totally agree. Wenner has made a sham of the whole RNRHOF, they ought to change it to the Popular Music Hall of Fame.
The Ringo album was a blockbuster in the 70s and the first to have all 4 fab four members play on it (albeit on different tracks). That alone should put him in as a solo artist. And yes there are too many real RNR bands that are NOT in the HOF. I thought Joe Tex was brilliant, but he's not RNR... Time for a name change for the Hall.
Cheap Trick
The Cars
The Go Gos
Joan Jett
The Pretenders
Squeeze
The Monkees
Rush
Chicago
Yes
ELO
Moody Blues
Kiss
ELP
New York Dolls
Turtles
Leslie Gore
Styx
Boston
Paul Revere and the Raiders
Ringo Starr as a solo artist- both for hit singles and for his contribution as a session/sit in drummer on dozens of songs by people already in the hall.
If you are not going to consider the above, but continue to feature disco, hip-hop and contemporary pop artists, then change the name to Pop Hall-of-Fame.
Then the arguing will lessen, but never go away.
Stevie Ray Vaughan anyone?
Stevie Ray Vaughan is not a rock person...
I think he would be for the purposes of the Rock Hall.
Ringo had 7 top ten singles in the US and 2 of those hit number 1. Not many of the other current nominees can say that. And like Dr. John he's been an extremely busy sideman over the years. On stats alone he deserves it.
Ringo and the Monkees are long overdue. Others by-passed who have not yet been mentioned are: Jan and Dean, Johnny Rivers, Jimmy Webb and Jimmy Buffett.
Ringo's solo career lacks the artistry--and the writing/producing/performing elements--of his three fab mates, so I don't think he automatically gets in as a solo because he had a couple hits (which not coincidentally featured some of his former mates) or because he's the last one standing out in the cold. Yeah, the Hall has dropped its standards drastically lately, but I'd hate to see that be the reason Ringo gets in. As for Wings, it seems they were included in Paul's induction as a solo artist and the Hall made no distinctions for Wings as a seperate entity. Too bad for Denny Laine, sure, but do we really want to see Geoff Britton get an award for playing on one single?
What about Joe English?
Just heard Eric Carmen's "All By Myself," for the first time in a while. Besides deserving (big-time) to be honored by the hall...he's a native Clevelander. Kinda guarantees a big turn-out. Something the hall could use.
What about the Traveling Wilburys? Just sayin...
You can argue Ritchie's level of talent until the cows come home. Those of us who appreciate and understand his dedication to his art know that if anyone is deserving of this honor, it's Ringo Starr, solo artist. Anyone see Paul McCartney on Saturday Night Live on 12/11? He sounded freaking awful! Not only was he painfully off-key, he completely flubbed the lyrics and lost his timing. Let's not even get involved with arguing over why he had a hell of a nerve singing John's half of "A Day in the Life"? I was embarrassed for him. Meanwhile, at the tender age of 70, Ritchie sounds even better, mellower and much more confortable singing his standards than he did when he was in his 20's. He has always been underrated simply because his style is understated. The jerks at the HoF ought to be ashamed of themselves.
We're not arguing. Whether you call him Ringo Starr or Richard Starkey, he deserves to be in the Hall.
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