“Who, What?”

By Jim Culp

October 16, 2019

I recently heard some nominees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame that mortified me.

Some I recall were:

LL Cool J

Janet Jackson

Rufus

John Prine

Bill Monroe

Um…all due respect…especially to my main man John, but let’s take a step back here.

None, I say none ya’ll…or these artists…are Rock and Roll.

Classifications of music artist nowadays astounds me.  Back in 1987, they inducted Aretha Franklin into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Same crap. Did Aretha do some great stuff? Sure, she did. But Aretha isn’t Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, or Angus Young. She is/was a Soul, R&B, and Gospel singer.

LL Cool J was a Rapper. Janet Jackson was R&B all day long. Rufus is funk, R&B, and disco.

Bill Monroe, for Christ’s sake, was a pioneer of Blue Grass. He wasn’t Rock and Roll, and never claimed or wanted to be. That’s like placing Dolly Parton or Porter Wagoner in the RRFOF.

I can’t leave out my hero John Prine. I love his songs, his lyrics, and his guitar methodology. But he’s folk all day long. He wouldn’t do well singing along with Def Leppard or ACDC. Come on people.

What are you boys smoking?

-Jim

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