15 Kennedy Center Prospects Already Inducted Into the Rock Hall
The Kennedy Center hosts an annual awards ceremony each year honoring the artistic achievements of artists who made a significant impact on American culture. Founded in 1977 and the first ceremony ceremony the following year, the Kennedy Center Honors is described on their website as comparable “to a knighthood in Britain, or the French Legion of Honor--the quintessential reward for a lifetime's endeavor.” In other words, receiving the award is a major achievement for any artist in the performing arts and honorees are celebrated in diverse fields including music, theatre, film, television, radio, opera, and dance. Usually the President of the United States is in attendance for the event, but there were four occasions when a President did not attend (perhaps most infamously last year). There is also a White House reception and festivities honoring that year’s honorees. On average, there are usually five artists honored each year with the announcement of new honorees occurring in June and a ceremony held at the nation’s capital Washington D.C. The taped ceremony airs usually around Christmas Time each year.
The selection process for the Kennedy Center Honors has been revised in the last few years to diversify the classes. According to a Washington Post story from a few years ago, only six people serve on the Kennedy Center’s advisory committee and make recommendations for the chainman, television producers, and president to decide which artists are chosen. There is also an Artists committee, which comprises of approx. 70 people who cast their recommendations for candidates. Additionally, the Kennedy Center has a link for the public to submit recommendations for artists they believe are worthy for consideration.
One of the main stipulations is the inductee(s) must be alive to receive the Kennedy Center award. This is why worthy people such as Michael Jackson, Prince, Tom Petty, Leonard Cohen, and Lou Reed cannot get the Kennedy Center’s highest achievement. That’s why there was so much controversy with The Eagles and the Kennedy Center in the wake of Glenn Frey’s death a few years ago.
As someone who writes and follows the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, I wonder how much (if any) impact does the HOF have on who the Kennedy Center chooses in any given year. What struck me about the past two years is not a single honoree was already inducted into the Rock Hall. In fact, 30 Rock Hall inductees have been chosen for the Kennedy Center Honors (listed below) as early as 1986 (ironically the same year as the Rock Hall’s first ceremony) and a Rock Hall inductee has chosen almost every year from 1994-2016 (1998 was the only year that a Hall of Famer was not chosen). Nearly 14% of the total number of total Kennedy Center recipients are also inducted members of the Rock Hall. Here is a list of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees who also receive the prestigious Kennedy Center Honor and the year they were honored:
Ray Charles (‘86)*
Aretha Franklin (‘94)
Pete Seeger (‘94)**
B.B. King (‘95)
Johnny Cash (‘96)
Bob Dylan (‘97)
Stevie Wonder (‘99)
Chuck Berry (‘00)
Quincy Jones (‘01)**
Paul Simon (‘02)
James Brown (‘03)
Elton John (‘04)
Tina Turner (‘05)
Smokey Robinson (‘06)
Brian Wilson (‘07)
Diana Ross (‘07)
The Who (‘08)
Bruce Springsteen (‘09)
Paul McCartney (‘10)
Neil Diamond (‘11)*
Buddy Guy (‘12)
Led Zeppelin (‘12)
Billy Joel (‘13)
Carlos Santana (‘13)
Al Green (‘14)
Sting (‘14)
Carole King (‘15)
Eagles (‘16)
James Taylor (‘16)
Mavis Staples (‘16)
* = Indicates the Performer received both Honors in the same year
**= Indicates a Kennedy Center Honor before Receiving a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction
In fact, three musicians were inducted last year—LL Cool J, Gloria Estefan, and Lionel Richie—and none of them are Rock Hall inductees. Only LL Cool J has been nominated for the Rock Hall, but failed on four separate occasions (most recently last year). LL Cool J is also the youngest Kennedy Center Honoree at the age of 49 and the first musician from the hip-hop genre celebrated. All of this year’s honorees are music-related in some fashion: Reba McEntire (Country), Philip Glass (Classical/Minimalism), Wayne Shorter (Jazz), Cher (Pop & Rock), and Hamilton (Musical Theatre). Of the five new honorees, only Cher would qualify as a traditional “Rock” artist and her name has never appeared on a Rock Hall ballot. Is the tide turning and the Kennedy Center no longer turns to the Rock Hall as an indicator for the former’s future ceremonies?
Although I believe there are non-Rock musicians worthy of the Kennedy Center Honors, I think there are still Hall of Famers that warrant more serious consideration. This blog entry explores 15 worthy musicians who should be considered and why they should be chosen. The biggest factors I used to determine this list is musical excellence, the performers’ work in non-music art forms (e.g., theatre, film, art) if applicable and the performers’ long-lasting contributions for the betterment of American culture and art. I tried to keep my reasoning for each candidate as concise as possible.
Here is a list of 15 potential Kennedy Center Honorees for future consideration:
Little Richard (Class of 1986): The first two potential Kennedy Center Honorees are inaugural Rock Hall inductees and among two of the most pioneering and influential in rock’s earliest years. When Little Richard enters a room, he is a force of nature and was one of Rock’s earliest crossover performers who broke barriers for future African-American musicians. His records are so uproarious and upbeat that it’s impossible sit still, even for a single second. His omission from the Kennedy Center is puzzling and they should consider him in very, very soon since Little Richard is 85 (turning 86 in December).
Jerry Lee Lewis (Class of 1986): “The Killer,” Jerry Lee Lewis is another inaugural Rock Hall inductee who warrants more serious consideration for the Kennedy Center. Along with Little Richard, Fats Domino, and Ray Charles, Lewis helped popularize the piano as a rock instrument and influenced virtually every piano player in the wake of his presence (from Elton John to Billy Joel). He is the last surviving member of Sun Records’ famed Million Dollar Quartet. Lewis branched out to country music in later years, but he can’t even find his way into the Country Music Hall of Fame (despite a widely-publicized online petition) which is a bit troublesome in its own right. He just turned 83 this past week, so the clock is ticking Kennedy Center.
The Rolling Stones (Class of 1989): In all seriousness, how can the Kennedy Center honor bands like The Who and Led Zeppelin and completely skip over the “world’s greatest rock ‘n’ roll band?” There’s not much to say about The Rolling Stones that hasn’t been said already, but they are long overdue for the Kennedy Center honors. Plus, a tribute performance along with the Stones playing live would guarantee a ratings booster for the Kennedy Center’s annual telecast.
Sly Stone (Class of 1993): Sly Stone is one of rock’s most forward-thinking musicians who transcended American popular music to uncharted and utterly fascinating territories. His band (The Family Stone) broke down racial barriers as one of the most popular racially-integrated bands of their era. His music embodied racial equality and social harmony at the height of the countercultural movement in the late 1960s. Although he is a notoriously reclusive figure and the likelihood of him showing up is 50/50, he is more than deserving of the honor.
Rod Stewart (Class of 1994; Class of 2012 as a member of Faces): Rod Stewart’s five-decade career has made him one of rock’s music most consistently great performers. Stewart’s raspy voice and electrifying stage performances made him a definitive rock frontman. His prolific career covers so many different aspects (from his solo work to collaborations to The Jeff Beck Group to The Faces), genres, and trends (all for better or worse). he’s still one of the biggest rock stars on the planet and a remarkable talent in every sense of the word.
Gladys Knight (Class of 1996): Often known as the “Empress of Soul,” Gladys Knight is a brilliant singer who remains a definitive voice in American soul music. Although she found moderate success at Motown in the 1960s and early 1970s, Knight & the Pips became superstars (ironically) after leaving Motown with a string of monster hits, most notably the #1 hit “Midnight Train to Georgia.” Knight’s success continued for four decades, including a late 1980s resurgence in popularity with the collaborative hit “That’s What Friends Are For” (with Dionne Warwick, Elton John & Stevie Wonder; ironically, all of Warwick’s “Friends” are Rock Hall-inducted expect for her). Knight influenced many contemporary soul singers including Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys, and Jill Scott.
Joni Mitchell (Class of 1997): The Canadian-born Joni Mitchell is arguably the greatest female songwriter in the history of rock music (with the exception of maybe Carole King). Her influence on popular music is undeniable on modern singer-songwriters and her ability to experiment with different genres (such as rock, jazz, new wave, and folk) is admirable for an artist willing to take artistic risks. Seriously thou, she wrote the definitive song about Woodstock and she didn’t even attend the concert. If that’s not impressive, I don’t know what is.
Fleetwood Mac (Class of 1998): With the dismissal of Lindsey Buckingham earlier this year, the potential Kennedy Center induction of Fleetwood Mac might be a little tricky. Unlike their Rock Hall ceremony (which featured members from the 1960s and early 1970s version of the band), only the second reincarnation would probably be honored. Nevertheless, Fleetwood Mac has crafted some of the greatest and most iconic rock songs and albums in the history of rock music. They still continue to tour (sans Buckingham) and there would be an endless list of performers willing to participate in their tribute performance. It’s gonna happen sooner or later.
Bonnie Raitt (Class of 2000): Bonnie Raitt is the embodiment of perseverance in rock music. She is a pioneering musician who blended different genres (e.g., blues, rock, roots, country, folk) to create a distinctive sound all her own. A well-respected guitarist known for her slide-guitar skills and raspy voice, Raitt defied gender stereotypes for nearly half-century. Initially a cult figure and critical darling, Raitt found mainstream success with the album Nick of Time (1989) and won 4 Grammys in 1990 including Album of the Year. Just like Joan Baez (listed below), Raitt is known for political activism, especially for anti-war and environmental causes. She performed at Mavis Staples’ tribute performance, so she might on the Kennedy Center’s radar.
U2 (Class of 2005): The Kennedy Center has honored bands in recent years such as The Eagles, The Who, and Led Zeppelin, so why not include arguably the most famous and popular band in the last 40 years? Perhaps more so than any non-U.S.-based band, U2 encompasses the spirit and influence of American culture in their music. The massive popularity and impact of The Joshua Tree (1987), for example, is evident of their interest in American social and political issues. Bono’s global efforts and projects along with an impressive catalog of music will make U2 viable Kennedy Center candidates in the near future.
Herb Alpert (Class of 2006): The only person on this list inducted in the Rock Hall outside the Performers category, Herb Alpert has one of the most unusual and fascinating careers of any Kennedy Center prospect. He began his career co-writing top-40 hits for the likes of Sam Cooke and Jan & Dan and co-founding A&M Records with Jerry Moss. In the early 1960s, Alpert was the bandleader for the Jazz and Latin-infused Tijuana Bass band and they were hugely popular during that time. He is a monumentally important for bringing Latin music to the American mainstream. Besides their #1 hit “Taste of Honey,” The Tijuana Brass held the #1 spot on the Billboard albums chart for 18 weeks at one point and what’s most impressive is this happened at the height of Beatlemania. Alpert is also the only person to have a #1 song as both a vocalist and an instrumentalist. Beside his successful music career, Alpert is an abstract painter, composes film scores, and successful ventures in musical theatre. Besides his 2006 Rock Hall induction, he also received the 2007 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and the 2012 National Medal of Arts from President Obama.
Patti Smith (Class of 2007): How many punk rockers are Kennedy Center honorees? None. And Patti Smith is arguably as good of a candidate for the Center’s honor than anyone else. Her debut album Horses (1975) is one of the most influential albums ever recorded and helped ignite the punk rock boom in the late 1970s. She is also a visual artist, poet, and a New York Times best-selling author (most notably the recent non-fiction memoirs Just Kids and M Train). A feminist icon who transcended the role of women in not only rock music, but the performing arts as a whole.
John Mellencamp (Class of 2008): A trip to the Rock Hall earlier this year made me realize how diverse John Mellencamp’s career is outside the music industry. The exhibit featured a collection of his artwork (including some really fantastic paintings) and clips from his appearances in film and television (most notably Falling from Grace). But for Mellencamp, it all comes back to the music. His impact as Heartland Rock’s most persistent voice for the working middle-class at times of economic despair and political turmoil. Mellencamp is prolific and highly active (still releasing new materials and actively touring), he will be a no-brainer for a future Kennedy Center ceremony.
Randy Newman (Class of 2013): Randy Newman seems like a shoe-in for the Kennedy Center Honoree award: prolific career as a singer-songwriter, successful endeavors in film scoring (most notably for Disney and Pixar), and even success in musical theatre. Newman’s sardonic lyrics and distinctive voice has touched on some of the most important and controversial issues in U.S. history (e.g., slavery in “Sail Away,” nationalism in “Political Science,” racism in U.S. southern culture in “Rednecks,” mental health in “Short People”). But Newman also knows how to write a great, feel-good song too as evident in songs like “I Love L.A.” and “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” (from Toy Story). His songs have been covered by the likes of Neil Diamond, Joe Cocker, Ray Charles, Brian Wilson, Three Dog Night, Harry Nilsson, Dusty Springfield, Etta James, Gene Pitney, Linda Ronstadt, Wilson Pickett, and Nina Simone. Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002 and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2013, Randy Newman has one of the great songbooks in American music.
Joan Baez (Class of 2017): Although some Rock Hall watchers might criticize Joan Baez’s recent induction into the Rock Hall (she herself admitted she “isn’t rock”), but the Kennedy Center Honors would be a perfect way to celebrate an icon of American folk music. Her left-wing political and social activism has been revered by many musicians. I highly doubt she would appear if President Trump is in attendance, but at the same time it’s doubtful he would attend one of the Kennedy Center ceremonies after last year’s debacle.
A few other Rock Hall inductees who would also be worthy candidates (but ran out of space for my 15 prospects) include Frankie Valli, Linda Ronstadt, John Fogerty, Public Enemy, Brenda Lee, George Clinton, Crosby, Stills, & Nash, Neil Young, Dr. Dre, Bob Seger, Tom Waits, Jackson Browne, and Eric Clapton.
