"You just pickin' fly shit outta pepper."
Gene Simmons, while not a Southern boy, is clearly in touch with Southern traditions.
(By
Rock singer Gene Simmons is getting inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and he couldn’t be more upset about it. The lead singer of the legendary rock band KISS is angry at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for more than one reason and one of them has to do with black artists being involved.
In a recent interview with Radio.com, Simmons discussed his distaste for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s induction of artists who aren’t considered ‘rock,’ especially the black artists like Run-DMC and Grandmaster Flash. Gene Simmons said, “A long time ago it was diluted. It’s really back room politics, like Boss Tweed. A few people decide what’s in and what’s not. And the masses just scratch their heads. You’ve got Grandmaster Flash in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Run-D.M.C. in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? You’re killing me! That doesn’t mean those aren’t good artists. But they don’t play guitar. They sample and they talk.”
After belittling the art of Hip-Hop, Simmons went on to call out black pop artists like Donna Summer. He said she doesn’t deserve the honor of being in the Hall of Fame either.
“But if you asked Donna [Summer], ‘What kind of artist are you?’ do you think she would say ‘rock?’ If you asked Madonna, ‘What kind of artist are you?’ do you think she would say, ‘Oh, rock!’ So what they hell are they doing in the Hall of Fame? They can run their organization any way they’d like, but it ain’t rock! It just isn’t! If you don’t play guitar and you don’t write your own songs, you don’t belong there.”
Gene Simmons unloaded his opinion about the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame because he and his band KISS are being inducted on April 10th at the Barclays Center. However, the two original members–Gene Simons and Paul Stanley–are refusing to perform because only the original four members are being inducted and not the two replacement members who have been apart of the group for a almost as long as the original ones.
Am I the only one who finds humor in Gene Simmons saying black artists shouldn’t be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame when, in fact, black people started the genre of rock in the first place?
First, allow me to answer the question Mr. Hailey poses here.
Yes.
And no.
There is, certainly, the case can reasonably be made, humor to be found in the whole "blacks shouldn't be in when blacks started the genre in the first place" brouhaha.
But, in my o, it's not so much funny.
As it is silly.
First, because the assertion that blacks started rock and roll is, at best, arguable and debatable.
Ladies and gentlemen, in this corner, Alan Freed, Bill Haley, assorted Comets, Carl Perkins and a skiffle players or two from over there in the United Kingdom.
And in this corner, Little Richard, Fats Domino and a whole pre-Elvis posse of R&B singers whose work evolved nicely, and quickly, into the "genre" now known as R&R.
Second, "genre'" has almost become unique in that it may, or may already have, become the first oxymoron to consist of a single word.
Rock and roll is rock and roll?
Rap is rap?
Metal is metal?
Uh, not so much.
Just put two country music fans, one from the fifties and one from today, in a room and enjoy the circular debate.
But, assertions and oxymorons not withstanding, here's the real poop in the pepper.
The "Hall of Fame" itself has a more than a little of the moronic, oxy version, going for it, as well.
To wit, the rub...
The most frequent criticism of the Hall of Fame is that the nomination process is controlled by a few individuals who are not themselves musicians, such as founder Jann Wenner (who has filled the position of managing editor for Rolling Stone magazine), former foundation director Suzan Evans, and writer Dave Marsh, reflecting their personal tastes rather than the views of the rock world as a whole. A former member of the nominations board once commented that "At one point Suzan Evans lamented the choices being made because there weren't enough big names that would sell tickets to the dinner. That was quickly remedied by dropping one of the doo-wop groups being considered in favor of a 'name' artist ... I saw how certain pioneering artists of the '50s and early '60s were shunned because there needed to be more name power on the list, resulting in '70s superstars getting in before the people who made it possible for them. Some of those pioneers still aren't in today."
There is also controversy in the lack of transparency in the selection process. Janet Morrissey of The New York Times wrote, "With fame and money at stake, it’s no surprise that a lot of backstage lobbying goes on. Why any particular act is chosen in any particular year is a mystery to performers as well as outsiders – and committee members say they want to keep it that way." Jon Landau, the chairman of the nominating committee, says they prefer it that way. "We’ve done a good job of keeping the proceedings nontransparent. It all dies in the room."
According to Fox News, petitions with tens of thousands of signatures were also being ignored, and some groups that were signed with certain labels or companies or were affiliated with various committee members have even been put up for nomination with no discussion at all. The committee has also been accused of largely ignoring certain genres. According to author Brett Milano, "entire genres get passed over, particularly progressive rock, '60s Top 40, New Orleans funk and a whole lot of black music."
Another criticism is that too many artists are inducted. In fifteen years, 97 different artists have been inducted. A minimum of 50% of the vote is needed to be inducted; although, the final percentages are not announced and a certain number of inductees (five in 2011) is set before the ballots are shipped. The committee usually nominates a small number of artists (12 in 2010) from an increasing number of different genres. Several voters, including Joel Selvin, himself a former member of the nominating committee, did not submit their ballots in 2007 because they did not feel that any of the candidates were truly worthy.
Members of the British punk rock band Sex Pistols, inducted in 2006, refused to attend the ceremony, calling the museum "a piss stain" and "urine in wine".
On March 14, 2007, two days after that year's induction ceremony, Roger Friedman of Fox News published an article claiming that The Dave Clark Five should have been the fifth inductee, as they had more votes than inductee Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. The article went on to say "Jann Wenner used a technicality about the day votes were due in. In reality, The Dave Clark Five got six more votes than Grandmaster Flash. But he felt we couldn't go another year without a rap act."[
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame would later deny fixing the vote, although they did not deny that late votes were received, saying, "No. There is a format and rules and procedure. There is a specific time when the votes have to be in, and then they are counted. The bands with the top five votes got in." The Dave Clark Five was subsequently nominated again and then inducted the following year.
For what it's worth, I agree with Gene Simmons.
Run D.M.C. is not rock and roll.
Madonna is not rock and roll.
Donna Summer was not rock and roll.
But the whole tempest in a ballot box, while maybe a pleasant diversion of a chit chat at the water cooler for a day or two, is really nothing more than a pleasant diversion of a chit chat at the water cooler for a day or two.
Because the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is merely the musical equivalent of a rooty tooty snooty country club.
Notwithstanding, of course, the irony that although the hall ostensibly created to honor rock and roll stars is lousy with pop stars and rap stars and, probably, even an accordion star or two, nobody from country music has made it in.
Although, it's six to five and pick em' that it's only a matter of time.
Rumor has it that Jann Wenner is a big Luke Bryan fan.
Which makes it inevitable that, sooner or later, once again...
Gene Simmons will not be happy.
The difference then, of course, being that he'll be picking cow shit out of pepper.
And Kanye will still be publicly demanding that Kim be inducted.
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