Icons Whitney Houston and NNotorious B.I.G are to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame released the prestigious list on 15th January 2020.
Congratulations to your @KlipschAudio #RockHall2020 Inductees. Performers: @depechemode, @thedoobiebros, #WhitneyHouston, @nineinchnails , #TheNotoriousBIG and #TRex & Ahmet Ertegun awards #JonLandau and @IrvingAzoff More info: https://t.co/HFHCXkPgVJ pic.twitter.com/ShSbL9XsRo
— Rock Hall (@rockhall) January 15, 2020
Deceased rap legend Notorious B.I.G. made the list much to the delight of the international hip hop community. Lauded for his flow and effervescent confidence, Biggie Smalls as he is fondly known to his legion of fans made a great impact in the once marginalized genre of music.Tragically passing in 1997 from gunshot wounds at the age of 24, his legacy has continued to live on through his music.
Former wife Faith Evans took to social media to thank fans.
👑 Thank you to all who voted and supported BIG! He has been inducted into the 2020 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame!!!
And congrats to all the other inductees! #BIGFOREVER #RockHall2020 pic.twitter.com/zH14MOIxup
— Faith Evans (@faithevans) January 15, 2020
Speaking in a radio interview about the impending induction ceremony, Biggie’s mother Voletta Wallace suggested that she would have Wayne Barrow, B.I.G’s former manager to give the induction speech as her top choice. She also mentioned that a close second and third option would be Sean Combs now known as Love, a close associate to Biggie and Hip Hop legend Jay- Z. She also mentioned Faith Evans as a final option.
The late soul singer Whitney- who tragically passed away at the age of 48 in 2012 – is also one of six artists to be recognized for their contributions to music this year with the class of 2020 also including Nine Inch Nails, Depeche Mode, T-Rex, The Doobie Brothers.
Whitney, The Notorious B.I.G. – real name Christopher Wallace – and late Doobies drummers Michael Hossack and Keith Knudsen and every member of T. Rex – who were fronted by Marc Bolan – besides drummer Bill Legend will be inducted posthumously.
The ceremony usually features performances from the inductees but it is expected that there will be musical tributes to the artists no longer with us.
The six inductees beat the 10 other acts – Pat Benatar, Dave Matthews Band, Judas Priest, Kraftwerk, MC5, Motorhead, Rufus featuring Chaka Khan, Todd Rundgren, Soundgarden and Thin Lizzy – who made it onto the ballot list but failed to get enough votes to make it through.
Nine Inch Nails got into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame after making it onto the ballot three times and singer Trent Reznor admits he is “pretty freaked out” by the honor.
He said: “I’m pretty freaked out. I’m quite in shock. When I look back at how Nine Inch Nails are received, it always seems like we fall between the cracks. I don’t know if it’s a defense mechanism, but I just assumed we’d stay in that category, so I’m pleasantly surprised to see us acknowledged. It feels pretty good.”
Depeche Mode released a statement on behalf of all three members, Andy Fletcher, Martin Gore and Dave Gahan, expressing their gratitude to the Hall of Fame and their fans who have supported them for the past 40 years.
Their statement read: “We’re honoured to be included as one of this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, and to stand alongside the other incredible acts in the Rock Hall and those joining this year. A huge thank you to everyone who has supported us and our music over the years.”
There is now speculation that original Depeche Mode member Vince Clarke – who quit the group in 1981 and went on to form Yazoo and Erasure – could reunite with his bandmates for the induction as well as his replacement of keyboards Alan Wilder, who left in 1995.
Additionally, Jon Landau and Irving Azoff, two of the most successful managers in rock history, will receive the Ahmet Ertegun Award.
The 2020 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held at the Public Auditorium in Cleveland, Ohio, on May 2, 2020 and will air live on HBO and the SiriusXM Rock and Roll Hall of Fame radio station.
