Every year the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducts a new class of bands and artists, honoring music’s most iconic and influential artists.
The 2023 lineup was released today, and includes many beloved names — including 90-year-old country legend Willie Nelson.
LOS ANGELES – JULY 28: Singer/actor Willie Nelson performs at the afterparty for the premiere of Warner Bros. Picture’s “The Dukes of Hazzard” at the Chinese Theater on July 28, 2005 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
The inductees were announced Wednesday morning. “This year’s incredible group of Inductees reflects the diverse artists and sounds that define rock & roll,” said John Sykes, Chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation.
Willie Nelson inducted
Perhaps the most beloved name on the list is Willie Nelson, finally making the Hall shortly after celebrating his 90th birthday. While primarily known for his country music, Nelson has been an influential favorite among artists of all genres.
“Nelson may call country music his home, but he has always pushed stylistic boundaries – mixing in rock & roll, jazz, pop, and blues,” the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame wrote, calling Nelson an “American institution.”
Sterling Munksgard / Shutterstock.com
Love for Willie Nelson has never been higher: the country legend just marked his 90th birthday with an all-star two-night concert event that celebrated his six decades in the music industry. Nelson performed with Neil Young, Kris Kristofferson, Keith Richards, and Snoop Dogg, among others, and dozens of other artists showed up and performed his songs.
“It didn’t matter if you were a hillbilly or a hippie, everyone was a Willie Nelson fan,” actor Owen Wilson said during the event, per AP. “As a kid growing up in Texas, it seemed like there was nothing bigger than Willie Nelson, And looking out at the Hollywood Bowl tonight, it still feels like there’s nothing bigger than Willie Nelson.”
HOLLYWOOD CA, AUG. 9, 2013. Willie Nelson performing his album “Stardust” at the Hollywood Bowl on Aug. 09, 2013. Lyle Lovett and his Large band opens the show. (Photo by Lawrence K. Ho/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Other inductees: Sheryl Crow, George Michael
The artists being inducted alongside Willie Nelson in the Performer Category include musicians of various genres and generations, all of whom have made their own distinct impact on the music industry.
Inductees this year include singer-songwriter Kate Bush, pop-country superstar Sheryl Crow, rapper Missy Elliott, the late Wham! musician George Michael, politically-charged rock icons Rage Against the Machine, and R&B vocal group The Spinners.
E98T29 American singer Sheryl Crow in concert in Glasgow, Scotland, on 10th December 1997.
Kate Bush, an acclaimed and influential British artist, found renewed popularity among a younger generation last year after her song “Running Up That Hill” was featured in the Netflix series Stranger Things, launching the song and its album to the top of the charts decades after their release.
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