It’s an embarrassment to the voting block of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame how many times they considered and ultimately rejected Nile Rodger’s group Chic for inclusion into their institution. The influential 1970s disco band were nominated 11 times, and 11 times they were turned away. Well, this year, the Rock Hall took matters into its own hands, giving Rodgers the Award for Musical Excellence. The man tapped to present him with the honor? His “Get Lucky” collaborator Pharrell.
Just after he was told about the award this year, Rodgers talked to Rolling Stone about his mixed feelings of getting in without his band, “I’m happy that I seem worthy to the powers that be, but not the general voting base,” he said. “It just makes me feel like they don’t really know, which is OK. I’m fine with that, I really am, but it’s odd. I want to be happy, but I’m perplexed at the same time. How do you pluck me out and say I’m worthy of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but this band of mega players is not?”
Also announced as part of the ceremony this year is Alicia Keys, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Indigo Girls who will perform in some capacity. Lenny Kravitz has been tapped to perform a tribute to Prince. As revealed previously, Neil Young will induct Pearl Jam, while Rush while do the honors of presenting their prog-rock cohorts Yes, with Jackson Browne tapped to induct Joan Baez and George Harrison’s son Dhani honoring Electric Light Orchestra.
Near the top of the class, Snoop Dogg will be onhand to induct one of the greatest MC’s to ever pick up a microphone, his West Coast brethren. Tupac Shakur. “My relationship with ‘Pac was like a brother relationship,” said Snoop last year on Kocktails With Khloe. “We were the same age so it was a relationship where we look at each other and admire each other.”
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony is scheduled to take place next week, on April 7 at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn. The ceremony will later be broadcast on HBO on April 29 at 8pm ET/PT.
