The 2023 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class includes all-stars from Kate Bush, Missy Elliott, George Michael, Sheryl Crow, Rage Against the Machine, The Spinners and Willie Nelson, who celebrated his 90th birthday last week.
The icons will be officially honored as royalty of rock and roll on November 3 when the 38th annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony takes place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
“This year’s impressive lineup of Inductees reflects the diverse artists and voices that define rock and roll,” John Sykes, president of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, said in a statement Wednesday. “We are honored that this November’s induction party in New York will coincide with two significant milestones in music culture; Willie Nelson’s 90th birthday and hip-hop’s 50th birthday.”
Other Hall of Fame inductees include founding father of hip-hop DJ Kool Herc and guitar great Link Wray, who will both earn a Musical Influence Award; Queen of funk-R&B Chaka Khan and prolific songwriters and musicians Al Kooper and Bernie Taupin will receive the award for Musical Excellence; And you will receive the Ahmet Ertegun Award, which is an honor for non-working professionals in this field Soul Train Creator Don Cornelius, who passed away in 2012.
Artists are required to release their first record 25 years in advance to be eligible to be inducted into the Rock Hall.
Elliott was recruited in her first year of eligibility and became the first female rapper to enter the prestigious music institution. She is the 11th female rapper overall, after acts like Grandmaster Flash, Furious Five, Jay-Z, N.W.A, and Eminem.
Nelson, Crowe and Michael — who passed away in 2016 — were selected to be inducted into the Hall after being nominated for the first time.
Tom Morello, Brad Welk, Tim Commerford and Zack de la Rocha will be cast in Rage Against the Machine, while members of The Spinners are Henry Fambro, Billy Henderson, Pervis Jackson, Bobby Smith and Philip Wayne.