CLEVELAND (TND) — The 'Prince of Darkness,' the "Son of a Son of a Sailor," the Detroit rock band that kicked out the jams, and the "Goddess of Pop" are among the 16 artists headed to Cleveland in October to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Ozzy Osbourne, Jimmy Buffet, the MC5, and Cher, respectively, as well as jazz-hop pioneers A Tribe Called Quest, hip-hop and R&B queen, Mary J. Blige, Americana jam band the Dave Matthews Band, 80s rock icons Foreigner, guitar god Peter Frampton, funk band Kool & the Gang, 60s British blues guitarist Alexis Korner, influential blues bandleader John Mayall, early rock diva Big Mama Thornton, pop legend Dionne Warwick, and Motown producer Norman Whitfield were announced as the inductee class of 2024 during a special segment on American Idol with Ryan Seacrest and Lionel Richie Sunday night.
Rock & Roll is an ever-evolving amalgam of sounds that impacts culture and moves generations,” John Sykes, chairman of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, said in a statement. “This diverse group of inductees each broke down musical barriers and influenced countless artists that followed in their footsteps.
The artists reflect influences on chapters of American music history ranging from the late 1940s, when Big Mama Thornton, a towering blues singer who first recorded the song "Hound Dog" -- later made famous by Elvis Presley -- to the modern day with Blige and the Dave Matthews Band still recording, touring, and selling out arenas.
Eligibility in the Rock Hall has a handful of requirements, some straightforward, some much more obtuse. Artists seeking entry are required to have put out their first "record" -- whether that is a single, an EP, or a full album -- 25 years before they can be considered eligible. They also need to have "created music whose originality, impact, and influence has changed the course of rock & roll," according to the Hall of Fame's website.
10 of the inductees -- Blige, Cher, Dave Matthews Band, Foreigner, Frampton, Kool & The Gang, Ozzy Osbourne, and A Tribe Called Quest -- will enter the hall under the traditional "performers" category, where nominated artists are selected from a ballot distributed to 1,000 music industry veterans, journalists, scholars, and all those artists already inducted. Korner, Thornton, and Mayall will enter under the "Musical Influence Award" -- formerly the "Early Influences" category -- whose members are selected by a committee for their contributions to the origins of rock music.
Buffet, the MC5, Warwick, and Whitfield will all be inducted under the "Award for Musical Excellence," formerly known as the "Sideman" award. Originally established to induct and honor musicians like Elvis' original band or notable session players like country guitarist Chet Atkins and blues harpist Little Walter who may not have been in the spotlight but deserved recognition for their contributions -- more modern recipients include Chic's Nile Rodgers and metal guitarist Randy Rhoads. However, the award was rebranded around 2010 as the "Award for Musical Excellence," which would allow the hall to induct artists that may not reach the popular notoriety or palette of the main voting base. This is how British metal pioneer Judas Priest was finally inducted in 2022, a full 23 years after the group was eligible. Similarly, the MC5 will be inducted 32 years after the group first became eligible.
Osbourne, who was inducted as a member of Black Sabbath in 2006, will become the 27th member of the Hall of Fame to be inducted twice, like all four members of The Beatles, Jimmy Page, Neil Young, and Tina Turner.
"Thank You @RockHall Voters & Fans for this induction. My solo career has been a much larger part of my overall music career as a whole, so this feels more special. Not bad for a guy who was fired from his last band, Osbourne wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter (referencing when he was kicked out of Black Sabbath at the end of the 70s).
"This is something I never expected. I am overwhelmed that I will be inducted into the @rockhall, especially alongside so many incredible artists who have gone before me," Frampton posted on X.
The induction ceremony will be held Oct. 19 at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland.
Check out the full gallery of the inductees over the years here.
