The legendary Whitney Houston and The Notorious B.I.G were announced as two of the six artists that will be joining the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame later this year. The official 2020 class was announced Wednesday morning, along with one behind-the-scenes player that will be joining the prestigious organization.
According to Billboard, this year’s class include a number of first-time nominees, including Biggie, who became eligible as last year marked 25 years since the release of his debut album. As we previously reported, an artist’s first commercial recording must have been released 25 years prior to the year of induction. He now joins a list of very few rappers that have been inducted into the hall of fame. Including Tupac, Run-DMC, N.W.A, Public Enemy, Grandmaster Flash, and the Furious Five and the Beastie Boys.
The other inductees for the 2020 class include Depeche Mode, the Doobie Brothers, Nine Inch Nails, and T. Rex. Jon Landau and Irving Azoff have earned the Ahmet Ertegun Award.
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Last year, Janet Jackson was one of the inductees for the 2019 class, and during her acceptance speech, she said, “It was my father’s dream. He wanted me to become this wonderful performer. He encouraged me. He was the first one to encourage me. Music became my passion. In 1997, my brothers were recognized for their musical passion by being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and I was so, so proud. As you saw in the clip, I was always crashing their rehearsals. I was always tagging along, always with my brothers.”
Throughout her speech, she continued to thank those who helped along the way, and she ended her speech by saying, “And Rock and Roll Hall of Fame please, 2020: Induct more women. Thank you so much.”
The official Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on March 2nd at the Public Auditorium in Cleveland, and will broadcast live on HBO for the first time.
Source: https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/awards/8548043/rock-roll-hall-of-fame-class-of-2020
TSR STAFF: Jade Ashley @Jade_Ashley94
