Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Ahmet Ertegun stood at the center of a room on the 20th of April 1983. He signed papers to create the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. The man who founded Atlantic Records gathered a team that included Jann Wenner from Rolling Stone magazine. Record executives Seymour Stein, Bob Krasnow, and Noreen Woods joined him. Attorneys Allen Grubman and Suzan Evans also became part of the group. They began inducting artists in 1986 while searching for a permanent home. A committee considered cities like Philadelphia and Memphis. Detroit and Cincinnati were also on the list. New York City was another option. Cleveland won the bid with a pledge of $65 million in public money. Civic leaders cited disc jockey Alan Freed as a key reason. Freed coined the term rock and roll. His Moondog Coronation Ball is often called the first major rock concert. Cleveland radio station WMMS helped break acts like David Bowie and Bruce Springsteen.
I. M. Pei designed the new museum building. Groundbreaking occurred on the 7th of June 1993. Pete Townshend, Chuck Berry, and Billy Joel attended the ceremony. The structure rises above Lake Erie with a 162-foot tower. Leslie E. Robertson Associates handled the structural engineering. Pei planned an initial height but reduced it due to Burke Lakefront Airport proximity. The base covers approximately 75,000 square feet. A dual-triangular glass tent extends from the tower onto a plaza. The museum dedicated its doors on the 1st of September 1995. Yoko Ono and Little Richard cut the ribbon before 10,000 people. An all-star concert followed at Cleveland Stadium featuring Bob Dylan and Aretha Franklin. Bruce Burdick's San Francisco design firm created the exhibit spaces. The building houses over 55,000 square feet of exhibition area. Administrative offices and a café occupy parts of the facility. PAU architecture firm will lead renovation plans announced in 2020.
Visitors enter the Ahmet M. Ertegun Exhibition Hall on the lower level. This main gallery displays roots like gospel, blues, and folk. Cities such as Memphis, Detroit, London, and Liverpool have their own sections. Soul music and hip hop get dedicated rooms too. The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix appear in individual artist exhibits. A theater screens films about American Bandstand. The first floor holds a café and Backstage Stories section. Interactive kiosks on the second floor feature programs on one-hit wonders. Artifacts from Les Paul and Sam Phillips fill galleries there. The third floor welcomes guests to the Hall of Fame section. Jonathan Demme's film plays in the Connor Theater. The Foster Theater sits on the fourth floor for special events. The top two levels host large temporary exhibits. Elvis Presley, U2, and the Who have all had shows there. Women Who Rock and Rolling Stone magazine also received major exhibitions. Photography by George Kalinsky and Lynn Goldsmith fills walls throughout.
The first group of inductees arrived on the 23rd of January 1986. Elvis Presley, James Brown, and Little Richard led the list. Robert Johnson and Jimmie Rodgers entered as Early Influences. John Hammond received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Alan Freed and Sam Phillips were named Non-Performers. Voting involves roughly 500 experts worldwide. Artists become eligible 25 years after their first record release. Block approval voting requires at least 50% support. Five to seven performers enter each year. Six additional groups joined in 2012 including the Miracles and the Crickets. Three side categories exist alongside Performers. Warren Zevon appeared on the performers ballot before induction through another category. Early Influences includes country, folk, jazz, and blues artists. Bill Kenny & The Ink Spots and Howlin' Wolf are examples. Wanda Jackson became the first rockabilly singer inducted in this category since 2009. The Ahmet Ertegun Award honors behind-the-scenes figures like producers and disc jockeys. The Award for Musical Excellence recognizes session players selected by a committee.
Every February the museum celebrates Black History Month with concerts and lectures. The Hall of Fame Series began in April 1996. Interviews occur in the Foster Theater followed by audience questions. Peter Hook of Joy Division participated in the Legends Series. The American Music Masters series started in 1996 with Pete Seeger. Jimmie Rodgers and Robert Johnson were honored in subsequent years. Chuck Berry received the title in 2012. Johnny Cash was celebrated in 2017. The format changed in 2019 to become Rock Hall Honors. Mavis Staples performed the first new concert that September. The library and archives sit at Cuyahoga Community College's Metro Campus. Scholars can access music business records from executives and labels. Personal letters from Aretha Franklin and Madonna reside there. Handwritten lyrics by Jimi Hendrix and LL Cool J are preserved. Rare concert recordings from CBGB in the 1970s fill shelves. The collection includes academic dissertations, trade publications, and commercial audio recordings.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame opened an annex on the 18th of November 2008. It occupied underground space at 76 Mercer Street in SoHo. Prince's coat from Purple Rain hung in the display case. David Byrne's big suit from Stop Making Sense stood nearby. Elvis Presley's motorcycle jacket and Bible were also present. A scale model of Manhattan highlighted rock history sites. Jann Wenner served as chairman during its operation. He later expressed regret for a remark suggesting New York should have been chosen initially. The branch closed on the 3rd of January 2010 due to financial crisis impacts. Tourism downturns contributed to the quick demise. John Lennon received the final major exhibition before closing. Plans announced in 2020 aim to expand the Cleveland facility footprint by one-third. PAU founded by Vishaan Chakrabarti will lead the project. The museum won the 2020 Webby People's Voice Award for Cultural Institution.
Critics argue the nomination process remains controlled by a small group. Founders Jann Wenner and Suzan Evans are often mentioned alongside writer Dave Marsh. Janet Morrissey noted backstage lobbying occurs frequently. Jon Landau confirmed proceedings stay nontransparent. Roger Friedman claimed the Dave Clark Five deserved induction over Grandmaster Flash in 2007. Charlotte Church accused the museum of gender bias in 2013. She stated 259 out of 295 acts were entirely male. Courtney Love criticized delays in inducting Kate Bush and Tina Turner. Elton John called the failure to honor Donna Summer disgraceful. Sister Rosetta Tharpe was not chosen until 2017 despite being called godmother of rock. Brett Milano pointed out ignored genres like progressive rock. Steven Hyden believed alternative rock artists were overlooked. Canadian bands such as Rush and Neil Young remain exceptions. No artist performing exclusively in Spanish has ever been inducted. Sex Pistols refused to attend their 2006 ceremony calling it a piss stain. Mark Knopfler skipped Dire Straits' 2018 induction without explanation. Steve Miller complained about lack of female inductees during his speech.
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Common questions
Who founded the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation?
Ahmet Ertegun founded the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation on the 20th of April 1983. He gathered a team that included Jann Wenner from Rolling Stone magazine, record executives Seymour Stein, Bob Krasnow, and Noreen Woods, and attorneys Allen Grubman and Suzan Evans.
When did the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame open its doors in Cleveland?
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame dedicated its doors on the 1st of September 1995. Yoko Ono and Little Richard cut the ribbon before 10,000 people at the ceremony held at the museum designed by I. M. Pei.
Why was Cleveland chosen as the location for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Cleveland won the bid with a pledge of $65 million in public money because civic leaders cited disc jockey Alan Freed as a key reason. Freed coined the term rock and roll and his Moondog Coronation Ball is often called the first major rock concert.
What are the different categories used to induct artists into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Five to seven performers enter each year alongside three side categories including Early Influences and Non-Performers. The Ahmet Ertegun Award honors behind-the-scenes figures like producers and disc jockeels while the Award for Musical Excellence recognizes session players selected by a committee.
Where can scholars access music business records from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
The library and archives sit at Cuyahoga Community College's Metro Campus where scholars can access music business records from executives and labels. Personal letters from Aretha Franklin and Madonna reside there along with handwritten lyrics by Jimi Hendrix and LL Cool J.