What’s more rock n’ roll than American Idol? Well, a few things, but the Sunday (April 21) episode of the long-running singing competition series found Ryan Seacrest and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Lionel Richie revealing which artists constitute the Rock Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024. (The episode featured the 12 remaining contestants singing classics from previous Rock Hall inductees.)
Queen of Hip-Hop Soul Mary J. Blige, stalwart pop icon Cher, roots rock jam band Dave Matthews Band, stadium rock hitmakers Foreigner, guitar pro Peter Frampton, funky R&B legends Kool & the Gang, metal god Ozzy Osbourne and alt hip-hop progenitors A Tribe Called Quest are all entering the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year in the performers category.
But there will actually be quite a few more people entering the Rock Hall’s ranks when the ceremony goes down on Oct. 19 at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio. Three guitar-slinging blues trailblazers will be inducted in the musical influence category: the late Alexis Korner, one of the founding fathers of British blues; John Mayall, the 90-year-old blues-rock legend whose outfit John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers fostered some of the biggest names in rock history; and “Big Mama” Thornton, an R&B pioneer whose big personality, guitar tone and brash vocals helped shape early rock n’ roll.
Four more artists make it into the Rock Hall in the musical excellence category: Jimmy Buffett, the standard bearer of laid-back, good-time rock until his death last September; MC5, the political firebrand proto-punk outfit; elegant, sophisticated pop hitmaker Dionne Warwick; and Motown Sound songwriter and producer Norman Whitfield.
And finally, Suzanne de Passe, a former Motown exec who brought the Jackson 5 to Berry Gordy and oversaw numerous music-related TV specials, will be given the Ahmet Ertegun Award.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s 2024 ceremony will stream live on Disney+ on Oct. 19, be available on Hulu the following day and air in edited form on ABC at a later date.
