KFIX Rock News: Rock Hall Of Fame Dismisses Nominating Committee Members

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has reportedly dismissed a number of members of their nominating committee.

But what’s attracting the most attention about the move is exactly who was sent packing.

According to Billboard, nominating committee head Jon Landau on Thursday sent emails to as many as 16 of the 42 nominating committee members, showing them the door.

Those 16 people, Billboard says, include four of the seven members of the Hall of Fame’s Early Rock and R&B Influencers subcommittee. Which, if true, means rock and roll’s early blues, R&B and other pioneers just lost more than half of their supporting voices, which could in turn lead to fewer of those early pioneers even being nominated, let alone inducted.

Billboard doesn’t say whether there is a plan for the dismissed committee members to be replaced.

While noting that turnover on the nominating committee isn’t unprecedented, Billboard quotes unspecified sources as saying this latest move is seen by some as a way for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to exclude older, not-so well-known artists in favor of more contemporary ones, who in turn resonate more with younger, mainstream music fans and are more financially lucrative for the Hall.

Billboard further quotes some insiders point to influential Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation member, and Rolling Stone publisher, Jann Wenneras being behind the move. Wenner has been a frequent target of past criticism for allegedly playing favorites through the nominating process.

So far, no comment from Landau, Wenner or other involved parties, Billboard reports.

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Images courtesy Rock and Roll Hall of Fame