Chrissie Hynde on Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame: “The whole thing is total bollocks”
The American musician and lead vocalist behind The Pretenders, Chrissie Hynde, has spoken out against the lack of diversity in the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, calling out the esteemed club as “total bollocks”.
Following up on the comments of Courtney Love, who earlier this month criticised the lack of female acts in the Hall Of Fame, Hynde took to Facebook to share her thoughts. Inducted into the club with The Pretenders in 2005, Hynde revealed that she doesn’t “even wanna be associated with” anymore, adding: “If anyone wants my position in the rock ‘n’ roll Hall of Fame they are welcome to it”.
Continuing, she stated: “It’s just more establishment backslapping. I got in a band so I didn’t have to be part of all that…I was living a happy life in Rio when I got the call I was being inducted. My heart sank because I knew I’d have to go back for it as it would be too much of a kick in the teeth to my parents if I didn’t. I’d upset them enough by then, so it was one of those things that would bail me out from years of disappointing them. (like moving out of the USA and being arrested at PETA protests and my general personality)”.
Signing off her message, Hynde wrote: “Other than Neil Young’s participation in the induction process, the whole thing was, and is, total bollocks…It’s absolutely nothing to do with rock ‘n’ roll and anyone who thinks it is a fool”.
Other names in the Hall of Fame include Dave Grohl, who earned the place twice for his time with Nirvana and Foo Fighters, as well as Johnny Cash, Bob Marley, Elton John, Bobby Darin and Stevie Wonder, among many others.
Take a look at the full statement from Chrissie Hynde below.
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