How Blondie almost ruined their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction
It’s no secret that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is one of the most contentious discussions in music.
Since the beginning, it’s been a coveted achievement built to spotlight those who have shaped the musical landscape as we know it today. At its best, the Hall of Fame does precisely that. Countless major names, from Bob Dylan to Dolly Parton, have been inducted over the years, proving that, as a system, there’s nothing that comes close to recognising legacies that have had a major impact on culture.
At its worst, though, the Hall of Fame is also a system that perpetuates prejudices and biases, favouring certain names over others and dismissing those who have just as much of a right to be inducted. Many musicians have been outspoken about this in the past, too, including one Ozzy Osbourne, who once described it as a meaningless concept that nobody should embrace.
His main gripe was that fans don’t vote for those who get inducted. Names in the Hall of Fame are selected by its own committee, who, according to Osbourne, have “never bought an album or concert ticket in their lives”. Sex Pistols also had a fair bit to say when it came to expressing their views, calling the entire thing a “piss stain” that only cares about money. And that was in response to their own induction.
Over the years, people have also talked about the Hall of Fame’s gender disparities and how only a small percentage of inductees are women. Stevie Nicks is also the only woman who has been inducted twice, the second in 2019 being her first as a solo artist, which also raises questions about honouring legends late when their male counterparts are likely to be inducted much sooner. It also doesn’t help that one of the co-founders, Jann Wenner, believes that most female artists don’t have what it takes to be masters of music because they’re not intellectual enough.
The event itself has also had its share of people airing dirty laundry on stage, using the moment to dish out certain things – some subtle and some not so subtle – that they’re unhappy with. One notable example was during Blondie’s induction in 2006, when members past and present came up on stage to accept the recognition, only for it to turn sour a few minutes later when Frank Infante made it clear how he felt about both the Hall of Fame and the other members of the group.
“I’d like to thank the Hall of Fame for inviting us, and for not writing me, Gary and Nigel out of rock ‘n’ roll history,” he said, which, at first, seemed like a small quip you could move past quickly if you squinted. But then he went on, “One thing that would make it better would be if we could actually perform for you tonight, but for some reason, some of us are not allowed to do that. I don’t know what we could do about that. I’d like to play.”
He then proceeded to turn towards Debbie Harry and plead, “Pretty please! Pretty please, Debbie!” To which she carefully said, “Not tonight,” because her band were waiting on stage already to perform. He didn’t leave it there, though, responding, “Oh, your band? I thought Blondie was being inducted tonight. Are they being inducted? I don’t know!” Nigel Harrison then cut in with similar sentiments, an obvious continuation of the bitterness they each felt towards Harry and Chris Stein over being written out and not paid when they felt they were owed.
It’s an awkward watch, no doubt. But therein lies another issue with the Hall of Fame and its inability to read the room where it’s needed. Those musicians were going to be sharing a stage, some performing and some not. There’s no way that things would run smoothly, but instead, what could have been a respectable and dignified moment for Blondie’s legacy turned into a public display of old feuds.
