Keith Urban, Kenny Cheney + More To Appear At Rock Hall Induction
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has been inviting country artists to their Induction Ceremony more and more in recent years. Last year, Willie Nelson was inducted and Chris Stapleton was part of the group of artists playing tribute. The year before, Dolly Parton was part of the induction class.
While there isn’t a country artist, per se, being inducted this year, Jimmy Buffett is being honored with the Musical Excellence award. To be eligible to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, an artist needs to have released their first recording 25 years ago; this year’s artists had to have released music in 1999 to be eligible.
Of course, Buffett has been eligible for a very long time: his debut album, Down To Earth, was released in the summer of 1970; he has been eligible since the 1990s. And, weirdly, he has never even been on the ballot. But, his passing at age 76 last year was probably a sad reminder to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame that they have overlooked him for decades.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced yesterday a list of names of artists who will appear at the induction ceremony next month. Jelly Roll, Kenny Chesney and Keith Urban were on the list and while the Rock Hall didn’t say who they would be paying tribute to, it’s a fair bet that some or all of them will be part of a tribute to Jimmy Buffett. Back in April, we predicted that Chesney would be involved. Chesney is, of course, a huge Buffett fan and was a friend of his as well.
James Taylor is also among the performers appearing at the event; it’s likely that he will be involved in a Jimmy Buffett tribute.
This year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees are: Mary J. Blige, Cher, Dave Matthews Band, Foreigner, Peter Frampton, Kool & the Gang, Ozzy Osbourne, and A Tribe Called Quest. Alexis Korner, John Mayall, and Big Mama Thornton are being honored with the Musical Influence award. Jimmy Buffett, MC5, Dionne Warwick, and Norman Whitfield are being honored with the Musical Excellence award.
Other artists appearing at the event include Dr. Dre, Demi Lovato, Dua Lipa, the Roots, Method Man, Sammy Hagar and Slash, among others.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on October 19 at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. It will air live on Disney+ starting at 7 pm ET/4 pm PT. It will be available to stream following the ceremony. ABC will air a primetime special, “2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony,” featuring performance highlights and standout moments on January 1, 2025 (from 8:00-11:00 p.m. EST). That special will be available the next day on Hulu and Disney+.
