Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Class Of 2015 Announcement

Today, the 2015 class of the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame was announced. Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, Bill Withers, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Green Day, Lou Reed and Paul Butterfield Blues Band will be inducted into the Rock Hall at a ceremony at Cleveland’s Public Hall on April 18. In addition, Ringo Starr will be feted with the Award For Musical Excellence, while The “5” Royales will take home the Early Influence Award.

We’re particularly excited to see Vaughan and his band get their due after all these years and the same could be said for Withers. Each act released their first album or single at least 25 years ago with Green Day standing out as the “newest” act to be inducted as they released the 1,000 Hours EP in 1989. Ringo was previously inducted with The Beatles and now joins George, Paul and John as solo artists in the hall.

We’re hoping Withers will make a rare performance at the ceremony in April. “There are some people that can sing in their later years and some of them that can’t. I don’t want to be on of those old guys that sounds like a gerbil trying to give birth to a hippopotamus. I’ve gotta see if I can’t conjure it up,” Withers responded to Rolling Stone when asked if he would perform.

Lou Reed, who passed away last year, was already in the hall as a member of Velvet Underground (1996). Butterfield and Vaughan are also among the 2015 honorees that will be inducted posthumously, though members of each legend’s bands will certainly be on hand. The Smiths, Nine Inch Nails, Chic and Sting were among the nominees that didn’t make the cut this time around.