While promoting her debut Christmas album in December, Cher threw down the gauntlet and declared she wouldn’t be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame now “if they gave me a million dollars.” Why the indignation? Because it’s an insult to humanity that she wasn’t invited to be inducted decades ago, thank you very much! (My words, not Cher’s.) Well, guess who just nominated Cher to be in their little ole club? Yep, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced their 2024 nominees, and they’re trying to right the wrong against Cher now, since they can’t turn back time:
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has announced the 15 nominees for its Class of 2024, including “Queen of Hip-Hop Soul” Mary J. Blige, Grammy winner Mariah Carey, and Cher, known as the “Goddess of Pop.”
Also among the contenders for the Rock Hall are Foreigner, Dave Matthews Band, Oasis, Lenny Kravits, Ozzy Osbourne, A Tribe Called Quest, Jane’s Addiction, Sinead O’Conner, Sade, Kool & The Gang, Peter Frampton and Eric B. Rakin.
This is the first time Carey, Cher, Sade, Foreigner, Frampton, Oasis, Kravitz, Kool & The Gang and the late O’Connor are on the ballot, according to USA Today.
But while many of the artists may be celebrating, the nomination isn’t exactly music to Cher’s ears.
Back in December, the pop diva, 77, slammed the Rock Hall for snubbing her for years.
“You know what, I wouldn’t be in it now if they gave me a million dollars. I’m not kidding you,” she admitted in an interview on the “Kelly Clarkson Show.”
“I’m never going to change my mind. They can just you-know-what themselves.”
Meanwhile, this week’s nominations mark the first time Osbourne will be considered as a solo artist; he was already inducted in 2006 as the frontman of Black Sabbath.
Other nominees have previously been nominated for the Rock Hall, but haven’t yet made the cut.
Blige was nominated in 2021, A Tribe Called Quest in 2022 and 2023, Jane’s Addiction in 2017 and Eric B. Rakin in 2012, per USA Today.
So how does Cher play this? Does she pull a Dolly Parton and respectfully decline the nomination (though Dolly later accepted), or does she remind the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame of her previous wishes for them to go fly a kite? As for the Hall of Fame, they’ve kind of called her bluff to see how much she really meant she would never change her mind. But Cher is indeed a goddess, so she can’t exactly make a wrong move here. She’s Cher, she makes the rules — just ask Paul Giamatti. While I personally think it would be spectacularly badass of her to reject the Hall of Fame entirely, that doesn’t mean I would think any less of her for bestowing benevolence upon them by accepting their overtures. I do have a request, though, that if Cher ends up being inducted and showing up to the ceremony, I hope she gives as effusive a comment as she did to The Guardian about how she ended up with her current partner. Something along the lines of, “I don’t know what happened, but I’m in the Hall now.”
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So they nominate her after she calls out those old white dudes?? I hope she gives them a big F U!! Steve Miller of the Steve Miller Band complained that it costs the inductees money to be in there. Why bother.
Congrats to the 2024 nominees!
First, wth? It’s Eric B AND Rakim. Show some respect to these rap giants.
Second, I can’t believe Cher hadn’t been nominated before now. I’m glad they’re trying to right this wrong while she’s still alive to receive this recognition. This will show my age but I grew up watching The Sonny & Cher show so I’ve liked her for a long time and though she was a great actress. The magnificent Spinners were finally inducted last year and the last original Spinner died last week. And this was after they had been ignoring the Soul and R&B genres for decades. And I was happy when Dolly changed her mind. So I hope these icons show up.
Third, wth? Its also shocking that Ozzy hadn’t been nominated as a solo artist before now.
Fourth, I actually agree with and am excited about most of the nominations, esp Kool & the Gang, who have been making hits since the 70s,and Mariah Carey, Sade, Lenny Kravitz, Peter Frampton and Sinead O’Connor.
Roast em, Cher!
Does only one person get in each year? Assuming it has to be Sinead, a shame she wasn’t nominated earlier.
I think around 5 of the nominees get in….hopefully Kool and the Gang makes the cut!
Can’t believe Sonny and Cher hasn’t been nominated yet.
Can’t believe Sonny and Cher hasn’t been nominated yet. I mean, Sonny’s a guy, right?
I had to google that, because I thought for sure Sonny & Cher had been previously nominated, but that Cher hadn’t on her own. Nope, Sonny & Cher hadn’t either! That is wild to me! They were everywhere in the 60s! Iconic songs! There’s been nobody like them before or since.
What to do, what to do? Whatever Cher does, it’ll be the right decision for her. Also, ‘Goddess of Pop’? Never heard that before. She’s Cher!! That’s all the descriptor you need!
RRHOF keeps nominating and sometimes inducting artists that make it clear that they don’t want it. It’s bizarre. Just give the award to somebody who wants to participate.
Almost all other awards, Oscars, Grammies, you name it, the artist needs to apply first (or their company does it, but the point is that they don’t just pick the nominees from everyone in existence). Why not here? Because too few big names would apply?
The nominees are picked by a group of old white guys. I personally think the whole Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a joke.
Is Jann Wenner among that group of old white guys? Seems to be his kind of people.
Beaniebean, Jann Wenner got kicked out. I honestly think that’s why some of these nominations are happening this year. Someone from the band Foreigner (I think the singer) said Jann had beef with their guitarist Mick Jones so they couldn’t get voted in. And now, look, Jann is out and Foreigner is on the ballot for the 1st time
Rock music is a very old white man genre (with great exceptions), so that’s not really shocking.
But the hall of fame would save itself from many embarrassments if they stopped shoving in folks that don’t want to be there.
FINALLY !!!!!!!!!!