The Rock and Roll Hall of Shame
Posted on 11/22/2004 8:07:47 AM PST by stainlessbanner
Nobody seems to know much about the "1,000 rock experts" who decide who gets into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame.
This much we do know: They haven't listened to Lynyrd Skynyrd. I mean, really listened. Not just heard a few familiar notes of Freebird or Sweet Home Alabama, pictured rebel flags and Trans Ams, and voted for other bands.
They haven't looked at old footage of packed stadiums. Not just in the South. All over the country.
They haven't paid attention to what a wide range of musicians -- from Hank Williams Jr. to Neil Young (yes, Neil Young) -- have said about Skynyrd's music.
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Six nominations. No induction.
Eric Verona wants to make sure the seventh time is different. Verona, 38, isn't a voter. He's a fan. He has started an online drive at RockTheHall.com, hoping to push Skynyrd into the Hall. He did the same last year for Bob Seger. And it worked, helping to get Seger into the Class of 2004.
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But, let's face it, voters hear Skynyrd and think Southern rock, emphasis on Southern. And although you would think helping to create a genre would be a reason to put a band in the Hall of Fame, in this case it has the opposite effect. And it's a shame. The voters are doing exactly what they accuse Southerners of doing -- stereotyping.
Ronnie Van Zant sang about a lot of things, some that might surprise those who paint a simplistic image of the band. Saturday Night Special is a song about getting rid of handguns. The Ballad to Curtis Loew is a song about a friendship with an old black man.
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(Excerpt) Read more at jacksonville.com ...
BTW, Young wrote "Powderfinger" for Skynyrd.
"Motorhead....Watch the Price is Right"
Powell is the only original member still with the band, right? Or did Gary rejoin?
Ohhhhh...Man! Those late '70s, early '80s jams I cranked the amps up and partied to. I just involuntarily started rocking back and forth in my chair with Danny Joe Brown's growling lyrics running through my head.
Pickup trucks, redneck gals, cheap beer and guitar rock wailing through the night air. Its a wonder I lived past my early 20s. ;-)
The Rock and Roll Hall of Shame
I'm getting tired of this debate. Put LS in the HOF and be done with it. They are certainly more deserving than many... even tho they did record 'That Smell'.....
As far as I know, Rossington has been with the band since it reformed with Johnny Van Zandt, who I actually prefer over his brother. Powell and Dale Kravantz (back up singer) are also still touring with them. Make sure you check out the DVD's I mentioned above. They just plain rock.
The group took their name from Alan Sherman's classic 1963 hit A Letter From Camp.
Allan Collins frequently performed the song solo when the band wasn't rehearsing and used the name as an alias when ordering pizza and such. The band quickly adopted that alias when they ran into problems going on stage with their original name, One Percent.
It was original drummer Bob Burns (the last school boy in the group) who later came home annoucing that his new gym teacher had the same name no doubt leading to a big inside joke that gave birth to the popular myth.
And I thought I had the scoop! Thanks for the info. "Powderfinger" is a great tune too.
Yeah, what's up with Al Green and Chet Akins, not to mention some other questionables?
SCOTS has an even better album "Ditch Digging". Look that one up!
So the gym teacher name story is an urban legend? Hmmm ... I don't have time to research this right now, but I will. Snopes has nothing on it.
I think alot of people that are inducted into the Hall are talented musicians, but maybe the Hall should be called the Modern Music Hall of Fame or something. Country, Reggae, Soul, Pop, and Rock, just to name a few.
It definitely should be re-named. Currently, it is glaring misnomer.
DBT are pretty good. Lots of potential there.
Been listening to these guys locally for about 6-7 years now. They are constantly getting better. Up to now, almost every personnel change has improved the band. The only one that didn't was the departure of pedal steel player John Neff - but his skills don't really fit with the brutal three-guitar attack they feature now. He did guest a bit on "Decoration Day", however.
Dale Kravantz isn't an original. There are currently more pre-crash original Skynyrd members touring with Artimus Pyle's Saturday Night Special than in the group currently touring under the name Lynyrd Skynyrd.
>My favorite Lynyrd Skynyrd song is Simple Man
I agree... one of their best for sure, the words are strong as steel!
But is the Lynyrd Skynyrd omission really so surprising? Does anyone think a music world that is so eager to prove its political correctness at every turn is going to honor a band that uses a Confederate battle flag as its symbol, and has been derided as "racist" by rock critics since its inception?
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