Is it time for “Weird Al” Yankovic to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?
Since the 65-year-old parody musician’s career began in the 1970s, he’s earned legitimate hits, won five Grammy Awards, consistently toured the world and earned respect from many of the artists he’s spoofed — so why not welcome him into the prestigious music organization?
In a new interview with Vulture, Rock Hall chairman John Sykes opened up about why a few artists who’ve been in the game for quite some time haven’t been inducted just yet, including Yankovic.
“‘Weird Al’ has come up in conversations,” said Sykes, 69. “He’s a genius.”
The entertainment executive added of the “Eat It” singer, “He has made brilliant versions of the songs, but I’ll be honest: He’s never made it close to the ballot.”
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Some other artists who’ve been discussed for induction but never quite gotten to the finish line, Sykes also told the outlet, are the B-52’s, Phil Collins as a solo artist, the Pixies and Joe Cocker.
Whether he gets inducted or not, Yankovic has a busy 2025 ahead of him. The comedic performer is gearing up for his massive Bigger & Weirder Tour, which includes stops at major North American venues like Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre, New York City’s Madison Square Garden and Los Angeles’ Kia Forum.
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Elsewhere in Sykes’ Vulture interview, the chairman spoke about why Rock & Roll Hall of Fame won’t be changing its name anytime soon despite inducting artists of various genres — including Dolly Parton, who spoke publicly about not feeling like she deserved the honor as a country musician.
“I think it’s because some people don’t understand the meaning of rock and roll,” he said. “If you go back to the original sound in the ’50s, it was everything. As [2023 inductee] Missy Elliott calls it, it was a gumbo. It just became known as rock and roll.”
Sykes continued, “So when I hear people say, ‘You should just change it to the Music Hall of Fame,’ rock and roll has pretty much covered all of that territory. Rather than throwing the name out, it’s doing a better job of communicating to people where rock and roll came from and what it’s truly about. Once they hear it that way, they understand.”
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