George Michael, Willie Nelson among Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees

[February 02, 2023]   (Reuters) - Late pop singer George Michael, 89-year-old country music icon Willie Nelson and rapper Missy Elliott are among the first-time nominees announced on Wednesday for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's class of 2023.

Of the 14 nominees on this year's list, eight are first-timers, including singers Sheryl Crow, Cyndi Lauper and the late singer/songwriter Warren Zevon, alongside rock band Joy Division/New Order and rock duo The White Stripes.

Singer Kate Bush, heavy metal band Iron Maiden, rock band Rage Against the Machine, rock group Soundgarden, R&B vocal group The Spinners and hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest are returning nominees.

“These artists have created their own sounds that have impacted generations and influenced countless others that have followed in their footsteps,” said John Sykes, chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation.

To be eligible for nomination, artists or bands must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years prior to the year of nomination. This year is the first year of eligibility for Elliott and The White Stripes.

Last year, the Hall of Fame inducted rapper Eminem, new wave band Duran Duran, country music legend Dolly Parton, rocker Pat Benatar, pop group Eurythmics and singers Lionel Ritchie and Carly Simon.

Parton had initially said she wanted to bow out because she did not feel she had earned a rock-and-roll honor, but then changed her stance and joined other former inductees from the country music world, Hank Williams and Johnny Cash.

She did promise to earn the honor and has announced a forthcoming record with covers of rock classics entitled "Rock Star."More than 1,000 artists, historians and members of the music industry worldwide will vote on the nominees, as will fans who can vote online or in-person at the Hall of Fame's museum in Cleveland.

The list of 2023 inductees will be announced in May, when Nelson will have turned 90, and the induction ceremony will take place in the fall.

(Reporting by Mary Milliken in Los Angeles; Editing by Bill Berkrot)

(Photo: Singer George Michael (C) performs with Queen at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness, at Wembley Stadium, in London Britain April 20, 1992. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez/Files)

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