Legends of Rock and Roll Honored
The Dave Clark Five, Madonna and John Mellencamp Inducted into Rock Hall Class of '08
The Dave Clark Five, Madonna and John Mellencamp were among the rock legends honored at the 23rd Annual Induction Ceremony for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, held March 10 at New York City's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. Among those inducting this year's honorees were fellow ASCAP members Jerry Butler, John Fogerty, Ben Harper, Billy Joel and Justin Timberlake.
Artists are eligible for inclusion in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twenty-five years after their first recording is released.
About the Inductees
One of the most successful British Invasion bands of the Sixties,
The Dave Clark Five topped the UK charts in 1965 with their iconic pop song "Glad All Over." Thundering production set the DC5 apart. Their slick melodic sensibility masked their boom factor: The DC5 were the loudest group in the U.K. until the advent of The Who. Drummer, songwriter and manager Dave Clark provided a perfect foundation for Mike Smith's soulful vocals. Reaching the Top Forty 17 times in just three years, with more appearances on the Ed Sullivan show than the Beatles or the Rolling Stones, the DC5 were an enormous pop phenomenon before disbanding in 1970. The Dave Clark Five have sold more than 50 million records worldwide to date.
Doors opened wide for
Madonna Louise Ciccone in 1982, after five years as a singer and dancer on New York City's competitive club circuit. She signed with Sire Records (her label for the next 14 years) where her idiosyncratic persona exploded onto turntables, dance floors and airwaves and captured the imagination of the first generation of MTV viewers. She went on to become the top female star of the 1980s with seven #1 hits, three #1 albums and seventeen top ten hits in that decade. In addition to molding her public image, Madonna is a meticulous studio craftsperson and completely uninhibited stage performer. From her first #1, 1984's "Like A Virgin" (produced by Nile Rogers of Chic) to her most recent two year
Confessions campaign, Madonna remains one of the most ferociously original artists in music today.
Over the course of his career,
John Mellencamp has become a symbol of the hopes, struggles and passions of America's heartland. As a songwriter, many of his efforts have transcended "hit" status ("Hurts So Good," "Pink Houses," "I Need A Lover") and have entered the cultural vernacular. Mellencamp's musical heart is in his ballads and rock numbers rooted in late 50s and early 60s rock and roll. His music describes the American experience; the hopes and fears of the common everyman. As co-founder of Farm Aid, Indiana's favorite son gives voice to issues that might otherwise be ignored, from our disappearing farmlands to the role of race and class in America.
For more information, go to:
www.rockhall.com
