The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has officially announced its 2025 inductees, and among the celebrated names are two powerhouse bands: BAD COMPANY and SOUNDGARDEN. Their induction is part of a class that also includes Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker, Cyndi Lauper, OutKast, and THE WHITE STRIPES, who will all be honored in the Performer category.
In addition to the Performer inductees, Salt-N-Pepa and Warren Zevon will be recognized with the Musical Influence Award for their transformative impact on music. The Musical Excellence Awards will be presented to Philly soul songwriter/producer Thom Bell, celebrated keyboardist Nicky Hopkins, and legendary WRECKING CREW bassist Carol Kaye. Former Warner Bros. Records president Lenny Waronker will receive the prestigious Ahmet Ertegun Award for his outstanding contributions to the industry.
John Sykes, chairman of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame said: “Each of these inductees created their own sound and attitude that had a profound impact on culture and helped to change the course of rock and roll forever. Their music gave a voice to generations and influenced countless artists that followed in their footsteps.”
The induction ceremony is set for November 8 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. It will stream live on Disney+ once again, with an edited broadcast to air on ABC at a later date.
In a recent interview with U.K. radio veteran Paul Stephenson of VRP Rocks, BAD COMPANY drummer Simon Kirke shared his thoughts on the band’s long-overdue nomination for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame—finally arriving in February 2025 after decades of eligibility.
“Well, it’s the first time we’ve been nominated,” Kirke said, “and a very good friend of mine is Nicko McBrain from IRON MAIDEN. He sent me a congratulatory text. He said, ‘By the way, Simon, MAIDEN have been nominated 11 f**king times and we haven’t been inducted ever. So our management wrote to the Hall Of Fame and said, ‘Stop nominating us. Bollocks. F**k off.’”
“What can I say? If I was truly honest, I would say it’s about time because we’ve been around for so long,” Simon continued. “And hello? How about FREE, which superseded BAD COMPANY? A lot of people have a lot of affection for FREE.
“As I see it, there are 14 nominees, and it’s the first four [in the fan vote] that get inducted,” Kirke added. “That’s my belief. We are behind PHISH who have a huge social media presence. I’ve never really heard PHISH, quite honestly — they’re like the younger version of the GRATEFUL DEAD, but they’ve got just under 200,000 [fan] votes. We have about 180,000, so we’re second. I’m told by an insider that we are gonna get in. we will actually know on Monday or Tuesday. So, yeah, I’ve already spoken with Paul [Rodgers, BAD COMPANY singer] about what song we’re gonna play, and it’s gonna be ‘Can’t Get Enough’. And, yeah, I’m happy — I’ll be happy for Mick [Ralphs, BAD COMPANY guitarist], ’cause Mick had a stroke several years ago and he is in not good shape. And as long as he holds out when we get on that stage in November, we’re gonna give a shoutout to Mick. Because he wrote the damn song — he wrote ‘Movin’ On’ and he wrote a lot of the hits and he deserves it.”
Source: metaladdicts.com
