Nirvana, Kiss among Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees
Kiss, from left, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and Tommy Thayer, perform in Mexico City. (Sept. 29, 2012) Credit: AP
Nirvana and Kiss lead this year's class of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, with their celebration set to be the first ceremony open to the public in New York.
Also set to be inducted at the Barclays Center on April 10 are: Peter Gabriel, Daryl Hall and John Oates, Linda Ronstadt, and Cat Stevens. The E Street Band will receive the Award for Musical Excellence, while the late Beatles manager Brian Epstein and original Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham will receive the Ahmet Ertegun Award.
Nirvana -- Kurt Cobain, Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic -- received the honor in their first year of eligibility, as their single "Love Buzz" arrived in 1988, even though their breakthrough didn't come until the 1991 release of "Nevermind." Artists are eligible for induction 25 years after their first recording.
On the other hand, Kiss -- Peter Criss, Ace Frehley, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley -- have been eligible for 15 years, a slight the fans of the "Rock and Roll All Nite" band have become increasingly angry about for years.
The E Street Band induction solves another long-argued Rock Hall issue, since they were not included when Bruce Springsteen was inducted in 1999.
The six artists were selected from a list of 13 nominees, including Bay Shore native LL Cool J, who didn't make the cut this year.
Tickets for the induction ceremony at Barclays Center will go on sale in January. HBO will air an edited version of the show in May.
