The Comets are another backing band inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame years after its frontman received the solo honor.
In this case that frontman is Bill Haley, who was admitted to the Hall of Fame in 1987, the institution’s second year (after failing to make it into the inaugural class). The Comets would have to wait another 25 years.
The 2012 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame class was much larger than most, and that’s because the Hall decided that year to acknowledge backing bands that didn’t make it in with their lead singers.
Six such acts were inducted in 2012, all given the green light by a special committee and not subject to the usual voting process.
Now that I’ve put the 2024 movie year to bed, it’s time to return to music posts. And I’m kicking things off with an installment of my Hall of Fame series.
I’ve been working backward, covering each Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction class from the most recent to the inaugural class of 1986. So far, I’ve made my way back to 2013, so I’ll spend the next three weeks documenting the Class of 2012.
The final inductee into the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame class is the sort of artist for whom the Musical Excellence category was designed.
Norman Whitfield is not a performer, and not a name most people would recognize, but his fingerprints are all over some of the greatest songs ever recorded. As a writer and producer, he played a key role in developing the Motown sound.
Dionne Warwick was nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice, in 2021 and 2022, but didn’t make the cut either time. The Hall went ahead and inducted her this year in the Musical Excellence category.
I’m shocked Warwick didn’t make it in on those ballots, or years earlier for that matter. She is one of the most successful singers of all time, with dozens of charting singles and more than 100 million album sales worldwide. She’s won a slew of awards, both competitive and for lifetime achievement. And she is the inspiration for a very funny SNL sketch.
Meet Me In Montauk 