The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will induct Metallica, Run-DMC, Jeff Beck, Bobby Womack, Little Anthony & the Imperials and Wanda Jackson on  April 4 at the Public Hall in Cleveland.
OK, so they blew it on the Stooges and War, two of the other finalists and it will be interesting to hear someone explain why Wanda Jackson deserves induction. Is Hasil Adkins a member or is the hall once again only interested in acts who made a quick mark rather than those who persevered, even if it was in obscurity?  
Best news though is of course Mr. Womack's selection. The Cleveland native issued a statement:
“This is just the greatest, I’m extremely happy.  My very first thought was -- I wish I could call Sam Cooke and share this moment with him. This is just about as exciting to me as being able to see Barack Obama become the first black president of the United States of America. It proves that, if you’re blessed to be able to wait on what’s important to you, a lot of things will change in life.  Being able to work, perform and make people happy is where it’s at.  I haven’t been home in almost 30 years, so having this happen in my hometown is really icing on the cake. I’m looking forward to going home.”

After several years of announcing classes with tenuous relationships to rock 'n' roll, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has come up with nine names that have relative worthiness. There's not a blues or jazz artists among the nominees. That's not to say all is well.
One's a no-brainer, Metallica, and another, Jeff Beck, is deserving, but after that the Hall voters are dealing with bands and artists whose careers were a blip on the radar, their hits were limited and their influence is not that apparent.
It's astonishing to me how many rock fans under the age of 40 are unaware of Beck, a fact that was driven home when he appeared with Kelly Clarkson on "American Idol" last year. I'm a bigger fan of his work with the Yardbirds and the Jeff Beck Group than his later solo work, but there is no denying the profound influence he has had on other guitarists and the phenomenal technical skills he displays every time he picks up a guitar. Besides, he's a player, not some cat looking for stardom, an always admirable quality.
The odd name on the list is Wanda Jackson, a rockabilly singer who spent 40 years being promoted for her connections to Elvis Presley. Its wonderful that the "queen of rockabilly" has staged a comeback in recent years, but having just one important single, "Let's Have a Party," does not warrant induction.
Little Anthony and the Imperials - yes, the guys who made "Shimmy Shimmy Ko Ko Pop" are on the ballot - represent the post do-wop/pre-Beatles era when, most of us believe, rock music was stagnant. Even if they prove this was the leading band of the ear, it still seems like they lack the goods.
Bernard Edwards laid down the best bass lines of the 1970s not played by Jaco Pastorious. And the music of Chic gets sampled and slightly re-written over and over. And Bernie and Nile Rodgers worked with plenty of rock acts as producers and musicians. So it's not a stretch for them to be here or even get in. I'm still not sold on a disco act making it into the Hall.
Which brings us to Run-D.M.C., who did have a breakthrough record that brought together rap and rock. But is a cover of "Walk This Way" enough? There was no follow-through - they flopped by thinking they could cover a Monkees tune ("Mary Mary"). Anyone who thinks Mariah Carey's ""Glitter" was tough to watch clearly has not seen "Tougher Than Leather."
Now if I had a ballot...
War got the job done. There edges alternated between the hard and soft, they mixed genres like no other acts of the day, the musicians had chops and they have a decade's worth of work that stands up. It's a bit odd to see them on the ballot as the Hall has consistently had a hard time coming to grips with bands that came of age in the 1970s, had hits and endured - like War, Chicago, Hall & Oates and Black Sabbath. Maybe they're turning a corner.
The Stooges. Why not? Everybody name checks them, Iggy Pop is one of rock n; roll's top 10 front men and they made music that sounded like nothing else from their era.
But most importantly, we have Bobby Womack.  A brilliant songwriter, an exceptional guitarist and a crucial link between gospel and pop, Womack is the R&B model that white artists copied regardless of whether they knew it.
His songs Janis Joplin’s “Trust Me,” “It’s All Over Now” and “Lookin’ For A Love”; he played with Sam Cooke and learned by his side; and also played with Elvis and on Aretha’s “Chain Of Fools.”
When one talks about deserving, Womack is the man.

I found that the Cleveland Rock and Roll Hall of Fame did not make enough of a distinction between  the Hall and the Museum aspects, and now that they are planning a New York annex, that's probably less of a concern. It's about time someone figured out how to put New York rockers' ephemera on display.
When I visited the Cleveland hall a couple of years ago they had a spectacular Ramones exhibit that would be a tremendous addition to this annex. Right now they're talking Billy Joel, David Byrne and Chelsea Hotel items; I say bring on the artifacts from the Brill Building, Gerde's Folk City and Sire Records.
Here are the details that the hall announced today:
The first annex for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will open in New York in November, with further additions planned for Las Vegas and the Middle East.
A 25,000-square-foot annex will be located in SoHo at 76 Mercer St. and will showcase selected artifacts from the Cleveland’s museum’s collection. The annex is part of the museum’s mission to honor cities that have helped shape the history of rock ’n’ roll.
Among the items that will be on display are an untitled, handwritten poem by Jim Morrison, Elvis Presley’s motorcycle jacket, Michael Jackson’s velvet jacket from “We Are the World”, John Lennon’s Record Plant Piano and Bruce Springsteen’s 1957 Chevy.
The Las Vegas version will be less focused on rock artifacts and more entertainment oriented.
The New York annex will be open for a minimum of two years and is being financed by Running Subway Prods., the company behind “Bodies ... The Exhibition” and the Broadway production of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!"
Besides Michael Bloomberg loves to pose with rock stars.

The overdue induction of two architects of Philadelphia soul into the Rock and Hall of Fame syncs nicely with the 45th anniversary of the meeting of producer-songwriters Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff.
For the uninitiated, Gamble & Huff personified soul music in the 1970s, created a distinct energy and sultriness in the sound that crossed over consistently in the days of less regimented radio. They took the Motown model, which was crumbling as the label shifted to L.A. from Detroit, and extended it to encompass albums as well as singles on their Philadelphia International Records label. G&H made the soul equivalent of Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” with the O’Jays’ “Ship Ahoy,” an album filled with lengthy, sonically shifting tracks that connected together thematically. Disco was their commercial downfall, but the best of their songs have not only aged gracefully, ther commercial vitality has become enhanced over time.
Sony BMG’s Legacy Recordings, which inked a deal with Gamble and Huff last year, is preparing to re-release their Philadelphia International recordings in droves. Gamble and Huff,  being inducted Monday as non-performers in the Hall, have been tubthumping the catalog since Grammy week, when a reception for them attracted the likes of Jimmy Jam, Elvis Costello and Billy Paul as the party turned into a performance, demonstration and master class.
This week saw the release of a hits and misses packages: "The Sound of Philadelphia: Gamble & Huff's Greatest Hits" features tracks by the O'Jays, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, Billy Paul, the Three Degrees and others; "Conquer The World: The Lost Soul of Philadelphia International Records" features lesser-known PIR artists such as Bunny Sigler, Ruth McFadden, the Soul Devaliants and Love Committee.
“One of the unique things about Gamble and me, we tailored (songs) for specific artists,” Huff says. “It was time to work for Billy Paul, time for the Three Degrees. Everything was specifically for a certain artist. The publishing company was called Tailor Made, that’s how specific it was.”
The doors opened by Cameo-Parkway, the first famous Philly record company in the rock era, were filled literally and figuratively by Gamble and Huff. Gamble credits the C-P model as a key to their structure; after their early success, Philadelphia Int’l purchased the building that housed Cameo-Parkway and made it the PIR headquarters.
“Cameo-Parkway really was a major force with Chubby Checker, Dee Dee Sharp,” Gamble notes. “We grew up on that environment. Now, every time I go in, I swear I see the ghosts (of the former stars)."

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which has one its weaker classes this year, has announced the artists who will induct this year’s honorees on March 10 at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.
Lou Reed will induct Leonard Cohen; Justin Timberlake will wax rhapsodic about Madonna;Ben Harper will heap praise on the late harmonica master Little Walter; John Mellencamp will hear Billy Joel's thoughts on small towns, middle America and leftist politics; the iceman, Jerry Butler from Chicago, will toast the long overdue Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff of Philadelphia; John Fogerty can share thoughts on making the same three chords work over and over for the Ventures; and Tom Hanks can detail the Playtone Galaxy of Stars and wonder what happened to the O'Neders when he inducts the Dave Clark Five.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has sent out its ballots with Madonna, the Beastie Boys and John Mellencamp leading the way. Returning to the ballot are the previously overlooked  Leonard Cohen, Africa Bambatta, the Ventures, Donna Summer, Chic and Dave Clark 5.
The cutoff point for eligibility is now 1982, which doesn't seem all that long ago.