Zack de la Rocha & His Rage Against the Machine Band Mates Among This Year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominees

Posted on February 1, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Zack de la Rocha is hoping the fifth time’s the charm…

The 53-year-old Mexican American musician, singer, songwriter, rapper and political activist and his fellow Rage Against the Machine band mates are among the fourteen 2023 nominees for induction into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Formed in 1991, the two-time Grammy-winning rock band is known for its melding of heavy metal and rap music with punk rock and funk influences, and its revolutionary socialist political views.

Rage Against the Machine was previously nominated in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Here’s the complete list of nominees as announced by the The Rock Hall Foundation:

Kate Bush
Sheryl Crow
Missy Elliott
Iron Maiden
Joy Division/New Order
Cyndi Lauper
George Michael
Willie Nelson
Rage Against the Machine
Soundgarden
The Spinners
A Tribe Called Quest
The White Stripes
Warren Zevon

To be eligible for nomination, an individual artist or band must have released its first commercial recording at least 25 years prior to the year of nomination. Eight out of 14 of the nominees are on the ballot for the first time: Crow, Elliott, Joy Division/New Order, Lauper, Michael, Nelson, The White Stripes, and Zevon.

This is the first year of eligibility for Elliott and The White Stripes.

“This remarkable list of nominees reflects the diverse artists and music that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame honors and celebrates,” said John Sykes, chairman of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. “These artists have created their own sounds that have impacted generations and influenced countless others that have followed in their footsteps.”

The nominees were announced today on Rock and Roll Hall of Fame social channels and on SiriusXM Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Radio and Volume on the SXM App.

Nominee ballots will be sent to an international voting body of more than 1,000 artists, historians and members of the music industry. An artist’s musical impact and influence on other artists, length and depth of career and body of work, as well as innovation and superiority in style and technique are taken into consideration.

Last year’s Hall of Fame inductees were Dolly Parton, Eminem, Duran Duran, Eurythmics, Lionel Richie, Carly Simon, Judas Priest and Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo.

Inductees will be announced in May. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2023 Induction Ceremony will take place this fall with date, venue, and on-sale information to be announced.

Martin Scorsese Directing Film About Jerry Garcia & The Grateful Dead, Starring Jonah Hill

Posted on November 20, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

The late Jerry Garcia’s band life story is headed to the big screen…

Jonah Hill is set to play the late half-Spanish American guitarist, singer and songwriter in a feature about The Grateful Dead from director Martin Scorsese.

Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, the writers behind biopics like Dolemite Is My Name and Big Eyes, penned the screenplay about the infamous jam band.

Apple, where the project is set up, has acquired the right to use the Grateful Dead’s music in the film.

The Grateful Dead was founded in the Bay Area in the 1960s as a part of San Francisco’s burgeoning counter-culture movement.

Garcia acted as the lead guitarist, as well as vocalist. He died in 1995 after the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

It’s unclear what part of the band’s history will be covered in the film, but Scorsese has already been a part of bringing the band’s story to the screen, executive producing the 2017 rock doc about the group, Long Strange Trip.

Scorsese will produce via his Sikelia Productions under a first-look deal with the tech giant. Hill will produce via his Strong Baby banner with Matt Dines.

Rick Yorn will also produce, with Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Trixie Garcia, Eric Eisner and Bernie Cahill executive-producing.

Scorsese is currently working on his next feature, The Killers of the Flower Moon, starring Leonardo DiCaprio. It will also be a reteaming for the director and actor, who previously worked together on The Wolf of Wall Street.

Zack de la Rocha & His Rage Against the Machine Band Mates Earn Third Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nomination

Posted on February 11, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Zack de la Rocha is getting another chance to head to the Hall…

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced its 2021 nominees, with the 51-year-old Mexican American musician, singer, songwriter, rapper and activist and his Rage Against the Machine band mates earning a spot on the ballot.

In the the most gender-inclusive ballot in the Rock Hall’s history, de la Rocha and his band mates are joined by Mary J. Blige, Kate Bush, Devo, Foo Fighters, The Go-Go’s, Iron Maiden, Jay-Z, Chaka Khan, Carole King, Fela Kuti, LL Cool J, New York Dolls, Todd Rundgren, Tina Turner and Dionne Warwick on the 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ballot.

Formed in 1991, the group consists of vocalist de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello, and drummer Brad Wilk.

The bands songs express revolutionary political views.

The band was nominated for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in its first year of eligibility in 2017, as well as in 2018, although both bids failed. Could their third nomination be the charm?

Fan votes, which you can cast at RockHall.com, contribute to the induction process, but don’t guarantee entry.

In 2020, the Rock Hall inducted Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails, the Notorious B.I.G., Whitney Houston, T. Rex and the Doobie Brothers into its ranks during a virtual ceremony due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Joan Baez to Receive the Woody Guthrie Prize

Posted on July 22, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Joan Baez is being heralded in a big way…

The 79-year-old half-Mexican American singer-songwriter has been named this year’s recipient of the Woody Guthrie Prize, in recognition of her “groundbreaking career and impact on humanitarian causes.”

Baez, a legendary folk singer, activist and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, is the first Latina/o artist to win the award.

She’ll be inducted on Saturday, August 16 during a virtual edition of the Philadelphia Folk Festival.

The prize was established in 2014 and is given each year to an artist who best exemplifies the spirit and life work of Woody Guthrie by speaking for the less fortunate and serving as a positive force for social change.

Baez “has consistently been on the front lines in the fight for social justice, peace, and equality,” comments Woody Guthrie Center director Deana McCloud in a statement.

Baez joins previous recipients of the award John Mellencamp, Kris Kristofferson, Mavis Staples, Pete Seeger and last year’s winner, Public Enemy‘s Chuck D.

“It has been my mission to use my music as a voice for those who cannot be heard or have been silenced by fear and powerlessness,” Baez said.

Baez’s 25th and final studio album Whistle Down The Wind, her first new LP in nearly a decade, arrived in early 2018.

A New York native, Baez was inducted into the Rock Hall in 2017.

Carlos Santana to Give Keynote Address at the Herb Alpert School of Music at UCLA’s Commencement Ceremony

Posted on June 9, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Carlos Santana is preppin’ for a supernatural graduation…

The 72-year-old Mexican Grammy-winning guitarist and entrepreneur will be the featured speaker for the 2020 commencement ceremony at the Herb Alpert School of Music at UCLAon June 19.

In a statement about the event, the school’s inaugural dean, Eileen L. Stempel, said that Santana’s “inclusive global sound and commitment to social justice are emblematic of our school’s core values,” adding, “I am deeply moved by his desire to share words of inspiration and encouragement with our graduates during this important time.”

“I feel honored to be speaking to young musicians and a new generation of music scholars,” said the Grammy-winning Rock and Roll Hall of Famer in a statement. “The class of 2020 is resilient and their voices are needed now more than ever. I want them to use their music as a platform to empower and unite as we seek justice and creative solutions during these challenging times.”

The 2020 commencement will take place online on June 19 at 4:00 p.m. PDT; it will also include music and remarks by graduating students and a performance by the Herbie Hancock Institute for Jazz Performance at UCLA.

This year’s graduating class at the school will feature 130 graduates from the departments of ethnomusicology, global jazz studies, music, music industry and musicology.

CNN to Air Acclaimed Linda Ronstadt Documentary on New Year’s Day

Posted on November 15, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Linda Ronstadt’s inspiring story is headed to the screen…

CNN Films has acquired the documentary feature about the 73-year-old Mexican American singer, Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice, and it has set the film’s television premiere for New Year’s Day on CNN.

Ronstadt was 21 when she first hit the national charts with the Stone Poneys’ “Different Drum,” and her plaintive vocal leapt off the radio from the opening line. By the mid-’70s, she was cranking out smash singles and multiplatinum albums as fast as the public could consume them. Three of her LPs hit No. 1 en route to her becoming the most successful female singer of the decade.

Ronstadt is a 10-time Grammy winner, and has earned a Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award by The Latin Recording Academy and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award by The Recording Academy. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Famein 2014.

Two-time Oscar winner Rob Epstein and Oscar nominee Jeffrey Friedman directed the documentray from Greenwich Entertainment, 1091and CNN Films.

Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice premieres at 9:00 pm on Wednesday, January 1.

Linda Ronstadt to Receive Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Posted on June 27, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Linda Ronstadt is about to shine a little brighter…

The class of 2019 Hollywood Walk of Fame honorees have been announced, with the71-year-old half-Mexican American singer making the list.

Recipients are recognized in the recording, television, film and live theater/live performance categories, and Ronstadt is certainly a living legend.

Ronstadt, an 11-time Grammy winner, was awarded the Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award by The Latin Recording Academy in 2011 and also awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award by The Recording Academy in 2016. Additionally, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and was awarded the National Medal of Arts and Humanities in 2014.

She will receive a joint star with Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris. The three singers joined voiceson the albumTrio, which was released in 1987. It sold over 4 million copies worldwide and also received several awards, including two Grammy Awards.

The Hollywood Walk of Fame receives hundreds of submissions each year for a personal star on Hollywood Boulevard. The groundbreaking only comes to fruition for very few, as it is estimated that the construction and ceremony production costs exceed $30,000.

The dates for the star ceremonies have yet to be announced.

Baez Among the 2017 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees

Posted on December 22, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Joan Baez is celebrating a special feat…

The 75-year-old Mexican American folk singer, songwriter, musician, and activist will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Baez, a first-time nominee, will be joined by Pearl Jam, Journey, Electric Light Orchestra, Tupac Shakur and Yes as the shrine’s 2017 inductees.

Baez, whose contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest or social justice, began her recording career in 1960 and achieved immediate success. Her first three albums, Joan Baez, Joan Baez, Vol. 2, and Joan Baez in Concert all achieved gold record status and stayed on the Billboard and other record album charts for two years.

Her songs of acclaim include “Diamonds & Rust” and covers of Phil Ochs‘ “There but for Fortune” and The Band‘s “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down“. She is also known for “Farewell, Angelina“, “Love Is Just a Four-Letter Word“, “Forever Young“,”Joe Hill“, “Sweet Sir Galahad” and “We Shall Overcome.”

Baez, who performed three songs at the 1969 Woodstock Festival, has displayed a lifelong commitment to political and social activism in the fields of nonviolence, civil rights, human rights and the environment.

“I never considered myself to be a rock and roll artist,” said Baez, who received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007 and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2011, in a statement. “But as part of the folk music boom which contributed to and influenced the rock revolution of the 60’s, I am proud that some of the songs I sang made their way into the rock lexicon. I very much appreciate this honor and acknowledgement by the Hall of Fame.”

The 32nd annual Rock Hall induction ceremony will take place on April 7 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. SiriusXM will broadcast the ceremony live and it will again be filmed for a later telecast on HBO.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame + Museum in Cleveland will open a special exhibit on March 30 to honor the 2017 inductees.

Trujillo & His Metallica Band Mates Perform New Single “Moth Into Flame”

Posted on September 30, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Robert Trujillo is flaming out…

The 51-year-old bassist and his fellow Metallica band mates debuted the second song off their new studio album Hardwired… To Self-Destruct on national television on Thursday.

Metallica guested on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and performed the headbanger “Moth Into Flame.”

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famers certainly got a spirited introduction. Leading into the performance, Fallon accurately called them “one of them most influential rock bands in music history” and Vice President Joe Biden — who was also guesting on the show — shouted them out on Twitter: “my house band, Metallica.”

Hardwired… To Self-Destruct will be released on November 18, 2016.

Garcia to Be Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame

Posted on June 16, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Jerry Garcia legacy lives on…

The late part-Spanish American musician best known for his lead guitar work, singing and songwriting with the band the Grateful Dead, will be posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame this week.

Garcia and his songwriting partner Robert Hunter, who will also be honored, first paired together as performers in a folk duo in the early 1960’s. When Garcia formed the Grateful Dead in the mid-1960’s, he looked to Hunter for lyrics. Hunter became an official lyricist for the band, and when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, Hunter was inducted as a band member, the only non-performer ever honored.

Garcia wrote the music while Hunter penned lyrics for songs like “Casey Jones”, “China Cat Sunflower,” “St. Stephen” and “Truckin,’” which was recognized by the United States Library of Congress in 1997 as a national treasure.

With more than 35 million albums sold worldwide, other notable tracks include, “Dark Star,” which is listed as one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s “500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll” list, and was ranked #57 on Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time,” the 1987 single, “Touch Of Grey” which was also the band’s first music video and, “Friend of the Devil” from the 1970 album American Beauty, which has been covered by Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, The Counting Crows, Elvis Costello, Lyle Lovett and John Mayer. In 2007, the Grateful Dead received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

The 46th Annual Induction and Awards Dinner will take place on June 18 at the New York Marriott Marquis.

The attendees will gather to celebrate the core of creativity that drives the music business: the craft of songwriting.

Other members of 2015 class of inductees: country hitmaker Bobby Braddock, late blues icon Willie Dixon, country star Toby Keith, ’80s pop chart-topper Cyndi Lauper and Linda Perry of 4 Non Blondes, who has written hits for Christina Aguilera, Alicia Keys, Gwen Stefani, James Blunt, the Dixie Chicks and others.

“Our 2015 lineup of inductees represents the rich diversity of American musical styles – Rock, Country, Blues and Pop – that have captivated the world over the past six decades,” said SHOF President & CEO Linda Moran. “Each one of these brilliant music creators have written instantly recognizable classics, songs that are both of their time and timeless. Our Annual Awards Gala is sure to be unforgettable.”

The evening’s lineup of performers and presenters includes Tony Bennett, Benny Blanco, Zac Brown, Michael Buble, Ledisi, Ne-Yo, Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland, Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi, Bernie Taupin and Paul Williams.

Hispanically Yours

Celebrating the Latino Influence

Tag Archives: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame