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OVERVIEW |
This is the area in which the Rock Hall has done virtually nothing right from the start, when in the very first year of existence the Hall inducted blues great Robert Johnson, an artist who was barely known to anyone in rock's formative years and had virtually no influence on rock's original evolution, yet has since become legendary to white fans and critics through his rediscovery by 60's artists. Meanwhile Louis Jordan, the true undisputed forefather of rock who essentially created the foundation of the rock style itself but who has much less modern name recognition than Johnson, was bypassed until year two. It was a dubious beginning.
At least Jordan made it sooner rather than later, because since that time the chances for the true rock influences has gone downhill steadily, with the voters becoming increasingly clueless in this category as time went on, inducting any and every big name from the 40's and earlier no matter how remote their actual connection to rock's birth, frequently choosing only to look at white artist's influences while seemingly forgetting that black artists invented rock 'n' roll itself. Pete Seeger was an avowed rock hater, yet he got in despite having no influence at all on rock's birth. Nat Cole and Billie Holiday, while both great artists, made it because they remain identifiable names, not because their music had any real impact on the formation of rock 'n' roll. Country acts got way too much credit from the Hall, mirroring their incorrect belief that rock was simply a merger of R&B and C&W, while the far more important field of gospel, which brought the dominant vocal style to rock, got only two entries. Further compounding their problems The Hall Of Fame inducted authentic rock artists like The Orioles and Professor Longhair as Early Influences rather than Main Performers, and then showing a total lack of consistency inducted Muddy Waters, who first recorded in 1941, as a Main Performer, while inducting Howlin' Wolf, who didn't record until 1951, as an Early Influence!
The voters it seems are as unaware of rock's true history as most casual music fans are and unfortunately they haven't felt the need to go back and study it in depth to correct their misconceptions. Here then are the true Early Influences on rock 'n' roll as a genre unto itself and the Hall Of Fame's most shameful exclusions in this area.
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Early Influence Candidates
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Faye Adams |
Tough to peg her strictly as an Early Influence rather than a Main Inductee since her entire career was at the peak of the first rock era, but as the latter she'd probably have absolutely no chance of gaining entry so here's where she'd have her best shot. Three #1 R&B Hits in two years, including the immortal "Shake A Hand" in 1953, one of the biggest and most important records in rock's formative years that blurred the line between the sacred and secular and brought intensity to the forefront of rock.
Qualifications: 7
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Archibald |
Leon T. Gross, professionally known as simply "Archibald", was the unquestioned forefather of the New Orleans piano style that dominated rock's first two-plus decades. Though he had only one hit, a definitive version of the standard "Stack-O-Lee" aka "Stagger Lee", his influence on every piano player in rock from Professor Longhair to Fats Domino, Allen Toussaint and Dr. John is undeniable.
Qualifications: 5
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Tiny Bradshaw |
As the 40's jump blues morphed into the early 50's R&B Bradshaw was at the forefront of the change. Today all he may be known for is being the originator of the classic "Train' Kept A Rollin", but he had a string of big hits from 1950-1953 that shaped the direction of rock 'n' roll.
Qualifications: 7
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Roy Brown |
The father of the modern day solo artist in many ways and a crucial influence on New Orleans rock, not to mention revered by artists from Elvis Presley to James Brown. The writer of "Good Rockin' Tonight", which many call the first rock song, and possessor of two #1 R&B Hits, plus one of rock's first classic sides in "Rockin' At Midnight". Brown should've been in by year two at the latest, yet here it is more than 20 years later and he's still on the outside looking in. If a voter can't identify at least three of Roy Brown's songs they're not qualified to even discuss rock 'n' roll history credibly, let alone vote on its greatest artists.
Qualifications: 10
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Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup |
His potential induction would stem entirely from his connection to Elvis Presley who covered Crudup's "That's All Right" as his own debut single on Sun and later cut another Crudup song, "My Baby Left Me" while with RCA. Crudup's influence can clearly be seen in Presley, which then spreads it even further, and with Hall voters who look for big-name association he could actually be elevated over more deserving candidates here.
Qualifications: 5
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Larry Darnell |
Versatile New Orleans singer who's debut session in 1949 produced two of the biggest hits of rock's earliest years, the #1 smash "For You My Love" and the two-part dramatic reading of "I'll Get Along Somehow" which hit #2 and created pandemonium with female audiences. His subsequent career never matched that initial wild success but he was considered a top vocal talent who recorded steadily through rock's crossover years in the mid-to-late 50's.
Qualifications: 7
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The Dixie Hummingbirds |
One of the longest lasting and most influential gospel groups of all-time, featuring Ira Tucker, who's been with them for 70 years, starting out as 13 year old in 1938. The group's theatrics, intricate vocal style and show-stopping performances made them a top draw for decades. John Hammond featured them in New York City in the 40's and as late as the 70's the original group backed Paul Simon on his gospel-esque hit "Loves Me Like A Rock". Most groups of the peak gospel decades of the 40's and 50's were taking something from the Hummingbirds.
Qualifications: 8
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Billy Eckstine |
One of the more popular and unique pre-rock artists was innovative jazz singer Billy Eckstine who had scores of future rockers wanting to emulate his way with a ballad. Virtually all of his biggest hits were later covered by rock artists, including James Brown, Little Willie John, Ricky Nelson and The Everly Brothers, all of whom had major hits themselves with their versions.
Qualifications: 5
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Five Blind Boys Of Mississippi |
Gospel group formed by students at the Piney Woods School For The Blind, originally called the Jackson Harmoneers, featured the powerful Archie Brownlee on lead vocals, one of the pioneers of the intense hard-singing style that rock picked up on. In the early 50's they were considered virtually unbeatable on stage and had the rarity of scoring a Top Ten R&B Hit with a pure gospel song, "Our Father".
Qualifications: 7
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Cecil Gant |
A one-hit wonder but that one hit helped to open the doors for R&B's rise when "I Wonder" became a national sensation during World War Two. A prolific pianist with a fine boogie woogie style, but who gained more attention as a balladeer. Gant died in the early 50's without ever getting full credit for his role in helping to plant rock's early seeds so his modern familiarity is limited.
Qualifications: 6
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Lionel Hampton |
If the Hall Of Fame wants a huge name to attract mainstream audiences that actually had something to do with rock's birth, then why not Hampton? His work with Illinois Jacquet on "Flying Home" was one of the movement's first sightings, while "Hamp's Boogie Woogie", "Hey Ba-Ba-Re-Bop" and "Blowtop Blues" were also crucial in its development. From the jazz field he was every bit as influential to rock as Charlie Christian who made it easily.
Qualifications: 6
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Wynonie Harris |
Other than Louis Jordan no other Early Influence on Rock was as MUCH of an influence on rock's birth as Harris was. The prototypical rock frontman - dashing in appearance, exuding sexuality on stage and a hellraiser off it - his work in the 40's and early 50's literally made rock possible. In "Good Rockin' Tonight" he popularized the term itself and followed that up with "All She Wants To Do Is Rock", another #1 hit that only solidified the expression in the public consciousness. His failure to be voted in as an Early Influence while pop crooner Nat Cole makes it in under that designation is the equivalent of inducting Perry Como to the Rock Hall before Elvis Presley. By far the most important artist in any category not yet in.
Qualifications: 10
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Bull Moose Jackson |
Popular replacement for frontman Wynonie Harris in Lucky Millinder's band went on to have a stellar solo career of his own with two #1 hits and three others that cracked the Top Three on the Charts, as his songs "I Love You Yes I Do" and "I Want A Bowlegged Woman" have been covered by legendary rock artists. A multi-instrumentalist as well as a powerful singer with both risque uptempo songs and tender ballads. Another true forefather typically ignored by myopic voters.
Qualifications: 7
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Illinois Jacquet |
Only two minor hits to his name, one with Wynonie Harris on vocals, but it was Jacquet who fully introduced the honking tenor sax solo to the lexicon when he was playing in Lionel Hampton's band in the early 40's on the immortal "Flying Home". That sound ignited a revolution and laid much of rock's groundwork and for that record alone, certainly one of the handful of most influential ever released in any style, Jacquet deserves to be honored.
Qualifications: 7
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Buddy & Ella Johnson |
Though their big hits were fewer and less substantial than many here, their role in shaping rock was immense. Buddy Johnson was the definitive R&B bandleader of the 40's who moved seamlessly into the 50's rock scene, leading the orchestras on some of rock's most celebrated early cross-country tours. Sister Ella was his featured vocalist and together they spanned the two decades that transformed the music scene forever.
Qualifications: 6
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Julia Lee |
Bawdy female singer and stellar pianist had a string of racy themed hits in the late 40's that pointed to rock 'n' roll in every way. Revered in jazz, blues and R&B circles for her incredible versatility, but destined to be remembered as the queen of the double entendre R&B hits of the late 40's. Still she has been forgotten entirely by the Hall of Fame while Billie Holiday, a brilliant singer but one far removed from rock, gets in due to her continuing legend. This has to be corrected and Lee given entry as soon as possible for the HOF to retain credibility in this area.
Qualifications: 8
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Joe Liggins |
Possessor of the biggest hit in the history of the R&B Charts (#1 for a whopping 18 weeks) in "The Honeydripper" as well as another 13 week stay at the top of the charts for "Pink Champagne" a few years later, Liggins was one of the artists most responsible for slimming down the previously dominant big band format to a smaller outfit that managed to achieve the same excitement and therefore helped point the direction to rock 'n' roll.
Qualifications: 8
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Nellie Lutcher |
Diverse female star of the late 40's, not quite as popular as her contemporary Julia Lee, but still very successful and covered a lot of ground musically, from the suggestive "Fine Brown Frame" to recording country-based music. Over a two year period, '47-'48, she scored seven Top Ten hits, while her brother, Joe Lutcher, led a successful band himself at the same time. Nellie was the bigger star however and her style was a key step towards the rock that soon broke out.
Qualifications: 6
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Percy Mayfield |
One of the most acclaimed songwriters ever and a top balladeer in the early 50's with the immortal hit "Please Send Me Someone To Love". Later wrote extensively for Ray Charles, a connection that may have increased his chances while Charles was alive to induct him. Now that Ray has passed have Percy's chances passed as well? Could make it as a writer but it's as an early influence that he is most deserving. Either way, as an overall music figure Mayfield is an easy choice.
Qualifications: 8
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Big Jay McNeely |
The man most responsible for the wild acrobatic instrumental showman in rock, McNeely's shows featured him walking along the bar, lying on his back, and bent over backwards while playing his tenor sax, hitting squealing high notes and guttural low notes and giving birth to the idea of rock as performance art. "The Deacon's Hop" remains one of rock 'n' roll's most influential records and he continued successfully into the late 50's and is still playing and wowing audiences in his retirement years to this day. Please put this giant in while he's still on this earth to accept the honor he's so rightly due.
Qualifications: 8
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Amos Milburn |
Pianist and singer Milburn was a huge star in the 40's and 50's when his drinking-themed records were consistent hits on the R&B Charts, including four that hit #1. His run of 19 Top Ten hits from '48 to '54 marked the exact time that rock 'n' roll was coming into its own and Milburn, with his subject matter and boogie piano, was at the forefront. Another huge omission by the Hall for someone who should've made it within the first few elections.
Qualifications: 8
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Lucky Millinder |
Though he wasn't a singer or a musician Millinder led the most important transitional band in the 40's, taking the music from jazz to jump to rock over a decade at the top. His band was a breeding ground for future stars in all areas of music, from Dizzy Gillespie early on to Wynonie Harris, Bill Doggett and Sister Rosetta Tharpe, all of whom broke through with him before going onto greatness on their own.
Qualifications: 7
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Roy Milton |
One of the first R&B stars of the mid-to-late 40's who's back beat driven music set the stage for rock 'n' roll. A drummer and vocalist who scored 19 Top Ten Hits, including the immortal "R.M. Blues", a #2 hit in 1946, that was one of the essential pre-rock records. His work with pianist Camille Howard, who had her own big hits, only adds to his credentials.
Qualifications: 7
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Wild Bill Moore |
In 1946 Moore recorded "We're Gonna Rock, We're Gonna Roll", a raucous sax instrumental that wasn't released until 1948 when it introduced the words into the post-war musical lexicon and signaled a new style on the horizon. Though Moore had no other hits, his work was consistently good and his contributions on one immortal record alone is worth commemorating.
Qualifications: 5
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Joe Morris |
Bandleader and trumpet player Morris was among the most important music figures of early 50's rock 'n' roll, shepherding hits for Laurie Tate, Al Savage and most famously Faye Adams. In addition he led one of the hottest touring ensembles - the Joe Morris Rhythm & Blues Cavalcade - throughout those years and owned and ran two L.A. nightclubs in the 40's - Club Plantation and Little Joe's - which offered significant opportunities for other black performers to play extended engagements in one of the country's largest cities.
Qualifications: 6
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Charley Patton |
As the Hall Of Fame has inducted numerous pre-rock bluesmen it is downright incomprehensible how Patton, the forefather of the modern blues movement and among the first to bring a strong sense of on-stage antics to the music, has not been recognized. Of course, the Hall voters more often go for modernly familiar names in this area at the expense of more qualified candidates, but Patton is easily more deserving than Robert Johnson in this category and since Johnson waltzed in, Patton is glaring in his absence.
Qualifications: 7
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The Pilgrim Travelers |
Groundbreaking gospel act that featured one of the most revered and influential lead singers in history, Kylo Turner, as well as introducing many flourishes to gospel music, from stage choreography to previously taboo instrumentations, including saxophone, which helped bridge the spiritual to the secular. Vastly underrated, unrecognized and under appreciated in rock's evolution.
Qualifications: 8
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Jimmy Preston |
His 1949 hit "Rock The Joint" was one of the first true rock songs and was later covered by Bill Haley which brought it to a different audience. His career peak didn't last long, but at a time in the late 40's when this new music was emerging, Preston was at the head of the line in performing it and without his contributions rock would likely not have evolved as it did.
Qualifications: 5
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The Ravens |
The true father of the modern black vocal group has been ignored for two decades of voting while the Ink Spots, a fine group but one that were well before the Ravens (and therefore well before rock 'n' roll) as well as being much farther removed stylistically from rock's origins, were inducted instead. The Ravens two lead singer format, featuring high tenor Maithe Marshall and legendary bass Jimmy Ricks, was extremely innovative and influential while their songs paved the way for the vocal group explosion of the 50's. Even their name instigated a huge onslaught of "bird groups" in rock's first decade and their unique adaptation of standards set that as a precedent in vocal harmony outfits as well. Criminal that they haven't gotten in yet as one of the true early influences.
Qualifications: 10
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Johnnie Ray |
Maybe his rock influence was limited to just a few songs before he became a pop superstar in the early 50's, but those songs happened to be among the influential recordings of that time. "Cry" hit #1 on the R&B Charts, with its flip, "The Little White Cloud That Cried", also cracking the R&B Top Ten, an unheard of feat for a white artist before the music became more integrated. Audiences initially believed Ray was black and possibly female because of his emotional delivery. Though he quickly was steered towards mainstream pop fare to guarantee the then-wider white adult audience, those first songs and his early performances at the black club The Flame Bar in Detroit, along with lifelong friend Rock 'n' Roll Hall Of Famer LaVern Baker, showed that rock could be made by whites as well as blacks.
Qualifications: 7
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The Sensational Nightingales |
Gospel group featuring Julius (June) Cheeks, one of the powerhouse leads that gospel relied on to move the audience. In addition to his screaming, which was Wilson Pickett's model, Cheeks was a flamboyant showman, running up and down the aisles and involving the crowd physically as well as emotionally. The Nightingales were the cornerstone of Houston's Peacock Records stable for years.
Qualifications: 6
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Pine Top Smith |
One of the primary creators of boogie woogie piano back in the 20's and that invention alone makes him a vital link to rock 'n' roll music. There are surely other blues artists more recognizable today and thus more appealing to voters, but Smith's one major contribution set the ball rolling in unfathomable ways.
Qualifications: 5
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Sister Rosetta Tharpe |
One of the first performers to bring gospel and blues together created outrage in its day but planted the seeds that eventually led to the development of soul down the road. Tharpe was also one of the greatest guitarists of her time and a truly powerful singer and live performer. How she's been overlooked thus far is inexplicable and a total embarrassment to the institution. The fact that artists like Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger breezed in under this category when folk music actually had little or nothing to do with rock's early development yet Tharpe can't even get a nomination is proof of the ongoing white viewpoint that has distorted rock's black origins.
Qualifications: 9
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Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton |
Technically she was a contemporary of the very people she influenced, among them, through covers of her two most famous songs, Elvis Presley and Janis Joplin, but for artists like her without the mainstream success themselves the Early Influence category is better suited for her candidacy. Because of her status as the originator of two of rock's most enduring songs, "Hound Dog"and to a lesser extent, "Ball & Chain", she probably stands a better chance than even more qualified contenders in this area.
Qualifications: 5
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The Treniers |
Another early 50's act who has a better shot at induction as an influence than as a main performer since they never hit big with white audiences once the crossover of the music took hold in mid-decade. Their wild acrobatic stage show was legendary in its time and was the primary model for Bill Haley's Comets. They also boast the distinction of being the first professional black rock act to be shown on network television and though they were likely booked as a novelty act they exposed to the world the excitement of the music long before most had heard of it.
Qualifications: 8
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Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson |
Unique and versatile performer who moved from jazz to R&B with ease. After starting out as the featured vocalist for Cootie Williams Orchestra, where he hit big with "Cherry Red" and "Somebody's Got To Go", he struck out on his own and scored an enormous hit with "Old Maid Boogie",as well as wracking up other notable records in the late 40's. His bald head and dapper appearance were vital in presenting rock as a visual medium.
Qualifications: 6
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Clara Ward Singers |
You'd be hard pressed to find too many more influential vocalists to rock's evolution than Marion Williams, lead singer of Clara Ward's gospel group, but thus far it hasn't been recognized by Hall voters who remain clueless to rock's true origins. Little Richard's singing style owes a lot to Williams and for that alone rock 'n' roll is in this group's debt.
Qualifications: 8
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Paul "Hucklebuck" Williams |
If he did nothing other than his massive dance classic, "The Hucklebuck", which topped the charts for an astounding 14 weeks in 1949 and made that dance a reference point in rock songs for the next decade, he'd deserve consideration. The rest of his output was solid though as well, including "House Rocker" and "The Twister", which was influential to another rock dance craze down the line. Williams kept his hand in rock for years, working with Atlantic Records, James Brown and others well into the 60's.
Qualifications: 6
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Sonny Boy Williamson II |
The one-time Aleck "Rice" Miller was a massively influential bluesman who took over the name Sonny Boy Williamson after the original harmonica-playing blues legend called Sonny Boy Williamson was killed in 1948. The "new" Sonny Boy carved out his own style with the harmonica that resulted in huge records in the early 50's, most notably "Eyesight To The Blind", his definitive recording. In addition he played with Elmore James, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf (who was his brother in law), and would in future years play with the Yardbirds, Eric Burdon and The Band, all of whom were devoted followers.
Qualifications: 6
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Jimmy Witherspoon |
Among those who bridged the gap between blues and R&B was Witherspoon who's decades long career began in earnest with a #1 hit in the late 40's and, changing styles to suit the needs of the day, had his final hit in the mid-70's. His late 40's sides, particularly the massive #1 hit "Ain't Nobody's Business", are vital in rock's birth.
Qualifications: 5
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Billy Wright |
Stylistically Wright was Little Richard's biggest overall influence and a flamboyant southern star on the black chitlin circuit for years in the early 50's before rock's breakthrough to wider audiences. He had a number of hits, though is not well-known today, but Wright was a crucial figure in rock 'n' roll's early development, both in its appearance and its musical style.
Qualifications: 7
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