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Billy Joel is Leading the Charge to Get Warren Zevon in the Rock Hall

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Author Erica Banas // Rock Music Reporter
January 31st 3:17 PM

Billy Joel was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1999. Since then, he’s tried to use his influence to help other artists get their due. The artist he’s been pushing for lately is Warren Zevon.

Zevon is a beloved singer-songwriter that somehow hasn’t even been nominated for the Rock Hall, and he’s been eligible since 1994. He famously recorded his final album, 2003’s The Wind, in response to receiving his diagnosis of pleural mesothelioma, a type of cancer often caused by asbestos exposure. He also boldly refused treatment for cancer. The making of the album was chronicled by VH1 in the documentary Inside Out: Warren Zevon.

Joel told the Los Angeles Times he wrote a letter to the nominating committee to consider Zevon. (The outlet notes Joel had previously written letters to the Rock Hall nominating committee in support of Joe Cocker and Cyndi Lauper.) “I just wanted to put in my two cents of supporting Warren Zevon to be included,” said Joel. “If anyone deserves to be he does. He was a real original, and I don’t know if that’s appreciated enough.”

RELATED: Billy Joel Pays Tribute to Jeff Beck at Latest MSG Residency Gig

Joel added, “The first time I saw him, I was knocked out. He was like the crazy brother I never had. He was fearless, and it stuck with me. I never thought he got the attention he deserved.”

Like Joel, Zevon was a pianist. In reference to his playing, Joel said, “Piano is actually a percussion instrument. Most people think it’s a stringed instrument, but you play it like a drum. And Warren, he really fulfilled that role. He banged it, and he banged it good. Even without amplifiers, he was getting the most volume he could get out of that thing.”

The Rock Hall will announce the nominees for its 2023 induction class tomorrow (February 1.) If Zevon is nominated, discussions around his catalog and impact will be one of many hot topics until this year’s class is announced. If he doesn’t get enough votes for induction, Joel will likely be on a short list of people to induct and/or perform in tribute.

 

Rock Hall Snubs: 45 Artists Never Nominated with 5+ Years of Eligibility

  • Alice In Chains

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    Eligible since 2015.

  • The B-52’s

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    Eligible since 2003.

  • Bad Company

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    Eligible since 1999.

  • Barry White

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    Eligible since 1988.

  • Billy Idol

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    Eligible since 2006.

  • Bjork

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    Eligible since 2002.

  • The Carpenters

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    Eligible since 1994.

  • Cher

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    Eligible since 1990.

  • De La Soul

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    Eligible since 2013.

  • Diana Ross (Solo work)

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    Eligible since 1995.

  • Dick Dale

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    Eligible since 1987.

  • Emerson, Lake & Palmer

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    Eligible since 1995.

  • Faith No More

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    Eligible since 2010.

  • Gloria Estefan

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    Eligible since 2012.

  • The Guess Who

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    Eligible since 1990.

  • Harry Nilsson

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    Eligible since 1992.

  • INXS

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    Eligible since 2005.

  • Jethro Tull

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    Eligible since 1993.

  • Jim Croce

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    Eligible since 1991.

  • King Crimson

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    Eligible since 1994.

  • Kool & the Gang

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    Eligible since 1994.

  • Mariah Carey

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    Eligible since 2015.

  • Megadeth

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    Eligible since 2010.

  • The Monkees

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    Eligible since 1991.

  • Motley Crue

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    Eligible since 2006.

  • Nas

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    Eligible since 2017.

  • The Offspring

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    Eligible since 2013.

  • Outkast

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    Eligible since 2019.

  • Ozzy Osbourne (Solo work)

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    Eligible since 2005.

  • Pantera

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    Eligible since 2008.

  • Pixies

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    Eligible since 2012.

  • PJ Harvey

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    Eligible since 2017.

  • The Pointer Sisters

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    Eligible since 1998.

  • Queen Latifah

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    Eligible since 2015.

  • The Runaways

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    Eligible since 2001.

  • Sade

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    Eligible since 2010.

  • Siouxsie & the Banshees

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    Eligible since 2003.

  • Slayer

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    Eligible since 2008.

  • Smashing Pumpkins

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    Eligible since 2015.

  • Sonic Youth

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    Eligible since 2007.

  • Stone Temple Pilots

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    Eligible since 2017.

  • Three Dog Night

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    Eligible since 1994.

  • TLC

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    Eligible since 2018.

  • Tool

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    Eligible since 2017.

  • Wu-Tang Clan

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    Eligible since 2018.

Erica Banas is a rock/classic rock news blogger who's well-versed in etiquette and extraordinarily nice. #TransRightsAreHumanRights
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Author Erica Banas // Rock Music Reporter
Category:
  • Classic Rock News
  • Music
  • WMGK Audio
Tags:
Billy Joel,Warren Zevon

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