Whitney Houston And The Notorious B.I.G. To Be Inducted Into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame
On Wednesday (Jan. 15), the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame unveiled its list of inductees whose names will join the revered institute’s pantheon of music’s most-celebrated greats ahead of this year’s ceremony.
Among those named in the 2020 class were two cherished icons: late legendary songstress Whitney Houston and New York rap icon The Notorious B.I.G. Houston and Biggie were named among 16 bands and musicians nominated for entry into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The late artists will be posthumously enshrined into the hall alongside the Doobie Brothers, Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails and T-Rex. This year also marks the first time that Whitney Houston made the ballot since she first became eligible for the honor in 2009.
Additionally, she’s the only woman that will be inducted this year. Her inclusion comes on the heels of R&B/pop icon Janet Jackson’s induction into the hall as one 2019’s shortlist of inductees, following prior nods in 2016 and 2017, where she called on the institute to “please induct more women” during her acceptance speech.
Similarly, Biggie marks the seventh hip-hop act to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Notably, the Brooklyn-bred rapper was eligible for the first time this year as the institute mandates that 25 years have to pass after the release of an artist’s first recording in order for them to be eligible for nomination. Previously, rap legend Tupac Shakur and West Coast rap pioneers N.W.A were inducted into the hall in 2017 and 2016, respectively.
- advertisement
The 35th annual induction ceremony will take place on May 2 at the Public Auditorium in Cleveland, according to the Rolling Stone. The event will be broadcast live for the first time on HBO. Tickets for the event go on sale to the general public on February 27 while performances will be announced at a later date.
See the full list of 2020 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees here.
