Rock Hall Shocks Industry by Ousting Jann Wenner Following Revealing Newspaper Interview

According to Variety, Jann Wenner, the founder of Rolling Stone magazine, has been swiftly removed from the board of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame due to his controversial comments about Black and female musicians in a recent newspaper interview. Wenner, who is 77 years old, was actually one of the co-founders of the rock hall of fame, highlighting the significance of his removal. The controversy began when Wenner spoke with the New York Times to promote his new book, The Masters, which includes his interviews with music legends such as Bob Dylan, Jerry Garcia, Mick Jagger, John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen, Pete Townshend, and Bono. However, all seven of these musicians are white men, leading Times journalist David Marchese to question Wenner about his exclusion of Black performers and women.

• Articulate: In response to the criticism, Wenner stated, “The people I chose had to meet certain criteria, but it was ultimately based on my personal interest and admiration for them. Regarding women, I felt that none of them were as articulate on an intellectual level.” Marchese expressed disbelief at this statement, citing Joni Mitchell as an example, and gave Wenner the opportunity to rephrase his comment.
• Women: Wenner defended his choice, saying, “It’s not that female artists are not creative geniuses. It’s not that they lack articulation, although I challenge you to have a deep conversation with Grace Slick or Janis Joplin. Please, be my guest. Joni Mitchell, in my opinion, did not meet the criteria of a philosopher of rock and roll, based on her work and other interviews she has done. The individuals I interviewed were the true philosophers of rock.”
• Black performers: When it came to Black artists, Wenner commented, “Stevie Wonder, a genius, right? Maybe the fault lies in using the word ‘masters’ (referring to the title of his book). Perhaps Marvin Gaye or Curtis Mayfield? They simply did not articulate themselves at that same level.”
• Intuitive: Wenner justified his selection process as being intuitive, acknowledging that he would face backlash. He stated, “Perhaps, for the sake of public relations, I should have included one Black artist and one female artist who did not meet the same historical standard, just to avoid this kind of criticism. Maybe I’m old-fashioned and I don’t care or whatever.” He also mentioned that Marvin Gaye or Otis Redding could have been suitable choices.

Just one day after the interview was published and in response to social media outrage, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame took action. The Hollywood Reporter confirms that Jann Wenner has been removed from the Board of Directors of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. Neither the hall nor Wenner have provided further comments on the controversy.