Gene Simmons: Rock Hall Of Fame A Sham For Iron Maiden Snub
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He’s Not The Only One Who’s Angry
KISS’ Gene Simmons has always been vocal about his thoughts on who deserves to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Following the Hall’s announcement on the 2021 inductees, Simmons didn’t hold back in calling them out. The Class of 2021 include Foo Fighters, Tina Turner, JAY-Z, Todd Rundgren, The Go-Go’s, and Carole King. However, rock legends Iron Maiden and Rage Against the Machine didn’t make the cut.
In a series of tweets, he wrote “RR Hall of Fame is a sham not to include Maiden. Disgusting!” and later added, “Sadly, Rage Against the Machine shut out of RR Hall of Fame. The Hall should be ashamed of themselves.”
RR Hall of Fame is a sham not to include Maiden. Disgusting! https://t.co/WbNYr42lBI
— Gene Simmons (@genesimmons) May 13, 2021
Sadly, Rage Against The Machine shut out of RR Hall of Fame. The Hall should be ashamed of themselves….
— Gene Simmons (@genesimmons) May 13, 2021
Another KISS member Paul Stanley backed up Simmons by calling it “insanity” that Iron Maiden’s not part of the inductees because the band “helped spawn an entire genre of music.”
Regardless of whether it matters to them, Maiden not being in the @rockhall of Fame is INSANITY. Regardless of who is writing in or not, the Committee must induct them. They have helped spawn an entire genre of music. What else do you need to do?? @IronMaiden https://t.co/gGKmYYpbWE
— Paul Stanley (@PaulStanleyLive) April 22, 2021
Back in February, Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider ripped the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame committee by writing, “The RnR Hall committee members are arrogant elitist assholes who look down on metal & other bands that sell millions because we’re not their definition of cool.”
Meanwhile in 2018, Bruce Dickinson already declared that Iron Maiden would likely refuse induction because the Hall is “run by a bunch of sanctimonious bloody Americans who wouldn’t know rock ‘n’ roll if it hit them in the face.”