Public Enemy gains Rock and Roll Hall of Fame honors

Donna Summer and Quincy Jones also in 2013 class

Public Enemy is among the 2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees.

Frederick H. Lowe

Donna Summer holds up her honorary high school diploma presented to her after 17 years of working in the music business. (Don West photo)

Public Enemy, whose anthem is “Fight the Power,” is now part of the Rock and Roll establishment.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced last week that Public Enemy, Albert King and Donna Summer would be inducted into the Hall of Fame in the performer category for 2013. Joining the three as performer inductees are Heart, Randy Newman and Rush.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame also will induct Quincy Jones and Lou Adler in the non-performer category for the Ahmet Ertegun Award. Ertegun was founder and president of Atlantic Records. He is credited with discovering Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will hold its 28th induction ceremony Thursday, April 18, 2013, at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. This is the first time since 1993 the event is being held on the West Coast. The ceremony will be open to the public, and ticketts go on sale on Friday, Jan. 25.

The 2013 Rock and Roll performer inductees were chosen by more than 500 voters of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. To be eligible for nomination, an individual artist or a band must have released its first single at least 25 years prior to nomination year. The 2013 nominees had to release their first recording no later than 1987.

Public Enemy, led by Chuck D and Flavor Flav, released rap music with a strong political message. The group’s seminal 1990 album “Fear of a Black Planet” included the hit “Fight the Power,” which appeared on the soundtrack for director Spike Lee’s 1989 movie “Do The Right Thing.”

Donna Summer, who was known as the “Queen of Disco,” recorded chart-topping songs including “Bad Girls,” “She Works Hard For The Money” and “On the Radio.” Summer died in May after losing a battle with lung cancer.

Albert King, a king of the blues guitar, influenced a generation of musicians, including Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughn. King died in 1992.

Quincy Jones, who is now 79 years-old, recorded Frank Sinatra, Billy Eckstine, Brook Benton, Johnny Mathis and Ray Charles. Jones, who grew up in Bremerton, Wash., near Tacoma, has also written more than 40 major motion-picture scores, including the “Pawnbroker” in 1965 and “In Cold Blood” in 1967.

All of the inductees will be represented in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, which is in Cleveland.

New America Media