Hall & Oates, Linda Ronstadt and Cat Stevens React to Hall of Fame Inductions
For Hall & Oates, it means a sort of validation. For Cat Stevens, there's a bit of embarrassment at how good it makes him feel. And for Linda Ronstadt, there's the awful realization that Parkinson's will probably keep her away from her big night.
Each of these artists will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 10, 2014, at the Barclary Center in Brooklyn. For the first time in New York, the general public is invited to the ceremonies, which will also include honorees Kiss, Nirvana and Peter Gabriel.
Daryl Hall has inducted two other artists into the Rock Hall in the past, introducing Motown legends the Temptations and Smokey Robinson, but his mega-successful duo with John Oates has been eligible since 1997 without ever having been nominated. "All things change," Hall said of Hall & Oates' induction. "Times move on and things get validated. The whole new generation of people are looking at me and John in a different way."
Meanwhile, Cat Stevens -- who changed his name to Yusuf Islam in 1978 after converting to Islam -- credited his many fans with his induction, which celebrates his multi-platinum success as a singer-songwriter in the '70s. "It will certainly bring happiness to a lot of my loyal fans and fulfilment to all those who have long-campaigned for it -- not to mention how kinda embarrassingly good it makes me feel too," he said.
Ronstadt, who recently announced her retirement because of an ongoing battle with Parkinson's disease, was realistic about her chance of attending the ceremony next year. "My health is not great right now," she said. "It's most likely I that I won't be able to make it to New York in April. Travel is very difficult for me."
Tickets for the event go on sale in January, and HBO will broadcast the inductions in May.