Female Performers Dominate 2021 Rock Hall Inductions

A record-breaking infusion of female power and a hip-hop legend are among the performers entering the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony is set to take place in Cleveland at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on October 30and broadcast on HBO.

The death of Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain in 1994, left drummer Dave Grohl looking to reinvent his musical career. The Warren, Ohio, native did that in the form of Foo Fighters, an alt-rock band that filled stadiums and consistently scored in the pop charts. The group enters the Hall of Fame in its first year of eligibility.

Born out of an L.A. punk band called The Misfits, this all-female quintet developed a pop, new wave style. They were unique among so-called “girl groups” in that the sang their own songs, played their own instruments and weren’t controlled by male producers. This is the first time they’ve been nominated for Rock Hall honors. They’ve been eligible for induction since 2006.

The Hall of Fame first honored Carole King in 1990 for the many famous pop tunes of the 1960s that she wrote with her former husband Gerry Goffin. But her legendary status continued to grow as a solo performer. King's 1971 album, "Tapestry," was the top-selling album for 15 weeks and stayed on the charts for over six years. Her music has been recorded by artists ranging from the Beatles and Aretha Franklin to Lady Gaga.

Like Carole King, this is Turner’s second Hall of Fame honor. She first made her mark as lead singer of the Ike and Tina Turner Revue in the late 1950s. She divorced Ike Turner in the mid-70s and went on to stage a powerful comeback almost 10 years later as a solo performer. Her dramatic life story has been the subject of two memoirs, a feature film and a documentary.