Either the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame got two out of five or we did. Freddie King in as “early influence” makes three. Inductees, for Pearl Harbor Day: Beastie Boys, Donovan, GNR, Laura Nyro, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Small Faces/Faces.
The Faces/Small Faces nod means Austin’s Ian McLagan – the mainstay of both UK essentials – must now be addressed as Sir. According to Rolling Stone, he’s “warming” to the idea.
Notable also was recognition of rock & roll video pioneer and all-around music impresario Don Kirshner, plus New Orleans sound imprint Cosimo Matassa, Atlantic Records rocket scientist/producer Tom Dowd, and another classic rock catalog mark of excellence, producer Glyn Johns. Tickets to the April 14, 2012, beatification ceremonies in Cleveland go onsale next Saturday, Dec. 17 for $50 & $100.
Chances are t-shirts bearing the work of local poster icon Jim Franklin’s – an armadillo bursting through the chest of Freddie King – won’t be available in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame gift shop, which is otherwise pretty sweet. Fortunately, you can go see the real thing – the big ol’ hunk of the Armadillo World Headquarters the image was painted on – simply by walking through the doors of Threadgill’s on Riverside Drive and looking up.
This article appears in December 2 • 2011.
