THEIR FAME IS TRUE
Grammy winner Steely Dan tops the list of this year's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, which also includes Aerosmith, Michael Jackson, Queen, Paul Simon, Solomon Burke, Ritchie Valens and the Flamingos.
The 16th Annual Induction Dinner, which takes place next Monday (3/19) at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City, will be taped by VH1 for broadcast Wednesday, March 21, at 8 p.m. (ET).
In the "Non-Performer" category, Island Records founder Chris Blackwell gets the nod, while "Sidemen" honors go to Elvis Presley/Rick Nelson guitarist James Burton and Chuck Berry keyboard player Johnnie Johnson.
Moby will induct Steely Dan, while Queen will be acknowledged by Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins (who admits he's worshiped the band for years). The group will reform for the occasion, with Robbie Williams sitting in for the late Freddie Mercury. Kid Rock is set to do the honors for Aerosmith, while NSYNC will introduce Michael Jackson.
Keith Richards will recognize both Burton and Johnson, and Blackwell will be saluted by U2 lead singer Bono. The band was originally signed by the legendary label exec.
After their "Album of the Year" win in the Grammys, Steely Dan is hoping to parlay the Hall induction and an ongoing marketing push by its label Giant into big sales for its "Two Against Nature" album. Wonderers are wondering whether the increased visibility resulting from Aerosmith's HOF induction will help maintain the strong first-week momentum on the band's new Columbia album, "Just Push Play."
