Girl power: Go-Go's, Turner, King highlight Rock Hall class

CLEVELAND – The Go-Go's didn't person immoderate philharmonic masterplan. Punks astatine the start, they became stone and rotation pioneers.

Defying likelihood and smashing norms successful a male-dominated field, the pistillate quintet which had a drawstring of hits propelled by MTV play successful the 1980s, volition beryllium inducted Saturday into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame arsenic portion of a powerhouse people that includes Tina Turner, Jay-Z, Carole King, Foo Fighters and Todd Rundgren.

On Friday, the Go-Go's — guitarist Charlotte Caffey, pb vocalist Belinda Carlisle, drummer Gina Schock, bassist Kathy Valentine and guitarist/singer Jane Wiedlin — took portion successful a ceremonial to dedicate their Hall of Fame signature plaque and toured a caller grounds featuring this year's inductees.

“It's a small overwhelming,” Caffey told AP arsenic she and her bandmates were whisked from level to floor. “We're truly thrilled. ... We admit however gracious everyone has been. We beryllium here, too.”

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While the Go-Go's are being enshrined successful the performer category, rapper LL Cool J, keyboardist Billy Preston, and guitarist Randy Rhoads volition beryllium honored for philharmonic excellence.

Kraftwerk, Gil Scott-Heron and Charley Patton are being inducted arsenic aboriginal influencers and Sussex Records laminitis Clarence Avant is receiving the Ahmet Ertegun Award.

“The magical 13,” Public Enemy beforehand antheral Chuck D said of the eclectic 2021 class.

Not lone did the Go-Go's constitute catchy tunes similar “We Got the Beat,” “Our Lips Are Sealed” and “Vacation,” the Los Angeles-based radical stood retired arsenic women playing their ain instruments — thing uncommon 40 years agone that's go communal successful the manufacture today.

Still, they were dismissed by immoderate critics and musicians who didn't instrumentality them seriously. Caffey said those obstacles lone strengthened them.

“We conscionable kept pushing forward,” she said. “We knew determination was sexism and it was a male-dominated satellite successful rock, surely backmost then. But we kept going, going and going and we’re blessed we did that.

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“It didn’t faze us. When the 5 of america get together, we’re a unit to beryllium reckoned with.”

The radical volition beryllium inducted by histrion Drew Barrymore and execute immoderate of their songs.

After past year's enshrinement ceremonial had to beryllium wholly virtual owed to the COVID-19 pandemic, it's backmost connected stage, this clip astatine Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, location of the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers.

This is the archetypal clip the lawsuit has been held astatine Cleveland's largest venue (capacity 20,000) pursuing erstwhile ceremonies astatine Public Hall Auditorium.

There stay immoderate tightly-guarded secrets astir the ceremony, including whether Turner, who lives successful Switzerland, volition be oregon if Jay-Z volition perform.

Taylor Swift is inducting King and volition sing successful her grant arsenic volition Jennifer Hudson.

The amusement volition beryllium taped for broadcast connected HBO and watercourse connected HBO Max connected Nov. 20.

Foo Fighters, who played a astonishment gig astatine a tiny nine successful municipality connected Thursday night, volition beryllium inducted by Paul McCartney. This volition beryllium the 2nd enshrinement for Foo's laminitis Dave Grohl, who went successful arsenic Nirvana's drummer successful 2014.

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It's besides the 2nd motion for King, who was antecedently honored arsenic a songwriter for hits similar “It’s Too Late,” “You’ve Got a Friend” and “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.”

King's iconic 1971 medium “Tapestry” had a profound effect connected Caffey, who said being inducted on with 1 of her idols and Turner makes it much special.

“Her power connected maine was immense due to the fact that I grew up with '60s vigor and that’s what she was and inactive is successful my life,” Caffey said. “And Tina, I emotion her truthful much. I emotion them some for the euphony and what they went through.”

The power that the Go-Go's had is arsenic undeniable. They were not lone the archetypal all-female set to apical the Billboard 200 illustration penning and performing their ain material, but they showed a procreation of girls they could stone arsenic hard arsenic boys.

Caffey is arrogant of the band's lasting legacy.

“Our songs are ageless, timeless,” she said. “We didn’t cognize astatine the clip erstwhile we were penning them, but that’s what happened.”

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It besides helped that the Go-Go's emergence coincided with the advent of euphony videos, exposing the set to an adjacent wider audience.

“For young women to spot a radical of women successful a set that are conscionable regular gals,” Caffey said. “That was truly huge.”

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.