TITLE TRACK Inaugural Issue

INAUGUR AL ISSU E

oll Hall of The Rock And R

Magazin Fame Member

e

SUMMER

2 0 15

TITLE TRACK

HERB RITTS THE ICONI C I M AGE RY OF

THE

2015

INDUCTEES Meet the newest Hall of Famers

PAUL SIMON IN WORDS AND MUSIC CHUCK D DROPS SOME SERIOUS KNOWLEDGE

W

W E L C O M E

Features

008 NEW INDUCTEES Meet the Hall of Famers, introduced by Martha Reeves.

From the President

THE 010 BEHIND VOTES

Get inside the mind of a Rock Hall voter.

WELCOME TO TITLE TRACK, our new member

magazine. It is built on the past success of Liner Notes. Each issue will feature exclusive content for you, our members, and reflect the Museum’s recent accomplishments and provide a look at what’s coming next. 2015 gives us no shortage of milestones to celebrate. We welcomed our 10 millionth visitor in March. Since the Museum opened 20 years ago, visitors have had an economic impact on Northeast Ohio of over $2 billion.

We hosted the 30th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Cleveland this April. It was the perfect ending to Rock Week, which featured a community-wide celebration at the Museum, a gospel tribute honoring the late André Crouch, free concerts, film screenings, educational programs, fireworks and the opening of the 2015 new Inductees exhibit.

Speaking of exhibits, we invite you to experience Herb Ritts: The Rock Portraits, a first-ever collection of iconic rock photographs, as well as Paul Simon: Words and Music, and the expanded Right Here, Right Now exhibit featuring contemporary artists from Fall Out Boy to Alabama Shakes.

We hope you enjoy Title Track. Know that it is with your continued support that we are able to fulfill our mission to engage, teach and inspire through the power of rock and roll.

GENIUS 012 THE OF HERB RITTS How the famed rock photographer turned stars into icons.

Departments

003

006

016

What’s happening.

Inductee Paul Simon dishes on his memory-packed artifacts; the new Inductees exhibit moves front and center; Right Here, Right Now gets a Rock Hall makeover.

Fans came through for Rock Hall on Giving Tuesday; a new-school member keeps it old school.

GIGS

004

FRONT ROW A rock historian gets his facts straight at the Rock Hall Library; new additions to the Museum’s collection; and the Sonic Sessions lineup features tomorrow’s rock stars today.

ON VIEW

Title Track is published by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.

1100 Rock and Roll Boulevard Cleveland, Ohio 44114

Good wishes,

EDITORS: Erin Munnell, Caprice Bragg

GREG HARRIS

018

ROCK U Inductee Chuck D of Public Enemy drops some knowledge on race and radio; Rock Hall plugs into the digital age of education.

CONTRIBUTORS: Dr. Jason Hanley, Karen L. Herman, Craig Inciardi, Stephanie Heriger, Andy Leach, Christie Lucco, Todd Mesek, Shelby Morrison, Dr. Lauren Onkey, Kimberly Russell, Meredith Rutledge-Borger, Matt Seaman, Kristin Stempfer, Jennie Thomas PRODUCED BY: Diablo Custom Publishing, dcpubs.com

President and Chief Executive Officer

ON THE COVER: Inductee Tina Turner by Herb Ritts

ENGAGEMENT

002

TITLE TRACK

G I G S

G

Madonna’s True Blue album cover, photographed by Herb Ritts.

ROCK HALL HOURS Open every day from 10 am–5:30 pm.

Open Wednesdays until 9 pm.

Open Saturdays until 9 pm from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

NEW JAMS Through February 2016

GREATEST HITS

Herb Ritts: The Rock Portraits

Every Tuesday

May 23

Gallery talk for members

Summer hours begin (Open 10 am–9 pm, Wednesdays and Saturdays)

July 25

June 6 Member Appreciation Day

2015

CALENDAR (Dates subject to

change; visit rock

hall.com for upda

tes )

June 7 Chef Jam

June 20 Inductee Dennis Dunaway Hall of Fame Series and book signing

August 15 Early open for members

September 12 Early open for members

October 10 Early open for members

September 3

November 21

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum’s 20th anniversary

Early open for members

September 5 Summer hours end

November 1-7 Music Masters Week

SUMMER 2015

Early open for members

003

December 2 Giving Tuesday

December 19 Early open for members

collection highlights

TREASURES THAT TELL ROCK’S STORY The Rock Hall acquires new items on a fairly regular basis. This includes artifacts for not only the Museum but also the Library and Archives. Here are a few recent additions to the Rock Hall collection: FREDERICK S. BOROS AUDIO RECORDINGS More than 1,600 live bootleg compact disc recordings from the 1960s through 2012 were donated to the Rock Hall by Frederick S. Boros. Artists featured in the collection include Inductees Bob Dylan, the Grateful Dead, Bruce Springsteen, U2 and Tom Waits. Many of the recordings were made at venues throughout Northeast Ohio. The collection as a whole offers a varied representation over the course of five decades of live performances by rock and roll’s most significant artists.

A CLASH ACT Randal Doane, a recent Author Series speaker, turned to the Rock Hall to help tell the inside story of the Clash

T

he Rock Hall’s Author Series continues to engage audiences around the country. Randal Doane, author of Stealing All Transmissions: A Secret History of the Clash, joined us for one such series. Doane, whose book is the first history of the Clash by a U.S.-born author, conducted much of his research at the Library and Archives.

“No other library in the world has primary sources among their holdings that are absolutely essential to chronicles of rock and roll, classic rock, punk and after,” Doane says. “It’s a great facility, with a great staff, and they know the collection so well.

During my time in the archive, the staff prompted me to check related sources that I didn’t even know were available.

“The work of the historian is an analog job. The articles of interest may be available online, but often the adjacent photos and captions are not. In Stealing All Transmissions, the little asides helped me flesh out the tale. While reading Alan Betrock’s

review of the Ramones’ first LP in New York Rocker, I came across a Rolling Stones photo caption that read ‘Have You Seen Your Grandmother, Baby, Standing in the Shadows?’ On the same page, too, here’s how Betrock regarded Presence by Led Zeppelin: ‘These guys are the best at what they do, and well they should be since they’ve been doing it over and over since 1969.’

Both of these asides helped flesh out my argument about the humor of punk and sympathetic rock criticism, and I found those bits because I was holding, in my hands, a newsprint copy of the May 1986 issue of New York Rocker.”

004

JIM CROCE JACKET, C. 1973 This jacket was retrieved from the plane crash that killed famed singer-songwriter Jim Croce on September 20, 1973.

Croce charted two No. 1 hits: “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” in 1972 and “Time in a Bottle” in 1973.

SUSANNA HOFFS OUTFIT, 1988 Susanna Hoffs of the Bangles wore this outfit in the video for the group’s hit “Eternal Flame.”

The song topped the charts in nine countries, including the U.K., Australia and the United States.

TITLE TRACK

F R O N T

A new concert series showcases tomorrow’s rock stars ROCK AND ROLL is nothing if not constantly evolving.

Just when you think you’ve seen (and heard) it all, a new artist emerges and blows perceptions out of the water. It is in that evolutionary rock spirit that Sonic Sessions was born. This monthly new music showcase offers the stars of tomorrow an opportunity to

OTIS REDDING COLLECTION Contracts, correspondence, photographs, receipts and sheet music from the 1960s relating to soul legend and 1989 Inductee Otis Redding. The treasured personal effects and career mementos in the collection spotlight Redding’s life and musical legacy.

Have something you’d like to donate to the Museum? Email curatorial@rockhall.org and someone from our team will be happy to assist!

SUMMER 2015

F

SONIC SESSIONS

LOUIS JORDAN COLLECTION Materials relating to bandleader and 1987 Inductee Louis Jordan, including biographical information, clippings, annotated lyrics and orchestral parts, photographs, programs, set lists, sheet music, slides and song lists, as well as a few personal items.

In the 1940s, Jordan pioneered a wild—and wildly popular—amalgam of jazz and blues. The collection provides insight into Jordan’s personal life as well as his long and influential career.

SWINGOS CELEBRITY INN SIGN, C. 1970 Located in downtown Cleveland from 1967 to 1984, Swingos Celebrity Inn had a reputation as the place where rock bands went to party. Mott the Hoople’s Ian Hunter of “Cleveland Rocks” fame said: “Swingos was a place you remember checking in and out of, but you can’t remember anything in between.”

R O W

Above: Soul music artist Sinkane brought his smooth sound to the Rock Hall for February’s Sonic Sessions. Right: LA-based rock group Foxygen electrified the audience during Cleveland Rock Week in April.

005

reach an audience in a venue like no other. Sonic Sessions builds on the rich history of the Rock Hall’s Summer in the City concert series and kicked off this January with U.K. dance music act Lets Be Friends.

The Sessions also featured soul music artist Sinkane, and LA group Foxygen.

“This is the

first time we’ve ever hosted a live music series on a scale like this,” says Todd Mesek, Vice President of Marketing and Communications.

“We’re highlighting the future of rock as much as we are connecting it to the history that we celebrate here.”

Performances take place on both the Museum’s Klipsch Audio main stage and

its outdoor stage during warmer months (weather permitting).

Tickets to the shows can be purchased at the Museum’s box office and online at rockhall.com.

Check your member e-newsletters for more info and for the complete Sonic Sessions lineup!

V

O N

V I E W

PAUL SIMON REVEALED I An intimate look at the living legend’s words and music

t all started when Inductee Paul Simon visited the Museum on his way to see the Cleveland Indians play the New York Yankees in the summer of 2013. He was impressed by what he saw. A quick conversation with Rock Hall President and CEO Greg Harris led to the idea of an exhibit dedicated to Simon’s career. By fall 2014, that idea was a reality.

Paul Simon: Words and Music opened in October 2014 and is the Museum’s first exhibit anchored by a first-person video

5

MUST-SEE ARTIFACTS IN THE PAUL SIMON EXHIBIT

1. Simon's First Acoustic Guitar On his 13th birthday, Paul Simon received his first guitar as a gift from his father, a musician. He and childhood friend Art Garfunkel began to write songs. The first song they wrote (using a Stadium brand acoustic guitar) was called “The Girl for Me.” 2. Letter from Simon to Garfunkel Paul Simon wrote this letter on Aug. 13, 1957, when he was attending summer camp in Bellport, New York. Art Garfunkel was at a different summer camp in New Jersey,

and it was a pivotal moment in their young lives. Just a few months later, their song “Hey Schoolgirl” became a minor hit, and they would later go on to perform on American Bandstand.

3. Simon and Garfunkel's First Recording Contract Simon and Garfunkel’s success with “Hey Schoolgirl” brought in “enough money for me to buy my first car … a used ’58 Impala convertible with triple carbs.” While they may have been old enough to drive, Simon and Garfunkel were both underage when

This page: The exhibit contains more than 80 artifacts spanning Paul Simon’s life, from his early days and work in Simon & Garfunkel to his solo career and beyond.

“Music brings people together in a way that they can’t find in any other form. It goes to something that’s deeply ingrained in our DNA.”

-Paul Simon

offered their first recording contract in 1957, so the agreement featured in the Paul Simon exhibit was signed by their fathers, Jack Garfunkel and Louis Simon.

006

narration by the artist. Simon sat down with curators for a series of interviews and spoke candidly about his life and career.

He also opened his extensive personal archive, allowing curators to select photos, lyrics and artifacts to tell his story.

This exhibit marks a new direction in exhibit creation, and the team is continuing to work closely with artists to ensure their stories are told properly. When asked what he wanted visitors to take away from the exhibit, Simon said, “Have a good time. If you’re coming here with somebody, let them see what you like. See if somebody can hear through somebody else’s ears. It’s a gift if you can do that.”

4. Simon’s Handwritten Lyrics for “The Boxer” On exhibit is Simon’s first draft of “The Boxer,” written on a United Airlines flight while he and Garfunkel were on tour. The writing covers two pages of the United Airlines Mainliner magazine, from 1968. Simon subsequently revised and completed the lyrics after the flight.

5. Simon’s Handwritten Lyrics for “Mrs. Roosevelt” When director Mike Nichols began plotting the soundtrack for The Graduate, he heard a song Simon was working on with a nostalgic lyric called “Mrs. Roosevelt.”

Mrs. Roosevelt became “Mrs. Robinson,” and the rest is music—and film—history.

TITLE TRACK

NEW INDUCTEES GET A PRIMO LOCATION The next time you visit the Ahmet Ertegun Main Exhibition Hall, you’ll be greeted by some new faces (the newest Inductees, in fact)! For the first time, the new Inductees exhibit will be positioned front and center in the entrance of the main hall. The decision to move the exhibit from its old location in the Hall of Fame Experience on Level 3 was made to help visitors learn about the newest members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as soon as they arrive. “We want to make a definitive statement about our new Inductees and how they fit into the bigger picture of rock history,” says Karen L. Herman, Vice President of Collections & Curatorial Affairs. “We also want visitors to get a feel for their work and their influences so that when they’re touring the Museum, they can see and hear how these greats are connected with others.”

Flip to page 8 to read about this year’s Inductees SUMMER 2015

THE NOW FACTOR a revamp ght Now gets Right Here, Ri

THE ROCK HALL is at its best when it connects past and present, and we don’t mean just exploring the link between past artists and those topping the charts today. We’re talking about connecting generations, like a family. The Right Here, Right Now exhibit is a feature that looks at what’s new in music, and the revamping of this section provides an exciting look forward, showcasing which artists influence artists like Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga or the Black Keys. It’s all about “rock context.”

There are those who might bristle at the likes of these aforementioned artists sharing a home with some of the very greats of rock and roll, but even Elvis and the Stones weren’t always the superstars they are today. Contemporary artists have a significant place in the ever-evolving history of music. They represent the continuation of rock and roll.

007

BEFORE

In 2001, the Museum opened the first exhibit dedicated to contemporary rock artists. It was originally called “On the Charts.”

It was later renamed “Right Here, Right Now” and lived on the lobby level until the revamped exhibit was unveiled in the Ahmet Ertegun Main Exhibition Hall.

&

o

n

April

18,

the

Rock and Roll Hall of annual

Fame

held

induction

its

30th

ceremony,

a roof-raising event that honored some of the finest musical artists of the past 60 years. This year’s honorees are an eclectic bunch that showcase the sonic twists and turns that rock and roll took between early R&B and punk. Every era of rock history is represented in this group—blues, guitar-driven classic rock, punk, avant-garde, pop music and the earliest roots of rock and roll.

00 8

RINGO STARr Category: The Award for Musical Excellence Ringo Starr (Richard Starkey) was a well-known musician in Liverpool and Hamburg, Germany, before he joined the Beatles in 1962. He’d been drumming in Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, one of Liverpool’s biggest bands. His backbeat was always perfect, and he created melodic and unique drum parts that fit the Beatles’ songs like a glove. As a solo artist, he has created a long string of pop hits that match his whimsical and positive personality. from left: rosalind ashford, betty kelly and martha reeves.

Suggested listening:

“It Don’t Come Easy” (1971) “Back Off Boogaloo” (1972) “Photograph” (1973) “Weight of the World” (2005) “Liverpool 8” (2008)

Welcome to the Club

Motown legend Martha Reeves—a 1995 Inductee—shares what it means to be a Hall of Famer Martha Reeves (Martha and the Vandellas) is no stranger to success. She and her group charted 24 R&B hits in the 1960s, including the blockbusters “Dancing in the Streets” and “(Love is Like a) Heat Wave.” Among her many accomplishments, she considers her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to be very special. We asked her to share a few thoughts on what it means to be an Inductee. Here are her words:

„ „ THE 5 RoYaLES

I proudly wear my Rock & Roll Hall of Fame jacket, one of my many privileges and honors that come with being inducted and made a part of preserved history of legendary music. Thanks for including my background singers Rosalind Ashford, Annette Beard, Betty Kelly and my sister Lois Reeves in the opening celebration in Cleveland. I have framed my piece of ribbon that I cut standing alongside Mary Wilson, Little Richard, Yoko Ono, James Brown, John Cougar Mellencamp, Bruce Springsteen, Bonnie Raitt, Al Green, all hundred of the Inductees, representing our world of music. I am so blessed and highly favored to be in the Museum for all to visit and cherish.

Suggested listening:

“Baby Don’t Do It” (1953) “Monkey Hips and Rice” (1954) “Think” (1957) “Messin’ Up” (1957) “Dedicated to the One I Love” (1957)

009

Love and God Bless, Martha Rose Reeves

Category: Early Influence

The “5” Royales were one of the most influential R&B groups of the 1950s. They mixed vocal harmony, gospel and blues into unique and exciting songs about grown-up romance. Lowman Pauling’s bluesy guitar lines brought an edge to their records that made a lasting impact on many guitar players. If you want to hear what “rock and roll” sounded like before it was called that, listen to the “5” Royales.

Behind the Suggested votes listening:

Suggested listening:

“Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)” (1980) “Bad Reputation” (1980) “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” (1981) “Crimson and Clover” (1981) “A.C.D.C.” (2006)

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts Category: Performer

Joan Jett is a rock and roll lifer. Ever since she hit the scene with the Runaways in 1976, she’s been making powerful, exciting, guitar-driven rock and roll classics. She’s made her best music with the Blackhearts, a classic four-piece rock and roll lineup that mixes hard rock, glam and punk in a timeless sound. Jett has been a special inspiration to young women starting up.

Bill Withers

Category: Performer

Bill Withers didn’t record his first album until he was in his early 30s, but he hit the scene fully formed, with beautifully crafted songs that rested on deep grooves and percussive acoustic guitar. His mix of styles—soul, blues, jazz, funk—was truly unique in the 1970s, and his songs consistently crossed over on pop and R&B charts.

Suggested listening:

“Ain’t No Sunshine” (1971) “Grandma’s Hands” (1971) “Lean on Me” (1972) “Use Me” (1972) “I Can’t Write Left Handed” (1973) “Lovely Day” (1977)

Dr. Lauren “Born inOnkey Chisharescago” what it’s like (1965) to cast a Hall ballot

PAuL ButterFIELD BLuES BaND Category: Performer The Paul Butterfield Blues Band grew out of the fertile blues scene in Chicago. Young blues aficionados like Mike Bloomfield and Paul Butterfield saw legendary players like Muddy Waters in Chicago’s clubs, literally learning from the masters. The original rhythm section of Sam Lay on drums and Jerome Arnold on bass came from Howlin’ Wolf ’s band, giving the Butterfield Band an authenticity rare for young white blues players at the time.

While they didn’t sell millions of records, they were hugely influential on rock bands in the 1960s and 1970s.

Suggested listening:

“Born in Chicago” (1965) “Our Love is Drifting” (1965) “Work Song” (1966) “Driftin’ and Driftin’” (1967) “In My Own Dream” (1968)

“Our Love Title Trackisasked Dr. Lauren Drifting” Onkey, Vice President of (1965) Education & Public Programs “Work Song” and voting committee member, (1966) to share her thoughts on the process: “Driftin’ and Driftin’” What is it like to sit on the (1967) committee?

“In My Own It’s an incredible privilege, and I Dream” take the work very seriously. It’s humbling(1968) and very exciting.

Can you explain the process?

Everyone on the committee has an equal vote. In the end, I think what persuades people is a strong argument with compelling evidence. Every year, I find I think differently about possible nominees as a result of the case made by someone on the committee. We all have to make tough choices every year, and everyone in the room struggles with that.

How do you separate your own likes and dislikes to vote objectively? Is that even possible?

That’s the hardest part of the process. I don’t believe that pure objectivity exists when it comes to judging art. My goal is to be as aware as I can of what I like and don’t like as I’m sifting through possible nominations and votes.

Every year, I nominate and vote for artists that aren’t necessarily my favorites. The key is to listen to a lot of music. Rather than making decisions based on ideas that I may have formed 20 years ago, I go back through the artists’ catalogs and think about their innovations and influence.

I believe it’s my responsibility to be as thoughtful as I can about my choices.

Did You Know?

2015 Induction Ceremony commemorative programs are now available. Visit rockhall.com to get yours today!

GREEN DAY Category: Performer Fans who first heard Green Day on Dookie in 1994 might be surprised to learn that the group released its first record in 1990 on the punk label Lookout!

Records. Green Day was part of the California punk revival in 1990s, along with Sublime, Bad Religion and Rancid. It revived the Ramones’ punk style: full but short songs with high energy and some of the melodic sense of the British invasion. Its punk rock opera American Idiot showed the influence of the Who as Green Day created one of the most powerful protest records of the Bush years.

LOu REED

Suggested listening:

Category: Performer

“Walk On the Wild Side” (1972)

Suggested listening:

“Green Day” (1990)

“Berlin” (1973)

“Basket Case” (1994)

“Metal Machine Music, Part 1” (1975)

“Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” (1997)

“The Bells” (1979)

“American Idiot” (2004)

“Dirty Blvd” (1989)

“Know Your Enemy” (2004)

Lou Reed, a founding member of Velvet Underground, created a huge body of influential music over the course of his career. He took a Dylanesque approach to singing and songwriting; he didn’t want to sound polished and wrote about the seedy underground of New York City. No one captured the city better than Lou Reed.

STEVIE rAY vAuGHAN AND DOuBLE TRouBLE Category: Performer

01

1

Stevie Ray Vaughan is simply one of the greatest guitarists ever to play rock and roll. He combined rock and roll guitar playing—from Lonnie Mack to Jimi Hendrix—with classic electric blues. With Double Trouble (Chris Layton on drums, Reese Wynans on keyboards and Tommy Shannon on bass), he recorded a series of classic albums before his tragic death in 1990. Eric Clapton once said, “The first time I heard Stevie Ray, I thought, ‘Whoever this is, he’s going to shake the world.’” He got that right.

Suggested listening:

“Love Struck Baby” (1983) “Lenny” (1983) “Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)” (1984) “Crossfire” (1989) “The Sky is Crying” (1991)

Iconic images now on view!

Courtesy of the Herb Ritts Foundation

012

Cher, Los Angeles, 1990

H Herb Ritts was a gifted American fashion photographer who had a knack for taking pop culture stars and turning them into icons. When Ritts trained his camera on a subject, the resulting photograph often went from a portrait to the portrait. He was sought out for the way he made

Herbert

“Herb”

Ritts Jr. his subjects look beautiful while also putting them at ease with the process.

Ritts produced portraits for Vogue, Vanity Fair, Interview and Rolling Stone and also created successful advertising campaigns for Calvin Klein, Chanel, Donna Karan, Versace and Valentino, among others.

His impact on the rock world can be seen in the

(1952-2002)

pages of countless national magazines and in the videos he directed for the likes of Janet Jackson, Jon Bon Jovi, Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears and Tracy Chapman. Ritts’ sexy, black-and-white video for Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game”—one of the genre’s most memorable—won three MTV Video Music Awards. And Ritts’

Inductee Madonna, Malibu, 1989.

striking photographs of rock legends, a long list that includes Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Axl Rose and Prince, have become cultural treasures.

This exhibition represents the first time Ritts’ rock portraits have been curated into a show, and includes 30 neverbefore-seen photos and original video footage.

Inductee Axl Rose, New York, 1991.

014

Billy Idol, cover art for Whiplash Smile, 1989.

Camera Ready The Rock Hall is exhibiting Herb Ritts’ first professional camera, a Miranda dX-3 35mm with lens. Here’s a timeline of how an item becomes part of an exhibit:

1

When an artifact comes in from a lender or donor, it is first given at least one day to rest in its packaging. It is important for the piece to acclimate to the environment of the collections vault.

2

The next step is to unpack the item, and inspect and photograph it for records.

3

An accession report is created, which gives the artifact an identifying number and makes note of its condition.

4

Inductee David Bowie, Los Angeles, 1987.

The artifact goes to the preparator for mount-making and installation.

Want to see this camera up close and in person? You’ll have to come to the Rock Hall and spend some time exploring Herb Ritts: The Rock Portraits!

E

E N G A G E M E N T

THANK YOU Your donations do so much!

Top: Students enjoy a Rockin’ The Schools program. RTS teaches students how music has played a vital role in modern history.

Bottom: Toddler Rock, in part made possible by the generous support of PNC Grow Up Great, increases pre-literacy, language and socialization skills among pre-K children.

Don’t want to wait for Dec. 1 to give? Make a difference now by donating to our Annual Fund or by joining the Long Live Rock Society. If you’d like more information on how you can deepen your commitment to the Rock Hall, contact Caprice Bragg at (216) 515-8404 or cbragg@ rockhall.org, and THANK YOU!

016

TITLE TRACK

TOP: ROBERT MULLER

IT TRULY PAYS TO GIVE. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum participated for the first time in #GivingTuesday this past December with great results, and our members are the largest group of people who contributed. (That’s over and above membership dues!) We even had an anonymous donor set up a match pool to inspire others to give. Contributions were matched dollar for dollar, making every donation count twice as much. To everyone who contributed, we cannot thank you enough.

What is #GivingTuesday, you might ask?

It’s a global day dedicated to giving back.

Our goal was to inspire our members and supporters to give back to the charities and causes they celebrate. The Rock Hall is excited to once again be part of this movement, and we’re asking you to help us do even more in 2015.

Gifts made during #GivingTuesday support our education programming. In 2015, nearly 50,000 students and teachers will participate in classes at the Museum and through distance learning.

“As a charitable organization, we want to remind people that the Museum can’t continue amazing programs like Rockin’ The Schools and Toddler Rock without their support,” says Caprice Bragg, Vice President of Development. “The Museum belongs to everyone, and we want to involve as many people as possible in our mission to engage, teach and inspire. It’s up to all of us to make a fantastic Museum even better.”

Be sure to mark Dec. 1 on your calendars for #GivingTuesday 2015. Your contribution to the Rock Hall, no matter the amount, helps us do real and impactful things.

E N G A G E M E N T

E

NEW MEMBER WITH AN OLD SOUL

Superfan Katie May reaps the benefits of member ship

I

“

t is important to support the Museum because it is the one place where people of all generations are exposed to rock and roll, its story and significance,” says new Rock Hall member Katie May. May might be younger than what you’d expect for a fan of Lonnie Donegan or Frankie Valli, but her knowledge of rock and roll would impress any music historian. Katie currently attends Akron School for the Arts at Firestone, where she participates in choir. She has been involved with music in various forms from a very young age, taking voice lessons, playing in a steel drum band and playing the violin. Her favorite activity? Going to concerts.

“There’s nothing like seeing your favorite artists in person.

Some of the most notable concerts I’ve attended include Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Bob Dylan, James Taylor, the Beach Boys and Frankie Valli.”

May credits her parents for fostering her love of music. “Not only have they driven me to lessons, rehearsals and gigs, but they have taken off work or changed their plans in order to take me to events like concerts and book signings. My parents have also introduced me to artists that I don’t think I otherwise would have taken an interest in.”

When asked the coolest thing she’s experienced at the Rock Hall, she points to the Music Masters tribute concert honoring

SUMMER 2015

“Some of the most notable concerts I have attended include Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Bob Dylan, James Taylor, the Beach Boys and Frankie Valli.”

017

the Everly Brothers. “Don and Phil are special people in the music world, and it was neat to honor them alongside people like Graham Nash and Peter Asher. I honestly cried when Don took the stage and accepted the award on behalf of him and his brother.”

May says she couldn’t be happier with her recent decision to become a Rock Hall card-carrying member. “I love having a membership because it allows me to have more freedom when I visit the Museum. If I want, I can spend my entire visit at a couple of exhibits and not have to worry about budgeting my time because I can go to the Museum as often as I please.” And if there’s one piece of advice she’d offer her fellow members, it’s this: “Visit!” We couldn’t have summed it up any better ourselves.

Above: May wears her VIP badge to Herb Ritts: The Rock Portraits.

Left: Inductee Joe Perry autographs a copy of his book, Rocks: My Life in and Out of Aerosmith, for May at the Museum.

Chuck D of Public Enemy shares inside stories with Director of Education Dr. Jason Hanley during the Q&A session of a Hall of Fame Series.

CHUCK D ON ROOTS, RACE AND RADIO

and The politically active rapper ous seri some ped drop producer ng knowledge at the Rock Hall duri Black History Month

CHUCK D IS NO STRANGER to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

and Museum. Even before he was inducted into the Rock Hall in 2013 with his pioneering hip-hop group Public Enemy, he’d visited the Museum many times to be part of its education programs and to induct the Beastie Boys into the Hall in 2012.

018

The music of Public Enemy has always rattled the speakers and the floor with its constant sonic assault: Chuck D slams down aggressive doses of knowledge, Flavor Flav plays the clown, the musical samples collide and combine with precision to produce a sound you can’t ignore. And the group’s message continues to challenge listeners to question their perceptions of society. As Chuck D described, “We were scientists at sound.”

It’s hard to believe that it’s been 25

TITLE TRACK

R O C K

U

U

JUST A CLICK AWAY LEARN ABOUT ROCK AND ROLL ANYTIME, ANYWHERE

years since the release of Public Enemy’s groundbreaking third album, Fear of a Black Planet. So when Chuck agreed to be part of the Rock Hall’s 2015 Black History Month celebration, we knew exactly what to talk to him about. Our conversation covered the sound of the album, including the work of the Bomb Squad—aka Hank and Keith Shocklee, two of the aforementioned “scientists of sound”—who crafted the samples and

SUMMER 2015

beats. Chuck also dug deep into the message behind Fear, including how Public Enemy “attacked the foolishness of race.”

He discussed how the troubled understanding of race in the United States is rooted in its systems, in its laws and in its daily life.

Chuck ended the night by discussing the current state of the music industry and expressing his desire to see a revival of local music and local radio. His inspiring message is to return music to the places it comes from, have it talk about the lives of the people who make it and have it matter to the communities that listen.

019

If you would have asked teachers 30 years ago about the role technology would eventually play in the classroom, they most likely couldn’t even begin to touch on concepts like tablet computers for each student and replacing chalkboards with smartboards. Today’s students are accustomed to the concept of on-demand learning, and they respond to video-driven content that is relevant and engaging.

Enter the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum’s Digital Classroom project. Its goal is to provide more access across the country and around the world to the Museum’s vast educational materials. The Rock Hall had tremendous success with its distance-learning program, On the Road, with more than 73,000 views since October 2013. The Digital Classroom builds on that success and takes it to the next level. Now that teachers have the technology to draw materials from a wide range of sources, content from the Digital Classroom can be easily adapted to their individual needs.

The program offers a history of rock and roll designed around the key songs of each era, starting with the birth of rock and roll in the 1950s. Each of the songs is organized around three key themes: musical style, historical and cultural context, and technological innovation. Teachers can select any of the key songs in an era and access performance clips, artifacts from the Rock Hall collection, exclusive interviews with the artists and lesson plans with guided listening exercises. There are also follow-up questions and additional resources so teachers can take their lessons even further.

Just as technology is ever-changing, the Digital Classroom will continue to develop, with new materials being added to advance the program. This will help ensure the Rock Hall’s mission to engage, teach and inspire through the power of rock and roll in classrooms and beyond.

BACK TO S CHO O L!

Access Digital Cl assroo visiting rockhall. m by com and selecting“Distan ce Learning” from the Educat ion section.

We’d love your feedback!

TITLE TRACK

from the archives

ALICE COOPER’S “SCHOOL’S OUT”

“School’s Out” by 2011 Inductee Alice Cooper was the title track from Cooper’s fifth album. It was released in May 1972 and peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 in July of that year. The B-side was “Gutter Cat.”