Rock Hall to Induct Geffen: We Told You 4 Months Ago

I told you on August 14th that David Geffen would be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

It was announced officially today.

Also: the Hollies, Genesis, Iggy Pop and the Stooges, Jimmy Cliff and ABBA.

Because the prospect of this show on March 15th is so dreadful, and because the Hall of Fame has embarrassingly passed over the Brill Building era until now, the Foundation is also inducting a gang of songwriters the same night: the recently deceased Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry; Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil; Jesse Stone, Mort Shuman and Otis Blackwell.

Jann Wenner waited 25 years to induct these writers ‘ all of whom are already in the much more respected Songwriters Hall of Fame. He can do it now because Phil Spector’s in jail for life and can’t complain that he actually wrote “You Lost That Lovin’ Feeling.” He didn’t.

By putting in the writers, and Geffen, there’s at least the hope of a decent show at the Waldorf. Otherwise, the night would have consisted of “Waterloo,” “Follow You Follow Me,” “Bus Stop,” and “The Harder They Come.” Oh yes, the latter is reggae, but what the heck: the Hall of Fame has nothing to do with rock and roll.

Meantime, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum is shutting down its New York annex on January 6th after a year of operation. What happened? The Foundation has $14 million in the bank. They just threw an extravagant week of parties and concerts at Madison Square Garden, took in millions at the Garden boxoffice, got paid more by HBO, and laid out even more so that all the performers had their expenses paid at the posh London Hotel on West 54th St.

Yet, their one mission ‘ to operate museums ‘ can’t be fulfilled properly in New York.

Mamma mia!