Founding Kiss members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley have taken to social media to express outrage over Iron Maiden being snubbed by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame yet again.
Writes Simmons:
“RR Hall of Fame is a sham not to include Maiden. Disgusting!”
Simmons’ sentiments echo those of Stanley, who last month wrote:
“Regardless of whether it matters to them, Maiden not being in the @rockhall of Fame is INSANITY. Regardless of who is writing in or not, the Committee must induct them. They have helped spawn an entire genre of music.”
Despite years of not including bands like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, Rock Hall CEO/President Greg Harris recently claimed that they do not discriminate against metal:
“We celebrate all forms of Rock & Roll. They were nominated; we nominated Maiden, Judas Priest have been nominated, we put Def Leppard in… Those that are nominated, over 80% of them eventually do get inducted. So, it’s really a question of, let’s keep nominating them, let’s get ‘em on the ballot, and let’s get it out to the voting body. This ballot had sixteen artists on it… they just can’t all go in.”
Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson has previously said he wouldn’t let the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induct the band even if they wanted to:
“I’m really happy we’re not there and I wound never want to be there. If we’re ever inducted I will refuse – they won’t bloody be having my corpse in there.
“Rock & roll music does not belong in a mausoleum in Cleveland. It’s a living, breathing thing, and if you put it in a museum, then it’s dead. It’s worse than horrible, it’s vulgar.”
Kiss were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.