The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has caved to pressure from Motörhead fans and has updated the 2020 ballot.
There was an uproar from fans and surviving band members last week when the nominations were announced for the class of 2020 and Motörhead’s drummer Mikkey Dee and guitarist Phil Campbell were not included in the nomination. The ballot only recognized original members Lemmy Kilmister, “Fast” Eddie Clarke and Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor – even though Dee and Campbell were in Motörhead far longer than the musicians they replaced.
Following news of the nomination change, the band tweeted out their thanks to fans and the Rock Hall. “Thanks to everyone who spoke up loudly. Thanks to the Rock Hall for listening and adding Phil and Mikkey. All for one and one for all!”
There has been no official statement from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame regarding the update as of yet, however, the band’s bio on the Rock Hall site has been changed to include Dee and Campbell.
The updated bio now reads: “Motörhead experienced two distinct eras, first in the ‘70s and then in the ‘80s, ‘90s and beyond. Phil Campbell (guitar) and Mikkey Dee (drums) joined the band in that second era and pushed their sound into new directions. Campbell joined the band in 1983 for the No Remorse album and stayed with the band till the very end, playing on a number of classic killer albums that redefined Motörhead including Orgasmatron, Rock and Roll (which includes the very important track “Killed By Death”),1916, and Bastards. Dee joined in 1992 and became the defining rock drummer sound for the last era of Motörhead. His first full album with the band was the classic Bastards. In his autobiography, Lemmy referred to Bastards as ‘one of the best albums we ever did.’”
Before the revision, Dee told Billboard that the Hall of Fame snub was “pure wrong,” adding “I know Phil will be very disappointed, too. We’ve been carrying the flag for 25 years together, and actually brought Motörhead to what it was. We did 25 years out of the 40. The original band lasted just a few years. They started it off, but as Lemmy said himself they wouldn’t have lasted another six months doing that lineup. I don’t think we would’ve been where we are today without the 25 years we spent touring.”
Clarke, the last surviving original member of Motörhead until his death in January 2018, left the band in 1983 and was replaced by Campbell. Taylor’s tenure with the band ended in 1992 and Dee took over on drums shortly thereafter. Kilmister remained with the band until his death, December 28, 2015, at which point Dee and Campbell confirmed that Motörhead had disbanded. Taylor also passed away in 2015.
Related:
Long Live Lemmy Kilmister
Nominees for the 2020 class of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame were announced on October 15th. The sixteen nominees include the Doobie Brothers, Judas Priest, Motörhead, Todd Rundgren, Thin Lizzy, T. Rex, Pat Benatar, Depeche Mode, Soundgarden, Dave Matthews Band, MC5, Whitney Houston, Kraft Werk, Nine Inch Nails, The Notorious B.I.G, and Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan.
Fans can vote daily for up to five nominees in the Klipsch Audio Fan Vote here.
