Others who will be honored include Dionne Warwick.
The legendary musicians will be present at the 39th annual induction ceremony taking place at Cleveland’s Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Oct. 19 and streamed live on Disney+, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. Joining the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul, and iconic rap and funk groups are Cher, Ozzy Osbourne, Dave Matthews Band, Foreigner, and Peter Frampton.
Others will be honored and celebrated including Dionne Warwick, who, along with Jimmy Buffet, Norman Whitfield, and MC5, will receive the Musical Excellence Award. Blues and R&B legend Big Mama Thornton will be awarded posthumously with Alexis Korner and John Mayall with the Musical Influence Award, and renowned businesswoman, music and film producer Suzanne de Passe will receive the Ahmet Ertegun Award.
It was Kool & The Gang’s first time being placed on the nomination ballot and enough votes garnered them a coveted spot on the induction list. While Mary J. Blige has been nominated before, she finally reached the induction level.
It’s big news for Blige, who is toying with the idea of retirement ahead of new music. She told People last week that her upcoming release could be her last.
“This is another album, and it’s probably my last studio album.
She quickly took it back, noting how “Everybody says that. I mean, OK. I guess it’s not then.” But Blige reiterated the possibility of her next album being her last.
“Nah, I’ve been doing it for a while. I love it, I enjoy it, and it might be the last studio album. It might be,” she said.
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Source: Black Enterprise
