Ringo Starr is among this year's names for the Class of 2015 inductees into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame, the Rock Hall announced Dec. 16. Starr is being honored with the Award for Musical Excellence, the Hall said. "My goodness! I'm so excited, he told Rolling Stone magazine. "We'll have a very nice evening and it'll be my pleasure to receive the award."
The complete list of nominees also includes The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Green Day, Joan Jett & and The Blackhearts, Lou Reed, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble and Bill Withers in the Performer Category and The Five Royales receiving the Early Influences Award. The inductees were chosen by a voting body of more than 700 artists, historians and members of the music industry, the Hall said.
“As we mark 30 years of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductions, we're proud to honor these artists, said Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation President Joel Peresman. “These inductions epitomize rock and roll's impact over the past 50 years and continuing through today."
The 30th annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place April 18 at Cleveland's Public Hall. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Dec. 18 and will be available through Ticketmaster. Prices for tickets will be $75, $150 and $300, the Hall said.
Ringo's induction as a solo Beatle makes him the last group member to be so honored individually. John Lennon was the first of the group to be inducted as a solo Beatle in 1994, Paul McCartney followed in 1999 and then George Harrison in 2004. The Beatles were inducted as a group in 1988. Just last year, Brian Epstein and Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham received the Ahmet Ertegun Award for Lifetime Achievement and were inducted in 2014.
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