Styx’s Dennis DeYoung says artists have to be “incapacitated or dead” before they’re honoured at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Dennis DeYoung has hit out at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, saying many deserving musicians have been overlooked or made to wait “so long” to be inducted.

On Thursday (November 13), the founding member and vocalist of Styx took to Facebook to air his grievances following this year’s ceremony, which saw The White Stripes, Cyndi Lauper, OutKast, Soundgarden, Thom Bell, Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker, Nicky Hopkins, Carol Kaye, Salt-N-Pepa, Lenny Waronker, Warren Zevon and Bad Company inducted into the Rock Hall.

“It’s a shame that Bad Company had to wait so long to get in that it rendered Paul Rodgers unable to perform due to health concerns,” DeYoung wrote. “Bollocks!! I would have liked to have seen him perform years ago to demonstrate how one of rock’s premiere singers ACTUALLY ROCKS.

“You know, like the name on their institution’s logo. I have said this repeatedly for decades, just change the damn name.”

The founding member of the English supergroup was unable to attend or perform alongside his band at this year’s ceremony, and told fans he had to “prioritise his health” after suffering two major strokes and a series of minor strokes.

According to DeYoung, his absence at the event highlighted the “tragic manner in which this joint operates.”

“Making so many musicians wait until they [are] either incapacitated or dead is shameful,” he continued. “Joe Cocker, Warren Zevon et al are suddenly eligible decades after their success? Explain that, what’s changed except the Hall’s inability to let go of their clear prejudices and induct them?”

“They now admit, when it’s far too late that they have erred. Have Joe, Warren and others recently become more popular? …no,” he went on to write. “The Hall’s initial mission statement about who qualifies was always a ruse and a joke concocted to protect their own personal choices. I’ll stop now before I need BP [blood pressure] meds.

“I have said this before – as someone whose band has never been considered, whatever I write ends up sounding like sour grapes.”

Another major divisive moment from this year’s ceremony came from Doja Cat and Janelle Monáe‘s performance at the evenings OutKast tribute. Doja took on ‘Ms. Jackson’, however, as many social media users later pointed out, she appeared to lose her thread halfway through the song and miss lyrics.