Northern Ohio music pioneers Devo are among the first-time nominees on the long list for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, joining Def Leppard, John Prine, Roxy Music, Stevie Nicks and Todd Rundgren.
Janet Jackson, Kraftwerk, LL Cool J, MC5, Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine, The Cure, Rufus & Chaka Khan and The Zombies are the returning nominees up for Class of 2019 induction honors.
The Rock Hall will announce the final list of inductees in December. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2019 Induction Ceremony is scheduled for March 29 in Brooklyn.
Devo formed in Akron, Ohio in 1973, but Cincinnati played a small role in getting the band's career kickstarted. CityBeat chatted with Devo's Mark Mothersbaugh in 2015 ahead of his art exhibit at the Contemporary Arts Center. During the interview, writer Steven Rosen shared with Mothersbaugh a copy of Devo's very first self-released single, which was pressed in Cincinnati in 1976.
“I love that record,” Mothersbaugh said of the single. “We had no idea what a record company was. That was the first time I came to Cincinnati, and I drove down with (Devo members) Jerry and Bob Casale and Bob (Mothersbaugh’s brother) and somebody with a car. It was very exciting.”
Read CityBeat's whole interview with Mothersbaugh here.
Fans can once again participate in the Hall of Fame induction process by voting for their favorites/who they believe most deserving here. The fan ballot is open through Dec. 9. The Top 5 fan-voted artists will comprise a full official ballot among the 1,000-plus "international body" of Hall of Fame voters.
