Already a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as 1/4 of legendary rock quartet the Beatles, drummer Ringo Starr will be finally be inducted this weekend as an individual, joining former band mates John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison. He still keeps relatively busy at age 74, touring on a regular basis with his band (Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band) and promoting a just-released new album, “Postcards From Paradise.” Besides Starr, new inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Saturday will include: Green Day, Bill Withers, Lou Reed, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Joan Jett, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band and the “5” Royales. Starr was not expecting the honor and, in fact, it has raised some interesting questions about whether there is a special Beatle entrance. McCartney explained to Rolling Stone magazine recently that, when reminded that Starr was not in the hall on his own, he vowed to see what he could do. He added that he talked to both Bruce Springsteen and Dave Grohl (formerly of Nirvana and currently fronts the Foo Fighters), and they agreed that he should be inducted into the RRHOF. McCartney also said that he would take care of the introduction. Rather than being nominated and voted upon by the full panel of musicians, journalists and other music experts (who choose most of the potential members), Starr was selected under a “musical excellence” category. That category has been only used four times in the past, none before 2011. Joel Peresman, president and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, stated that these honorees are hand-picked by the committee. Although lobbying calls are accepted, induction is primarily a group decision. He said that any calls that come in during the nomination process “are purely coincidental.”
