Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner removed from Rock Hall leadership after controversial comments

Jann Wenner, the founder of Rolling Stone magazine and a co-founder of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, has been ousted from the Hall’s board of directors due to controversial remarks he made. Wenner’s comments, which were perceived as derogatory towards Black and female musicians, led to his removal from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation’s board.

This development came swiftly after Wenner’s remarks were published in an interview with The New York Times. At the time of this report, there has been no immediate response from a representative for the 77-year-old Wenner regarding this decision.

Wenner stirred controversy while promoting his new book, titled “The Masters,” which consists of interviews with prominent musicians such as Bob Dylan, Jerry Garcia, Mick Jagger, John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen, Pete Townshend, and U2’s Bono, all of whom are white and male.

When questioned about his decision not to include interviews with women or Black musicians, Wenner explained, “It’s not that they’re inarticulate, although, go have a deep conversation with Grace Slick or Janis Joplin. Please, be my guest. You know, Joni (Mitchell) was not a philosopher of rock ‘n’ roll. She didn’t, in my mind, meet that test.”

Regarding Black artists, Wenner stated, “Of Black artists — you know, Stevie Wonder, genius, right? I suppose when you use a word as broad as ‘masters,’ the fault is using that word. Maybe Marvin Gaye, or Curtis Mayfield? I mean, they just didn’t articulate at that level,” he remarked.

Jann Wenner’s influence in the music and media world is undeniable. He founded Rolling Stone magazine in 1967 and held editorial roles within the publication until 2019. Additionally, he played a pivotal role in co-founding the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, which was established in 1987.

In the course of the interview, Wenner seemed to anticipate the backlash, suggesting, “Just for public relations sake, maybe I should have gone and found one Black and one woman artist to include here that didn’t measure up to that same historical standard, just to avert this kind of criticism.”

It is worth noting that Rolling Stone magazine, under Wenner’s leadership, published its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” last year, with Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” ranking as No. 1, Joni Mitchell’s “Blue” at No. 3, Stevie Wonder’s “Songs in the Key of Life” at No. 4, Prince and the Revolution’s “Purple Rain” at No. 8, and Ms. Lauryn Hill’s “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” at No. 10.

Rolling Stone, as a magazine, was renowned for its unique blend of authoritative music and cultural coverage coupled with rigorous investigative journalism.

For more information, you can follow Mark Kennedy on Twitter at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits.

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