(Special Report)

Written by: Ginny Gaines  

Back in 2016, rock legend Steve Miller was finally being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. For most musicians, getting into the Rock Hall is supposed to be one of the happiest moments of their career; a big celebration of everything they’ve accomplished. But for Miller, the experience turned into something very different. Instead of leaving quietly with a trophy and a smile, he ended up publicly calling out the organization that was honoring him. What he said that night and afterward, sparked one of the biggest controversies the Rock Hall has had in years.

The induction ceremony took place on April 8, 2016, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. That year’s class included artists like Chicago, Deep Purple, Cheap Trick, and N.W.A. When it came time for Steve Miller’s induction, the band The Black Keys introduced him. Miller walked on stage, accepted the honor, and gave a fairly calm speech. He even used the moment to say something positive, encouraging the Hall of Fame to start inducting more women into rock’s history. To the audience watching the ceremony, everything seemed normal. But behind the scenes, Miller was already frustrated with how the whole event had been handled.

Later that night, Miller spoke to reporters in the press room. That’s when the story really began to unfold. He explained that the way the Hall of Fame treated inductees surprised him, and not in a good way. For example, he said when he asked about tickets for the ceremony, he was shocked by the answer. According to Miller: He was only given two free tickets, one for himself and one for his wife. If he wanted more tickets for band members, friends, or family, they could cost thousands of dollars each. That didn’t sit right with him. From Miller’s point of view, the people who helped create the music, his bandmates and their families, should have been part of the celebration without having to pay huge prices. He basically asked, “Why are we celebrating rock music if the musicians themselves can’t even bring their people?”

As reporters kept asking questions, Miller got more and more honest about what he thought of the whole situation. At one point, when event organizers tried to end the press conference early, Miller snapped back and said they weren’t going to cut it short. Then he let it all out. He told reporters the entire experience had been unpleasant and that the Rock Hall didn’t seem to treat artists with much respect. He criticized several things: the high ticket prices, the way inductees were handled, the lack of women being honored, and the secretive way artists are chosen for induction. Miller basically said the whole system needed to be changed from top to bottom.

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