Should Pat Boone Be Part of Rock Hall of Fame?

From Tennessean.com:

When Pat Boone launched his singing career, rock 'n' roll was a new term.

"I've called myself one of the midwives at the birth of rock 'n' roll," says Pat, who will sign copies of his Christmas album and autobiography today from 2 to 4 p.m. at Ernest Tubb Record Shop, 417 Broadway.

He has sold 45 million records, has 38 Top 40 hits and holds the Billboard record for spending 220 consecutive weeks on the charts with more than one song. Elvis Presley opened for him. Yet he's not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, something his friend Mike Curb, the record executive, is trying to correct.

"The incredible thing about Pat's career is, next to Elvis Presley, he had the best statistics of any rock 'n' roll artist," Mike says. "Pat doesn't get the credit he deserves. He deserves to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and I'm talking to members of the board of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, asking them why he's not in."

Pat, 74, who notes that he's had more hits than some of the inductees, says he doesn't care that he hasn't been inducted. "It has become diluted and unclear as to who is and who was rock 'n' roll.

"Brenda Lee was never rock 'n' roll," he says. "I love her — she was introduced on my father-in-law Red Foley's show — but she was country and maybe pop country, but never rock 'n' roll. Gene Pitney and Billy Joel were never rock 'n' roll."

Some inductees are personal favorites of Jann Wenner, the Rolling Stone magazine founder who co-founded the Rock and Roll Hall, he says. "He put me on the cover of Rolling Stone once, but he doesn't consider me authentically rock 'n' roll.

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Comments

[Dan Hollyfield]

I believe ol' Pat should be in the RnR HoF, but I disagree with his statements that Gene Pitney, Brenda Lee and Billy Joel were never RnR. That's preposterous. They all rocked - Pitney with "I Wanna Love My Life Away" and others, plus he wrote "He's a Rebel", "Hello Mary Lou" and "Rubber Ball". Brenda Lee - five words, "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree". Billy Joel, not a rocker? Sure, he has mellowed a bit recently, but he rocked out regularly in the beginning. Pat is justifiably bitter over a rejection by the Hall of Fame, but to belittle others is unbecoming. He was Rock n Roll in his day - right up there with the King and he deserves his spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.