The late Warren Zevon has been eligible for nomination into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame since 1995, but years later has yet to be given the nod.Billy Joel wants that to change.
Billy, who’s a fan and member of the Hall since 1999, wrote a letter to the nominating committee. He told the Los Angeles Times, "I just wanted to put in my two cents of supporting Warren Zevon to be included. If anyone deserves to be, he does. He was a real original, and I don’t know if that’s appreciated enough. The first minute I saw him, I was knocked out. He was like the crazy brother I never had. He was fearless, and it stuck with me. I never thought he got the attention he deserved.”
When he was asked why, Joel said, “Well, he was a piano player, and we all tend to get lumped into this thing of ‘They’re not real rock guys’ — which I don’t think is fair, but I understand why it happens. Piano is perceived to be this middle-of-the-road instrument only played by dorks. But when I saw Warren, he was kind of breaking the piano to pieces, little by little, which I thought was an interesting style.”
Joel has also been an outspoken supporter of Joe Cocker and Cyndi Lauper, both of whom have yet to be nominated for Rock Hall enshrinement.
Zevon died in 2003 from lung cancer at age 56. He will be the subject of a tribute concert this Friday at the Roxy in West Hollywood by singer-songwriter and producer Shooter Jennings, son of the late Waylon Jennings .
Andrew Slater, who produced several of Zevon’s albums in the 80’s, is also working on a film about him with the help of Zevon’s estate.
[Source: Classic Hits Today]