Despite her vocal prowess and incredible 19 chart-topping singles, Mariah Carey has once again been booted out of the famous Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and a new report claimed that she is not taking it well.
“Mariah is in the throes of devastation following the announcement that she was overlooked once again, this time in favor of Cher and Mary J. Blige. She is absolutely livid and humiliated! She had a full-blown meltdown. She’s furious — but it seems like her old-school style of power ballads just doesn’t resonate with enough Rock Hall voters,” an unnamed source told The National Enquirer.
In February, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame unveiled its nominations for the 2024 class. Two-thirds of the performers on the list for "rock's highest honor" are first-time nominees, with many being women.
Mariah Carey, Cher, Sinéad O'Connor, and Sade made the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's induction shortlist for the first time, while Mary J. Blige returned.
Other nominees for 2024 are Dave Matthews Band and Eric B. & Rakim, Foreigner, Peter Frampton, Jane's Addiction, Kool & the Gang, Lenny Kravitz, Oasis, Ozzy Osbourne, A Tribe Called Quest.
The Hall of Fame requires that artists release their first commercial recording at least 25 years before the year of candidacy.
These high-profile nominations of women, especially women of color, are significant for an institution that has long been chastised for prioritizing white male artists.
"It is something that has come up in the past. And quite frankly, in recent years, the nominating committee and the voting body have definitely been electing more diverse members. More female artists are being inducted as well as more people of color,” Rock & Roll Hall of Fame President and CEO Greg Harris, in an interview with NPR, stated.
"We continue to work to recognize and honor the impact and influence of Female artists by inducting more into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. As our past three inductee classes have shown, we are committed to making a difference in this area,” the Hall of Fame wrote in a statement.
In April, it was revealed that this year's inductees at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame include Ozzy Osbourne, Cher, and Mary J. Blige.
The Rock Hall inductees, which were initially presented during Sunday's broadcast of "American Idol," include Black Sabbath founder Osbourne, pop chameleon Cher, and R&B powerhouse Blige in the performer category.
The Class of 2024 includes folk-rock adventurers Dave Matthews Band, '80s hard rockers Foreigner, guitar legend and singer-songwriter Peter Frampton, funk and R&B staples Kool & the Gang, and pioneering rap trio A Tribe Called Quest.
Four of the eight inductees in the performer category are newcomers to the ballot: Cher, Foreigner, Kool & the Gang, and Frampton.
The musical impact award will be given to Big Mama Thornton, a pioneering American blues and R&B vocalist (who initially recorded "Hound Dog," later recorded by Elvis Presley), and Alexis Korner and John Mayall, prominent midcentury British blues guitarists.
This year's musical excellence awards will recognize two recently departed performers: famous country-rock singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett and proto-punk guitarist and MC5 founder Wayne Kramer, as well as rock and R&B artist Dionne Warwick and late Motown songwriter Norman Whitfield. Buffet was recently honored at the Hollywood Bowl with a potpourri of performances that included the Eagles, Paul McCartney, and many others.
Suzanne de Passe, a producer and executive who spent decades working with Motown and its Motown productions arm, which produced film and TV projects as well as the live performance series "Showtime at the Apollo," will receive this year's Ahmet Ertegun award for music business achievements.
Business Times has reached out to Mariah Carey for comments.
