Business magnate Jann Wenner has been removed from his position on the board of directors of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation after he made some controversial remarks about Black and female musicians, as reported by Variety.
Wenner recently interviewed with The New York Times to promote his latest book called “The Masters.” As a result of that interview, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced Saturday that they have removed Wenner from their board, per Variety.
His new book features an array of rock and roll luminaries, including renowned figures such as Bono, Bob Dylan, Jerry Garcia, Mick Jagger, John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen and Pete Townshend. While the book delves into the minds of legendary musicians, it does not include a female or Black musician.
Jann Wenner Removed From Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Board After Controversial Comments About Black and Female Musicians https://t.co/pSrCTBJIdx
— Variety (@Variety) September 16, 2023
When asked about the selection process, the Rolling Stone co-founder explained, “When I was referring to the zeitgeist, I was referring to Black performers, not to the female performers, OK? Just to get that accurate. The selection was not a deliberate selection. It was kind of intuitive over the years; it just fell together that way. The people had to meet a couple criteria, but it was just kind of my personal interest and love of them. Insofar as the women, just none of them were as articulate enough on this intellectual level.” (RELATED: Rolling Stone Publisher Accused Of Homosexual Harassment)
“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,” he added.