Steve Miller Skewers Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame After His Induction Ceremony


Steve Miller’s speech at his Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction was gracious enough, but his comments after the ceremony? Well, not so much. Backstage, after his high-profile induction, Steve Miller slammed the Rock & Roll Hall’s process and its treatment of the inductees as a publicist for the ceremony tried to unsuccessfully cut him off.

According to Cleveland.com, Miller told press room reporters he never signed any agreements for organizers to use his music or video footage during the ceremony. Steve also revealed he was given just two tickets to the event—one for him and one for his wife—and was told he would have to pay $10,000 per ticket if he wanted any more tickets for his longtime band members.

“The whole process needs to be changed from the top to the bottom. They need to get their legal work straight. They need to respect the artists they say they’re honoring, but they don’t.”

When a Rock Hall spokesperson tried to cut Miller off by telling him he needed to wrap things up, “The Joker” singer told her to sit down so she could learn something.

“We’re not gonna wrap this one up. This is how close this show came to not happening, because of the way the artists are being treated right now.”

According to the Associated Press, Miller also ripped the organization and questioned why he was nominated and what the purpose of the Rock Hall was.

“I don’t know why I was nominated for this because I said this for 30 years. I don’t get along with the people running it. When I found out about it, I felt like I was in a (expletive) reality TV show…It wasn’t very overwhelming. It was a lazy kind of night with a bunch of fat cats at the dinner table. It’s not a real pleasant experience to tell you the truth.”

Miller added that he only showed up because his fans took the honor seriously. But the 72-year-old rocker has a different opinion.

“You tell me what the hell is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and what does it do besides talk about itself and sell postcards?” Miller said.

After his rant, Steve Miller then reportedly walked out of the press room, leaving dozens of stunned reporters in his wake.

Steve Miller’s harsh comments about the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s process came after a medley of his hit songs, including “Fly Like An Eagle” and “Jet Airliner,” were played before The Black Keys inducted him into the Rock Hall.

During his seemingly pleasant induction, Steve graciously accepted his spot in rock ‘n roll history. According to Ultimate Classic Rock, The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney introduced Steve Miller as a “visionary” during the Brooklyn-based ceremony. Miller was described as a “virtuoso guitar player” and “one of the most iconic and lasting songwriters of a generation.”

“If you listen to the radio, you’ve listened to Steve Miller,” the duo said. “It would be extremely hard to find a three-year stretch of hits from any artist in any genre that can hold a candle to the Steve Miller Band’s run from ’74-’77. A three-year stretch so prolific that it demanded its own greatest hits the very next year — one that has sold a staggering 13 million copies.”

The Keys’ introduction even mused that Steve Miller is rock royalty, and deserves a special place—or at least a special parking spot—at the Rock Hall.

“With over 30 million albums sold, Steve Miller should have his own d*** parking spot at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame if he wants it.”

During his induction speech, Steve Miller detailed his start in San Francisco, saying today’s rock scene is “a direct result of what started in San Francisco 50 years ago.” Steve then went on to give thanks to the women in his life, whom he said pointed him in the right direction, including his mother, grandmother, and wife.

Miller also thanked his band members, crew, and longtime manager. The one hint that Miller wasn’t entirely pleased with the Rock Hall came as he urged the organization to be “more inclusive of women and to be more transparent in your dealings with the public, and most importantly, to do much more to revive music in our schools.”

Steve Miller was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame alongside fellow ’70s superstars Cheap Trick, Chicago and Deep Purple as well as hip-hop legends N.W.A.

Steve Miller’s career has spanned more than 50 years. The rock legend has released 17 studio albums, ranging from ’60s psychedelic rock to a string of radio-friendly ‘hits in the late 1970s and early ’80s, including “Take the Money and Run” and “Abracadabra.”

Steve Miller has a North American tour in the works for this summer.

Take a look at the video below to see Steve Miller’s entire speech at his Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction.

[Photo By Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Little Kids Rock]

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