By Liana Jacob
RETRO photographs of rock legends Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry have emerged on the anniversary of the first celebrities being inducted into the legendary Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame.
Vintage photos show the classic Jailhouse Rock singer Elvis Presley performing live at the Mississippi-Alabama Fairgrounds in 1956 and another picture of him posing next to then-President of America, Richard Nixon, in the Oval Office of the White House.
Further images depict the charisma of Chuck Berry strumming on his guitar during the Midnight Special TV programme in 1973 and a publicity picture for Brunswick Records of Buddy Holly in 1957.
Other pictures show Buddy Holly with his famous thick-rimmed black glasses posing with Waylon Jennings in a photobooth in New York, 1959.
Associate curator of the museum, Meredith Rutledge-Borger started working there from 1999 as a visitor representative.
“The Hall of Fame Foundation was setup in 1983, by Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun. Three years later, in 1986, it was determined that Cleveland would become the home of the museum, because of its rich rock ‘n’ roll history,” she said.
Artists can only become inducted in a category 25 years after the release of their first record. To be inducted, an artist must be nominated by a committee that selects from nine to 12 candidates.
John Lennon’s two sons; Julian and Sean inducted the king of rock n roll himself, Elvis Presley, on January 23, 1986, and on the same day Chuck Berry, James Brown, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke and Buddy Holly were also inducted.
“There’s no place like it in the world. We engage, teach and inspire through the power of rock and roll, every single day. There’s something here for everyone,” Meredith said.
“The music we celebrate is the soundtrack to all of our lives – it unites and teaches us about our past and our future.”
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was established on April 20, 1983, by Atlantic Records founder and chairman Ahmet Ertegun.
