Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner has come under fire and been removed from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation’s board for saying that Black and female musicians weren’t “articulate” enough for his new book, which features only interviews with white, male rock ‘n’ roll icons.
The controversy: In an interview with The New York Times, Wenner was asked why no famous Black or female rockers were included in his new book, to which he responded that the men he interviewed were “kind of philosophers of rock” and that no female musicians were “as articulate enough on this intellectual level” as the men.
* Wenner also dismissed the idea of including Black artists, saying he got a sense of how they would speak by listening to their music and reading interviews with them.
* Following the backlash, Wenner apologized via a statement through his publisher, accepting the inflammatory nature of his words and the consequences that came with them.
Consequences and reactions: Wenner’s comments have cost him his position on the board of directors of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation.
* A spokesperson for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame confirmed his removal in a brief statement.
Background: Wenner’s new book, “The Masters,” contains interviews with white, male musicians like Bob Dylan, John Lennon, and Bruce Springsteen.
* Wenner defended his choice of interviewees as “intuitive” and ones he was “interested in,” suggesting he should have included female and Black artists to appease critics.
The legacy question: Wenner founded Rolling Stone in 1967 and the magazine gained prominence through its investigative journalism and interviews with top musicians.
* Wenner Media, Rolling Stone’s former parent company, sold a controlling stake in the magazine to Penske Media in 2017. The current controversy has roused further discussions about diversity and representation in rock music.
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