NEW YORK – Jann Wenner, who co-founded Rolling Stone magazine and was a co-founder of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, has been removed from the hall’s board of directors after making comments deemed insulting toward black and women musicians.
“Jan Wenner has been removed from the Board of Directors of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation,” the hall said on Saturday, a day after Wenner’s comments were published in a newspaper. New York Times interview.
A representative for Weiner, 77, did not immediately respond to The Associated Press for comment.
Weiner has generated a firestorm of publicity for his new book, “The Masters,” which includes interviews with musicians Bob Dylan, Jerry Garcia, Mick Jagger, John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen, Pete Townshend and U2’s Bono, all of whom are white and male.
When asked why he didn’t interview women or black musicians, Weiner responded: “It’s not that they’re inconspicuous, though. Go have a deep conversation with Grace Slick or Janis Joplin. Please be my guest. You know, it wasn’t Joni Mitchell is a rock ‘n’ roll philosopher. “In my opinion it doesn’t meet that test,” he told The Times.
“Among black artists – you know, Stevie Wonder, a genius, right? I suppose that when you use a broad word like “masters,” the error lies in the use of that word. Maybe Marvin Gaye, or Curtis Mayfield? “I mean, they didn’t talk at that level,” Weiner said.
Late Saturday, Weiner He apologized “with all my heart for those statements.” Through Little, Brown and Company, his book’s publisher. He described the book as a collection of interviews that reflected the most important stages of his career.
“It does not reflect my appreciation and admiration for the countless totem artists who are changing the world and whose music and ideas I respect and will celebrate and promote for as long as I live,” Weiner said in a statement provided to USA TODAY. The inflammatory nature of poorly chosen words, apologizing profusely and accepting the consequences.
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Weiner co-founded Rolling Stone in 1967 and served as its editor or managing editor until 2019. He also co-founded the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which was launched in 1987.
In the interview, Weiner seemed to acknowledge that he would face backlash. “Just for the sake of PR, I probably should have gone and found one black artist and one female artist to include here that doesn’t live up to the same historical standard, just to avoid that kind of criticism.”
Last year, Rolling Stone magazine published the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and ranked Jay’s “What’s Going On” at No. 1, Mitchell’s “Blue” at No. 3, and Wonder’s “Songs in the Key of Life” at No. 4. “Purple Rain” by Prince and the Revolution came in eighth place, and “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” by Ms. Lauryn Hill came in tenth place.
Rolling Stone’s stature in the magazines was a result of Weiner’s broad interests, a combination of authoritative music and cultural coverage with rigorous investigative reporting.
Contributing: Kim Willis, USA TODAY
From Jagger to Lennon, from Dylan to Bono:Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner spills the tea in his memoir
. “Professional creator. Lifelong thinker. Reader. Beer buff. Troublemaker. Evil problem solver.”