Inside Look at the Rock Hall Induction

Image Courtesy of Associated Press

What happens when you put Jay Z, Paul McCartney, Carole King, Taylor Swift, LL Cool J, The Gogos, The Foo Fighters, and other musical geniuses all in Cleveland, Ohio? Greatness. Greatness happens. 

The 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony had a unique and special energy to it. There was an underlying sense of raw appreciation and gratitude for the night. Seeing that vaccinations and negative test results were required for the event, the anxiety-free night full of feelings of unity felt like the good old days. A deeper appreciation for live music and coming together for a single cause made the night so special. Well, it was either that or the fact that Paul McCartney was an honorary Foo Fighter for the night, Drew Barrymore recreated the Beauty and the Beat album cover with a spa-like face mask and towels to induct The Gogos, and LL Cool J and Eminem dominating the stage together. 

This year, I got the opportunity to be at this event and see my own Mom (Kathy Valentine, bassist of The Gogos) get inducted and perform. It was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing, and to be honest, I am still incredibly starstruck. After speaking with Paul McCartney, I couldn’t form a cohesive sentence for half an hour. His aura of excellence left me literally speechless. Although I may be biased, one of my favorite parts of the night was the comments that my mom made during her speech about female representation in music. I talked with her about the ceremony, The Gogos, and the inclusion of women in the Rock Hall, and I’m excited to share that conversation with you.

AW: What was your favorite part of the Induction Ceremony? 

KV: All of it! Every moment was great, but if I had to choose, I’d say watching Drew Barrymore’s induction speech on the monitor backstage. We had no idea what she would say and we were all blown away.

AW: In your speech, you stated that “There would not be less of us if more of us were visible.” Can you describe what this means and the importance of representation?

KV: The Rock Hall has around 8% female inductees. Many women are overlooked because they may not have the sales, hits, or reach of their male counterparts. By not celebrating women’s contributions--even with the smaller reach--it keeps visibility at a minimum, so this was another way to say “If you see it, you can be it.” What is possible in a person’s life is often not evident unless one sees people who they somehow peer identify with (in the context of my speech, females,) succeeding and achieving goals--no matter what the field is. 

AW: The Go-go’s induction has been a long-awaited journey. How does it feel to have finally arrived at the destination? 

KV: It feels like a major milestone and really great. I am also happy it didn’t happen sooner because the fact that our music is still relevant and loved 40 years after being released is even further testament to the accomplishment of what we created as a band.

AW: Did you get to connect with and talk with any of the other inductees? Did any conversations or interactions stand out the most?

KV: Mostly the Foo Fighters and LL Cool J, but some of the presenters and guests were amazing artists too, and meeting Paul McCartney was memorable. I have loved the Beatles since the age of 3!! He was my first crush, and I admire everything about him.

AW: You said that “The Go-Go’s will be advocating for the inclusion of more women.” What will this advocacy look like? How can a more inclusive environment be attained?

KV: I will be working on messaging a lot, being very clear as to why this is not a level playing field, and therefore the standards of inclusion cannot be uniform. Success in the music business is a numbers game: the more artists, the more songs, the more bands that form and exist will ensure that the future generates artists who have all the goods to make it to the top. There’s nothing at all wrong with not “making it” to the top, anyone can enjoy making music, but these museum/Hall of Fame type of institutions elevate those who are true groundbreakers, who have an effect on a time and place in popular culture, who influence and inspire artists who follow in their footsteps. Which circles back to the statement: there would be more women trying and participating if the ones before them were more visible. More women trying equals more women succeeding.  

AW: What advice would you give to young girls who dream of making it in the music industry?

KV: I don’t pretend to be an authority on a music business that has changed in every way since I had hit records and became a professional--but there are some common-sense tips that are timeless and valid: Strive for being the best you can be by taking every opportunity to improve with practice and performance. Strive to be original and believe strongly in your own unique originality—people are often resistant to something new and you might hear “no” more than you’d like. At the same time, judgment and self-awareness is very important: if a constant NO is all you get, across the board, maybe you need to work on the stuff! If you get a lot of NO, but a few people you look up to and admire and trust validate your music, then hold the course and be so good that the masses can’t ignore you!