Ted Nugent has criticized the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for inducting such stars as Madonna, Grandmaster Flash, Patti Smith, and ABBA.
Artists are eligible to be honored by the institution 25 years after the release of their first record, with criteria including their influence and the significance of their contributions to the growth and development of rock 'n' roll.
And while he has never been named among the five to seven musicians who are inducted each year, right-wing rocker Nugent, 73, has a few choice words about a number of those who have been.
Speaking in an interview with Los Angeles rock radio station KNAC, Nugent said: "What a middle finger to the 'real' heroes of rock 'n' roll and rhythm and blues to put in those other people. Grandmaster Flash? Really? Why don't we go down to Chuck Berry's grave and piss on it?"
"So why am I not in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? That has a lot to do with the fact that you can't always explain why people are rotten," Nugent went on. "I'm not angry that I'm not in there because I'm having so much fun that it's stupid."
"Why isn't a band like Triumph in there, but Grandmaster Flash is?" Nugent asked. "That's just dishonest! Why are Patti Smith, ABBA and Madonna in the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, but not Styx? Are you kidding me?!
"You can only explain that is that the people who made those decisions are just plain rotten people! The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame should genuflect to Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, the Motown Funk Brothers... How dare you put Grandmaster Flash, ABBA and Madonna in that?"
Elsewhere in his interview, the Michigan native goes a little easier on Kiss rocker Gene Simmons—though he still takes aim at his apparent support of COVID-19 safety protocols and the vaccine.
"Gene Simmons I love immensely as one of the true great musical entrepreneurs of all time. He's a dedicated, hard work ethic warrior. A great man. A great family man.
"Solid in the asset column, but also my critical thinking responsibility must address that he dropped his independent thinking intellectual ball when he sided with the illegal, unfounded, tyrannical decrees from punks like [Dr. Anthony] Fauci and [President] Joe Biden regarding masks and 'experimental' shots, when he has always stood up for his mother who survived Auschwitz.
"I would think that if anyone would know about the outcome of the Nuremberg Trials it would be Gene Simmons! He defied the truth, logic and commons sense of the Nuremberg Trials and he sided with the Nazi Decree of Joe 'Punkass' Biden when it comes to 'experimental' shots and the 'joke' of a mask mandate. So Gene, I love you, I can help you because you had a 'hiccup.'"
Nugent notably revealed that he was battling harsh COVID-19 symptoms in April, months after stating that the ongoing coronavirus crisis was "not a real pandemic."
In his interview with KNAC, the musician had some flowing words to share on Kyle Rittenhouse, who gained the support of conservatives in the runup to his acquittal of murder charges for killing two people at Black Lives Matter protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
"Kyle Rittenhouse is exactly what God and the Founding Fathers thought mankind should represent," Nugent said. "That's a moment of a citizen stepping forth to assist fellow citizens to neutralize and defend themselves from evil.
"What Kyle Rittenhouse did in Kenosha, Wisconsin was a pure and natural and righteous example of self-defense and man helping good while neutralizing evil that has occurred. Yes, I am sending Kyle Rittenhouse a lifetime supply of proper ammunition.
"It turns out according to Tucker Carlson, Kyle and his mother are big fans of mine. Kyle, his mother and possibly Tucker are hoping to meet up with me in my ranch in Texas for a little deer-hunting campfire and maybe a little lesson on tactical upgrade, so when evil is attacking you can neutralize it, hopefully forever."
Elsewhere, he also defended his decision to accept a Purple Heart from a veteran—despite never having served in the military.
He explained: "When a U.S Marine sniper forces you to close your hand around a Purple Heart that they earned by telling me that they believe that I've earned it by fighting for the freedom that their buddies died for, I can only humbly bow my head and accept the gesture. I continue to serve for America unofficially every day of my life."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Ryan Smith is a Newsweek Senior Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on ... Read more
