Link Wray Ascends From Freaks Mountain

By the time I pulled the plug on the Freaks Hall I thought we'd jumped the shark and let in too many while other obvious names were left by the wayside. Instead of fixing it, I just ended it.

But, I have always been pretty damn proud of our very first, original class of inductees. It was 2014 and we voted on groups and artists who weren't in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (TM) at the time. We ended up with an inaugural class of 16 that has remained unmatched. When you look at the year by year additions, you see a trend downward. We got it just right the first time. I look at it now less as the first class of a hall of fame and more of a Rock 'n' Roll Freaks Mount Olympus. If you need a refresher, our pantheon was,...

Lester Bangs

Johnny Burnette & the Rock ‘n’ Roll Trio

The Cramps

Dick Dale

Screamin’ Jay Hawkins

Love

MC5

? & the Mysterians

New York Dolls

John Peel

The Pretty Things

The Seeds

The Sonics

Paul Revere & the Raiders

The 13th Floor Elevators

Link Wray

It's now been ten years and finally, in 2023, one of our inaugural Freaks Hall inductees, Link Wray, was elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (TM). So, the way I see it, he ascends and we draft another denizen to Freaks Mountain. I will put fourth four nominees from the actual Freaks Hall class of 2015 election to select who gets to take Link Wray's place. Stay tuned.

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Freaks Hall Class of 2021 Election: The Polls Are Open!

First time nominees Bad Brains The Rock ‘n’ Roll Freaks Hall honors artists, groups and contributors who have not been recognized by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Commercial success and/or critical acclaim are not factors in choosing candidates or inductees. Rather, we seek to spotlight those people who embody the true spirit of rock ‘n’ roll in their recordings, performances, and in the lives they’ve lived. In fact, we often strive to recognize those who are not likely to ever be invited to one of the establishment’s made for TV galas – the forgotten heroes, the renegades, and the free spirits who have left a unique imprint on the history of rock ‘n’ roll. Welcome to the seventh annual Rock 'n' Roll Freaks Hall election - THE POLLS ARE OPEN! HOW TO VOTE: Our 2021 election features a total of 15 nominees. In order to be eligible for the Freaks Hall Class of 2021, an artist or group had to have released their debut recording no later than 1985. In order to vote, you must be a ...

The Polls Are Open, Vote for the Freaks Hall class of 2022!

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Freaks Hall honors artists, groups and contributors who have not been recognized by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Commercial success and/or critical acclaim are not factors in choosing candidates or inductees. Rather, we seek to spotlight those people who embody the true spirit of rock ‘n’ roll in their recordings, performances, and in the lives they’ve lived. In fact, we often strive to recognize those who are not likely to ever be invited to one of the establishment’s made for TV galas – the forgotten heroes, the renegades, and the free spirits who have left a unique imprint on the history of rock ‘n’ roll. Welcome to the ninth annual Rock 'n' Roll Freaks Hall election - THE POLLS ARE OPEN! HOW TO VOTE: Our 2022 election features a total of 15 nominees. In order to be eligible for the Freaks Hall Class of 2022, an artist or group had to have released their debut recording no later than 1986. In order to vote, you must be a member of the Thee Loyal Order of...

Freaks Hall Class of 2021 Oldies and Side Performer Inductees

The polls are closed, the ballots have been counted, and we are proud to announce the first two members of the Rock 'n' Roll Freaks Hall class of 2021! In our preliminary round of voting, we cast ballots in two categories - Oldies, which included artists and groups who made their recording debut prior to 1956, and Side Performers - men and women who contributed as session musicians and/or as members of bands that backed some of rock 'n' roll's biggest stars and innovators. The top vote getter in each category gains induction with the class of 2021. So, without further ado,... Welcome to the two newest members of the Freaks Hall! Charlie Feathers June 12, 1932 – August 29, 1998. Pioneering rockabilly performer who recorded for labels like Flip, Sun, Meteor, and King. His songs have been covered by a wide range of artists spanning decades, including Elvis Presely (who had a #1 country hit with Feathers' "I Forgot To Remember To Forget"), Johnny Cash, J...

The Rock 'n' Roll Freaks Hall

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