(CNN) – Jann Wenner, co-founder of Rolling Stone magazine, was removed from the board of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation after he was widely criticized for his comments about female and black musicians in an interview published Friday in The New York Times.
“Jann Wenner has been removed from the board of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation,” a representative for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation said in a statement to CNN on Sunday.
Wenner spoke to The New York Times about his upcoming book “The Masters,” which features interviews he conducted with artists like John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger and others while he was at the helm of Rolling Stone.
In the interview, she discussed her decision not to record interviews with women and black artists, and her comments on the subject were widely criticized.
“People had to meet a few criteria, but it was just my personal interest and love for them,” she said, adding, “As far as the women were concerned, none of them were articulate enough on that intellectual level.”
He continued: “Stevie Wonder, genius right? I think when you use a word as broad as “teacher,” the mistake is in using that word. Maybe Marvin Gaye or Curtis Mayfield? I mean, they just weren’t articulate at that level.”
“For public relations reasons, maybe I should have looked for a black artist and a woman who didn’t meet the same historical standard, just to avoid that kind of criticism,” he told the outlet. “Maybe I’m old fashioned and don’t care at all or whatever. In hindsight, I wish I could have interviewed Marvin Gaye. Maybe he would have been the guy. Maybe if Otis Redding had lived he would have been the one.”
Wenner issued a statement Saturday through Little, Brown and Company, publishers of “The Masters,” saying, “In my interview with The New York Times, I made comments that highlighted the contributions, the genius and the impact Black and white artists were degraded. Women and I sincerely apologize for these comments.”
“’The Masters’ is a collection of interviews I’ve conducted over the years that I feel best capture a sense of rock ‘n’ roll’s influence on my world; They were not intended to represent all of music and its diverse and important creators, but rather to reflect the highlights of my career and the interviews that I felt illustrated the breadth and experience of that career. They do not reflect my appreciation and admiration for countless totemic, world-changing artists whose music and ideas I adore and who I will celebrate and promote throughout my life. “I fully understand the inflammatory nature of poorly chosen words and I deeply apologize and accept the consequences.”
CNN has reached out to Little, Brown and Company for comment.
Wenner founded Rolling Stone magazine in 1967 with music critic Ralph J. Gleason and launched the legendary rock magazine in 2017. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as an individual in 2004 and is a co-founder of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation.
The book “The Masters” is scheduled to be published on September 26th.