WASHINGTON, Sept 17 (Portal) – Rolling Stone magazine co-founder Jann Wenner was removed from his position on the board of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame after comments he made about black and female artists that were widely criticized, shared the hall with a statement.
In a terse statement, the Cleveland-based Hall of Fame gave no reason for its move, saying, “Jann Wenner has been removed from the board of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation.”
In an interview with The New York Times published on Friday about his upcoming book entitled “The Masters,” which consists of seven interviews Wenner conducted throughout his career with musicians such as Mick Jagger and Bob Dylan, he was asked why all seven interviews in the book were with white men.
Wenner, co-founder and editor of Rolling Stone magazine, speaks at the 32nd Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony – Show – New York City, USA, April 7, 2017 – Editor Jann Wenner. Portal/Lucas Jackson/File Photo Acquire License Rights
Wenner, 77, said black and female musicians were not “as articulate” as the others he portrayed.
“For public relations reasons, maybe I should have found a black artist and a female artist who didn’t meet that historical standard just to avert that kind of criticism,” Wenner, who also co-founded the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, said.
He later apologized for the comments. Wenner could not immediately be reached for a comment on his dismissal.
Reporting by Hannah Lang in Washington; Edited by Scott Malone and Sandra Maler
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