Carol Kaye Rejects Rock Hall Induction
- Famed bassist Carol Kaye, one of history's most prolific recording artists, will not attend this year's rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
- Kaye, set to receive the Musical Excellence Award, explained her decision in a Facebook post, stating she is declining the invitation because it "wasn’t something that reflects the...
- During the 1960s and 70s, Kaye was a member of the Wrecking Crew, a group of Los Angeles session musicians who played on numerous hit records for artists...
Famed bassist Carol Kaye, a legendary figure in music history, is declining her Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, citing concerns about the acknowledgment of studio musicians’ roles. Kaye,set to receive the Musical Excellence Award,expressed her reasons for the rejection in a candid Facebook post. She highlighted the importance of recognizing the collective effort in creating iconic 1960s hits, emphasizing her aversion to the term “Wrecking Crew.” Kaye’s perspective offers a compelling insight into the collaborative spirit of music making and the underappreciated contributions of session musicians. Get the full story on why Kaye, a prolific recording artist, is declining this honor. News directory 3 keeps you up to date. Discover what’s next …
Carol Kaye Declines Rock & Roll Hall of fame Induction
Famed bassist Carol Kaye, one of history’s most prolific recording artists, will not attend this year’s rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. the event is scheduled for Nov. 8 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
Kaye, set to receive the Musical Excellence Award, explained her decision in a Facebook post, stating she is declining the invitation because it “wasn’t something that reflects the work that Studio Musicians do and did in the golden era of the 1960s Recording Hits.”
During the 1960s and 70s, Kaye was a member of the Wrecking Crew, a group of Los Angeles session musicians who played on numerous hit records for artists including the Beach boys, Phil Spector and the Monkees.Kaye, now 90, has expressed reservations about the group’s name, emphasizing the collaborative role of studio musicians.
“You are always part of a TEAM, not a solo artist at all…there were always 350-400 Studio Musicians (AFM Local 47 Hollywood) working in the busy 1960s,” Kaye wrote.”I was never a ‘wrecker’ at all…that’s a terrible insulting name.”
Kaye, who appeared in Denny Tedesco’s 2008 documentary, “The Wrecking Crew,” has long maintained that the name was not used by the musicians themselves, but rather coined by drummer Hal Blaine.
Kaye reflected on her unexpected entry into bass playing. “I never played bass in my life but being an experienced recording guitarist,it was plain to see that 3 bass players hired to play ‘dum-de-dum’ on record dates,wasn’t getting it…it was easy for me to invent good bass lines…as a Jazz musician, you invent every note you play…and they used a lot of Jazz musicians (and former big-band experienced musicians on all those rock and pop dates too).”
The bassist concluded her statement by saying, “I refuse to be part of a process that is something else rather than what I believe in, for others’ benefit and not reflecting on the truth – we all enjoyed working with EACH OTHER.”
Other 2025 inductees include Bad Company, Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker, cyndi Lauper, Outkast, Soundgarden, and the White Stripes.