Seymour Stein enters rock’s Hall of Fame

The 20th edition of the annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Awards took place yesterday night at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. The event was highlighted by a list of inductees that included the U2, the Pretenders, the O’Jays, Buddy Guy, and Percy Sledge.

As our readers know, Seymour Stein, Chairman and co-founder of Sire Records was also inducted at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony for his achievements in furthering the music he loves by one of his mentors, Atlantic Records co-founder Ahmet Ertegun, and by gangsta rap pioneer turned “Law & Order” star Ice-T, who Stein signed to Sire in 1986.

“Madonna, the Ramones, Talking Heads and hundreds more all got their starts in the music business thanks to Stein and his famed Sire Records label,” NewsDay reported yesterday. “And nothing would make Stein happier than to spend his time talking about them – as well as his current roster of up-and-comers like the Von Bondies, the Futureheads and Regina Spektor – instead of himself.”

“I never wanted any of my artists to pick up Rolling Stone or NME or anything else and see a picture of me or an interview with me instead of them,” said Stein, calling from a band-scouting trip in Europe. “Rock and roll has been my life – the whole explosion in rock music, I lived through it. I still love what I do and I love the Hall of Fame. I helped start it, but I didn’t think I would be inducted at this point. It’s a bit surreal in a way. There are so many people who should be inducted before me.”

“He’s a record business guy who always really listened to music and who loves it for what it is,” said Jim Henke, vice president of exhibitions and curatorial affairs at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland. “Anyone who signed someone like the Ramones and Madonna has pretty broad tastes. He is not caught up in what’s popular or what radio will play. He’s not afraid of new things. He’s just really into music.”

“I heard them with the Ramones. I heard them with Madonna,” Stein also said. “When I make up my mind about a band, 85% of it is about the songs and 15 percent is about everything else. I’m a song man – that’s what I am.”

Check NewsDay.com for an interesting read of the full article by Glenn Gamboa, that also features a picture of Seymour Stein with David Byrne of the Talking Heads and Madonna.

The awards ceremony was taped for an edited broadcast to be aired on VH1 Saturday, March 19, at 9 pm.