Ted Nugent isn’t upset about being left out of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but he’s pretty frustrated that REO Speedwagon hasn’t made it in. He shared his thoughts on the Hall’s choices during a chat with One America News Network.
“When they were inviting me on these different programs, and the reason they debate whether I should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and I won’t make the case for me,” Nugent said. “But that Triumph and Styx and REO Speedwagon are not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but Grandmaster Flash is… This is too funny for words! It’s so offensive. It’s so dishonest.”
Nugent also took issue with the inclusion of pop artists in the Hall. “They’ve got ABBA and Madonna in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but not REO Speedwagon. So, I rest my case,” he said.
He suggested that his own reputation might be part of why he’s been excluded. “Whenever my name came up, the majority of the people in the entertainment industry go, ‘I hate that guy! [He] murders innocent animals, and he thinks everybody should have a machine gun and shoot people!’ That’s dope talking.”
REO Speedwagon has been eligible for the Hall of Fame since 1997 but has never been nominated.
Nugent’s own exclusion has been debated for years. He’s been eligible since 2000 and has had a music career spanning over five decades. However, his outspoken political views often get more attention than his music. In April 2023, Nugent announced that his ‘Adios Mofo’ tour would be his last but later said he’d keep performing as long as he stayed close to family.
REO Speedwagon also decided to stop touring. Longtime bassist Bruce Hall hadn’t fully recovered from back surgery in 2023, and reported conflicts between him and frontman Kevin Cronin played a role in the decision.
On December 21, 2024, Cronin confirmed that their show that night would be their last as REO Speedwagon. He plans to keep performing solo shows with the same touring lineup and playing REO Speedwagon songs.
