Bon Jovi on list of rock hall nominees

Wire dispatches

NEW YORK

It could be a blaze of glory for Bon Jovi at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The Jersey boys are up for possible induction in the hallowed hall, along with first-timers Donovan, Dr. John, Alice Cooper and Neil Diamond.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame released its list of nominees Tuesday. There were some familiar names: Darlene Love, LL Cool J, Donna Summer and the Beastie Boys have been up for the prestigious honor before.

Other previous nominees include the J. Geils Band; Tom Waits; Chuck Willis; Chic and Joe Tex.

To be eligible for the hall, an act must have released its first batch of music at least 25 years ago. Inductees will be revealed in December, and the ceremony will be in March in New York City.

The list revealed Tuesday includes some eclectic choices.

Disco favorites (and repeat nominees) Chic and Summer are up against coffeehouse chanteuse Laura Nyro, and girl- group heartbreaker Darlene Love.

J. Geils Band is in some ways the Bon Jovi of an earlier generation — a bar band gone nationwide. And a parallel can be drawn between Diamond and Donovan. Both songwriters were seen in their prime as mainstreamers of countercultural sounds and styles; now, both are reborn prot g s of Rick Rubin, contemporary pop’s prime conveyor of the stamp of authenticity, and are recognized as legitimate rock-era titans.

Hip from the beginning, the previously nominated Beastie Boys get another chance this year, and in some ways, the pioneering hip-hop punks stand alone; they’re this year’s purest representatives of the 1980s college-rock crowd.

Indie types could also claim first-time nominee Waits as their own, though he really transcends any subculture or simply defined category. The singer-songwriter and Anti Records artist will likely be lauded by several varieties of music snobs as this year’s bravest choice.

Dr. John, the New Orleans stalwart connected roots music to psychedelic rock. Chuck Willis was a blues-rock dandy known for crossing over from R&B to pop. Joe Tex was a soul shouter and rival of James Brown’s.

Yes, there will be complaints about this year’s nominees, as always. But no one can argue that this mix is one that will make the fancy folks at this year’s induction ceremony shake in their seats — in the best possible way.