Denny Laine, who co-founded the Moody Blues in 1964 and fronted the band as they scored their early British Invasion R&B hits, has now been added to the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. Steven Van Zandt tweeted about the situation, saying, “Yes! Of course Denny Laine is going into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a founding member of the Moody Blues! The inadvertent omission is being corrected on the Rock Hall website as we speak.” Laine, who still tours, co-founded Wings with Paul McCartney in 1971 and was the only member other than Linda McCartney to last all six lineups during the band’s decade-long run.
Ultimate Classic Rock posted that longtime Bon Jovi bassist Hugh McDonald will also be officially honored. McDonald played bass on the band’s breakout 1984 hit “Runaway” and went on to replace Alec John Such in the studio and on the road beginning in 1994. McDonald finally became an official bandmember two years ago.
A Rock Hall representative gave the backstory on how the changes were made: “Once the inductees were determined, the members of the Nominating Committee reviewed the list of artists and made the decision to add Denny Laine of the Moody Blues and Hugh McDonald of Bon Jovi to acknowledge their significant contributions. We’re honored to induct them at the ceremony in April.”
