METALLICA's LARS ULRICH To Induct DEEP PURPLE Into ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME?

According to Cleveland.com, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich has been added as a guest at the 2016 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony in New York.

Although there has been no announcement on what Ulrich's specific involvement will be at the event, he is expected to induct DEEP PURPLE on April 8 during a ceremony at Brooklyn, New York's Barclays Center.

DEEP PURPLE is finally being inducted into the Rock Hall alongside CHEAP TRICK, N.W.A., CHICAGO and Steve Miller. HBO will broadcast the show in the spring.

To be eligible for nomination, an individual artist or band must have released its first single or album at least 25 years prior to the year of nomination. The 2016 nominees had to release their first recording no later than 1990.

Ulrich told Rolling Stone in 2014 that he still hoped DEEP PURPLE would eventually get recognized by the Hall. "I'm not gonna get into the politics or all that stuff, but I got two words to say: 'DEEP PURPLE,'" he said. "That's all I have to say: DEEP PURPLE. Seriously, people, 'DEEP PURPLE,' two simple words in the English language. But definitely, NIRVANA is a no-brainer for the first year and I'm glad that KISS [got] the long-overdue recognition that they deserved for everything that they pioneered, and then I got two words, 'DEEP PURPLE!' Did I say that already?"

Ulrich told writer Peter Makowski a few years ago that he was working on getting DEEP PURPLE in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Asked why the creators of "Smoke On The Water" were not in there yet, Ulrich said, "What you've got to understand is that a lot of the people that have run the selection process are critics, and DEEP PURPLE, as you know, were never a critic's band — especially in America, because their influence was probably felt more in Europe."

But Ulrich added: "It's only a matter of time. Rather sooner than later. We've already lost one member. The fact that LED ZEPPELIN and BLACK SABBATH are in and PURPLE is not is one of the crimes of that whole institution. We'll get them in soon enough. I'm working on it."

At their own induction in 2009, METALLICA's James Hetfield included PURPLE on a list of acts they wanted to see in the Hall. "We're somewhat of a heavy band and we have a small list that we'd like to also put some nods out and maybe plant a little seed, it's a band called DEEP PURPLE, THIN LIZZY, TED NUGENT, IRON MAIDEN, JUDAS PRIEST, MOTÖRHEAD... who we would love to invite through the door now."

The DEEP PURPLE members that are being inducted are: Ritchie Blackmore, David Coverdale, Rod Evans, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Glenn Hughes, Jon Lord and Ian Paice.