SULLY ERNA Wants AEROSMITH To Induct GODSMACK Into ROCK HALL If His Band Ever Gets The Nod

In a new interview with Shroom of the WEBN radio station, GODSMACK frontman Sully Erna was asked for his opinion on the trend of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame honoring non-rock artists, including Eminem, Missy Elliott, Whitney Houston, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson and Mary J. Blige in recent years, and whether he thinks those acts should be allowed into the Rock Hall. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, listen, I just think if you're gonna separate us and categorize us and create genres, then I think people should stay in their genre, because otherwise what happens is we start to get caught up in the politics of what happened with the Grammys and them removing the 'Hard Rock' category altogether and then lumping in IMAGINE DRAGONS and all this other stuff with the 'Rock' category when you're not a rock band; you're an alternative band. Whatever that genre is, they're the ones that wanna categorize these things and separate 'em in the record stores or whatever. So, I don't wanna continue to see that because the Grammys have become a bunch of trash. At one point, it was the elite music award show for the music industry — it was the Oscars of the music industry — and now it's, like, where did some of these categories go that were so important? When you eliminate the 'Hard Rock' category… You have to remember, this isn't about GODSMACK winning a Grammy or whatever. We've had four nominations in the past, whatever. I'm happy with my career and where it's went. If we never win one, oh, well. If we do, great. But at the same time, you now have eliminated that. So you're invalidating THE BEATLES. You're invalidating LED ZEPPELIN. You're invalidating AEROSMITH and RUSH and the Peter Framptons and everybody else."

Sully continued: "I just don't understand where the mentality is there and where the focus is when you're being overrun by new groups of people that are running these elite award shows. And it's supposed to be your nod and tip of a hat to all musicians, to all genres. You're the Grammys — act like the Grammys.

"So that, to me, is one of the problems where… The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame is the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Ask Mary Blige if she considers herself rock and roll. I think the term has gotten a little bit too loose, 'cause people just wanna say, like, 'Oh, I did this cool sitcom. It's so rock and roll.' Or, 'I did this great podcast and it's so rock and roll.' And it's about politics or whatever. I think they broadened the term too much."

Asked if he would proudly accept the Rock Hall induction if GODSMACK ever got the nod, Sully said: "Of course I would accept it, because I've lived a life of rock and roll since I was three and a half years old. I started playing drums. My dad is a musician. My great uncle was a famous composer in Sicily. Music runs through my blood veins, and I have waved the rock and roll flag now for my entire life. I'm 56 years old, so for 53 years I have lived the lifestyle of rock and roll. So why wouldn't I accept that? I think it's more of the point of why would anyone else accept the induction if they can just let go of their ego and look at the reality of it, is it really fair for you to be eating up space for other bands that have dedicated their life and the responsibility that went along with the genre that they've lived their entire life and made a career of and discipline themselves to do the work that it took to get there. Just like [Mary Blige] should be inducted for the Hip-Hop Hall Of Fame, or whatever it is that the genre is — pop music or whatever. So, yeah, I don't know, man. It's tricky subjects these days 'cause the world is changing and I just think people are losing their focus and direction."

Pressed about which artist he would pick to induct GODSMACK if his band ever made into the Rock Hall, Erna said: "I've gotta say maybe — because being a Boston band and having that spirit instilled in us and the work ethic that goes along with the blue-collar workers of Boston, I'd like to see AEROSMITH do it. I think that would be a great honor for us because those bands paved the way for bands like us. And although there was a lot of bands that we were inspired by growing up, for me AEROSMITH was one of the biggest influences, andJoe Perry was the reason — even though I started as a drummer — he was really the reason why I wanted to be a rock star. 'Cause is anyone cooler-looking than Steven Tyler and Joe Perry? Probably not, right? People have tried to look as cool as them, like the Nikki Sixxes and whatever, but they're not doing too good of a job with that."

Artists are eligible to be inducted into the Rock Hall after at least 25 years have passed since their first record was released.

Even though artists are eligible for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 25 years after the release of their first album or single, iconic hard rock and metal bands like IRON MAIDEN and MOTÖRHEAD have yet to be recognized by the institution, which inducted GUNS N' ROSES in that group's first year of eligibility.

Rock Hall rules state that artists become eligible a quarter century after their first records were released, but the Hall also claims that other "criteria include the influence and significance of the artists' contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock 'n' roll," which is, of course, open to interpretation.

Eligible for induction since 1999, KISS didn't get its first nomination until 2009, and was finally inducted in 2014.

DEEP PURPLE was eligible for the Rock Hall since 1993 but didn't get inducted until 2014.

JUDAS PRIEST received the Musical Excellence Award at the 2022 Rock Hall event.

Photo by Chris Bradshaw