Stevie Ray Vaughan Beats Out Lou Reed and Joan Jett In ‘Fan’s Ballot’ Vote for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
If the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame decided its inductions according to fan ballots, Stevie Ray Vaughan would be a shoo-in for 2015.
The legendary guitarist outpaced all other contenders in the public poll for next year's Rock Hall inductees, taking 18 million votes -- an impressive 31 percent of the total -- and coming in ahead of a list of potential inductees that includes Joan Jett, Lou Reed and Sting.
Vaughan doesn't get to keep all 18 million of those votes when it counts, but it does give him a slight advantage over a group of would-be members that Rock Hall chief Joel Peresman described as representing "the myriad places where rock ’n’ roll converges with blues, electronic, dance, Motown, R&B, funk and other genres." As in recent years, the public poll winner receives an extra vote on the official ballot -- which seemed to come in handy when previous winners Kiss and Rush were ultimately inducted.
We'll know one way or the other fairly quickly; the Hall is expected to announce its next batch of inductees soon, with next year's ceremony scheduled to be held on April 18, 2015, in Cleveland. Take a look at the complete poll breakdown below.
2015 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Public Poll Results
Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble: 31.0%
Nine Inch Nails: 22.2%
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts: 15.1%
Bill Withers: 6.4%
Paul Butterfield Blues Band: 6.2%
Lou Reed: 5.3%
War: 2.7%
Green Day: 2.6%
Sting: 1.8%
N.W.A.: 1.3%
Kraftwerk: 1.2%
The Smiths: 1.1%
The Spinners: 1.1%
The Marvelettes: 0.9%
Chic: 0.9%
Stevie Ray Vaughan's and Other Rockers’ Yearbook Photos