Rolling Stone magazine cofounder axed from Rock hall of fame board

DAILY MAIL

Rolling Stone creator Jann Wenner is dropped by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame board after saying black and female musicians like Stevie Wonder and Joni Mitchell aren’t as articulate as white stars like Bruce Springsteen and Mick Jagger

• Jann Wenner, 77, was quizzed about why no female or black artists made the cut for a profile in his new book ‘The Masters’ about cultural rock icons 
• His comments suggesting that none were ‘articulate’ enough to meet the criteria as a ‘philosopher of rock’ have drawn widespread criticism
• Wenner apologized, but not before he was swiftly axed by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation – which he co-founded in 1987

The co-founder of Rolling Stone magazine has been axed from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame board – a museum he helped create – over inflammatory comments many have blasted as sexist and racist. 

Jann Wenner created controversy when he suggested no female or black artists were ‘articulate’ enough to be included in his new book about the ‘philosophers of rock’ – one that profiles seven white male artists. 

‘Insofar as the women, just none of them were as articulate enough on this intellectual level… It’s not that they’re not creative geniuses,’ Wenner suggested.

The 77-year-old, who previously hit the headlines when he came out as gay after decades of marriage, was quizzed by the New York Times about the lack of diversity in the line-up of musicians profiled in his latest book, titled ‘The Masters.’

The subjects – Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Mick Jagger, Pete Townshend, Jerry Garcia, Bono and Bruce Springsteen – are all white men, who Wenner stressed could ‘really articulate’ their philosophy.

Wenner said no women were ‘articulate enough’ to be counted in the same number,  and that black artists like Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield ‘just didn’t articulate at that level’ either…