The legendary Nigerian musician made this year’s list of nominees more than two decades after his death.
Fela was nominated along with 15 other artists, including rappers Jay-Z and LL Cool J. R&B stars Mary J. Blige, Chaka Khan and Dionne Warwick.
Also shortlisted were rock stars Rage Against the Machine and Foo Fighters, as well as veteran singers Kate Bush, Carole King and Tina Turner in a gender-inclusive list.
“We’ll be announcing our new Inductees in May,” Harris said. “They will be honored this fall at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony in 2021, here in Cleveland, Ohio,” he added.
Artists are eligible for introduction 25 years after the premiere of their first musical work.
Fela has been an outspoken critic of various military regimes in Nigeria and was often arrested for his troubles.
Through his music and human rights activism, Fela campaigned against military rule and corruption in Nigeria.
For example, in 1977 he released the album “Zombie”, which ridiculed the military government. In response, the military burned his house, beat him, and threw his mother out the window. She died of her injuries shortly afterwards.
Fela herself died of AIDS in 1997.