Backlash to Rolling Stone Co-Founder’s Controversial Remarks on Blacks and Women

Jann Wenner, the co-founder of Rolling Stone magazine and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, has been removed from the hall’s board of directors due to his disparaging comments towards black and female musicians. Wenner made these comments during a recent interview and later issued an apology.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation announced on Saturday that Wenner had been removed from the board of directors. This action came in response to Wenner’s comments, which were published in a New York Times interview the day before.

During the interview, Wenner faced criticism for not including women or black musicians in his new book “The Masters,” which features interviews with musicians such as Bob Dylan, Jerry Garcia, Mick Jagger, John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen, Pete Townshend, and Bono from U2 – all of whom are white and male.

In response to the question of why he didn’t interview women or black musicians, Wenner made the following statement: “It’s not that they’re inarticulate, although, go have a deep conversation with Grace Slick or Janis Joplin. Please, be my guest. You know, Joni Mitchell was not a philosopher of rock ‘n’ roll. She didn’t, in my mind, meet that test.” He also commented on black artists, saying, “Of Black artists – you know, Stevie Wonder, genius, right? I suppose when you use a word as broad as ‘masters,’ the fault is using that word. Maybe Marvin Gaye or Curtis Mayfield? I mean, they just didn’t articulate at that level.”

After facing backlash for his remarks, Wenner issued an apology through his publisher, Little, Brown and Company. He acknowledged that his comments diminished the contributions of black and women artists, and he apologized wholeheartedly for his remarks. Wenner also expressed his understanding of the inflammatory nature of his words and accepted the consequences.

Jann Wenner co-founded Rolling Stone magazine in 1967 and served as its editor or editorial director until 2019. He was also a co-founder of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, which was established in 1987.

In the interview, Wenner seemed to anticipate the backlash, stating, “Just for public relations sake, maybe I should have gone and found one black and one woman artist to include here that didn’t measure up to that same historical standard, just to avert this kind of criticism.”

Last year, Rolling Stone magazine published its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, which included albums by influential black and female artists such as Marvin Gaye, Joni Mitchell, Stevie Wonder, Prince, and Lauryn Hill.

Rolling Stone magazine, known for its authoritative music and cultural coverage, was an extension of Wenner’s broad interests, combining music journalism with investigative reporting.