Petition to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Cover Letter to the Formal Petition
Submitted on July 1, 2001
The Ventures Hall of Fame Induction Committee
c/o P.O. Box 56
St. Thomas, VI 00804-0056
U.S.A.
July 1, 2001
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation
Attention: Ms. Susan Evans
1290 Avenue of the Americas, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10104
Dear Ms. Evans and Foundation Members:
This is the sixth package that I am sending to you, on behalf of fans of The
Ventures from around the world, petitioning the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to
induct The Ventures. Attached to this cover letter is a formal petition and
emailed petition "signatures" from 636 more fans of The Ventures. Added to the
petition signatures submitted in the five previous packages, this makes a total
of 4,277 fans who have taken the time to make their voices heard in support of
the induction of The Ventures. In the cover letters to the five previous
petition packages, I wrote at length on the reasons why The Ventures are
deserving of induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I also shared some
of the sentiments of fans, fellow rock musicians, and professional music critics
about The Ventures. For reference purposes, I am enclosing with this petition
package copies of those five previous cover letters because, if read objectively,
they present a very compelling argument as to why The Ventures should have been
inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame many years ago. For this sixth
petition package, my message is very brief:
- First, regardless of what you may think of the kind of music that The
Ventures play, it is an undeniable fact that they have been extremely influential
in the development of rock and roll and, particularly, in the development of the
electric guitar as the primary musical instrument of rock and roll. Countless
thousands, if not millions, of young men and women throughout the world have been
influenced by the music of The Ventures to pick up the guitar and learn to play.
As a prime example, I am submitting along with this package a CD entitled
Underground Fire Plays The Ventures: Volume V. This is the fifth CD produced by
fans of The Ventures who were influenced by this great band. These are fans who
are not big-name, professional musicians, but "average guys" who learned to play
guitar and who developed a keen interest in rock and roll music because of The
Ventures. I urge you to take a few minutes to sample some of the tracks on this
fan-produced CD and read the personal stories of some of the musicians, as
presented in the CD insert. I think you'll be amazed by the quality of the music
-- all thanks to the influence and inspiration provided by The Ventures.
- Second, a young fan of The Ventures from today's generation speaks
eloquently of the difference between The Ventures, who are now in their fifth
non-stop decade of producing timeless instrumental rock and roll, and many of
today's "one-hit wonders" and "cookie cutter" singers and rock groups. Here's
what Ms. Mary Ruth Schuman from Visalia, California has to say about The
Ventures:
I watched
The Ventures play Palookaville in Santa Cruz last weekend. It
was my first surf concert, and it was the most amazing three hours of
my life. Their talent and passion, the energy of their music, has changed
completely the way I listen to modern music. What an era I grew up in
- where our rock stars often don't play any instruments, don't compose
their own music or write their own lyrics . . . many of them use instruments
that make voices sound wonderful in the studio, so seeing them live
is a huge disappointment. I feel a little cheated, having been told
by the music industry that that was as talented as rock stars needed
to be -- that all these one-hit-wonders of late are as good as it gets.
And I envy people like my father, who had the experience of growing
up with real music like The Ventures. I'm a little ashamed that
I live in a world which hails people who made a lot of money off a few
trendy songs during a few years of fame, yet fails to recognize the
true, lasting talent of a band like The Ventures. The Ventures
are more deserving of induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
than any of the groups I listened to during my adolescence. The longevity
of The Ventures proves the reality and purity of their music's
passion and joy. You can't find that truth on the radio much anymore,
and we shouldn't be complacent about losing it. It is past due time
that we thank The Ventures for what they continue to give the
world. I hope that no more time will be wasted before they are given
the honor they have earned.
Please vote "YES" for induction of The Ventures in 2003. Because it's the right
thing to do and now is the right time to do it!
Sincerely,
Arnold E. van Beverhoudt, Jr.
Committee Co-Chairman
P.O. Box 56
St. Thomas, VI 00804-0056
U.S.A.
Email: arnoldvb@islands.vi
Web: www.sandcastlevi.com
Attachments:
| To Cast Your Vote for The Ventures
| Attachment 1 > |
To See Petitions Already Submitted, Select From the Following Options:
| September 1997
| March 1998
| May 1998
| May 1999
| June 2000
| July 2001
| March 2004
| November 2006 |
|
