Chris Blackwell
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Year:
2001
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Inducted by:
Bono (U2)
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Category:
Ahmet Ertegun Award
Introduction
Chris Blackwell was a man of eclectic tastes.
He signed Bob Marley, Grace Jones, U2 and more. What was the common thread amongst these acts? Impeccable musical talent.
Bono Inducts Chris Blackwell
Bono Inducts Chris Blackwell at the 2001 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony-
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Bono Inducts Chris Blackwell00:06:25 -
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Chris Blackwell acceptance speech00:04:07 -
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"Could You Be Loved"00:03:29
Hall of Fame Essay
2001
Chris Blackwell is what record executives dream of being: an innovator, a barrier breaker and an international man of mystery.
Mention Blackwell’s name and the first association many people make is with Bob Marley. Fair enough: Blackwell’s role in bringing Marley’s music to the world assures him a place in pop history.
Mention Island Records, the label Blackwell founded and personified for thirty-years-plus, and most people will think of U2. Fair enough: Island and Blackwell nurtured U2 from the beginning. But as enormous as Marley and U2 are, they are only the tip of the story.
