Sykes Named New Rock Hall Chairman

• Jann Wenner, one of the founding members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced that he is stepping down as Chairman of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation on January 1, 2020, but will remain on the Board of Directors. Wenner will be succeeded as Chairman by current Rock Hall board member John Sykes, President of Entertainment Enterprises for iHeartMedia, Inc.

“I was a lucky man to be given this once-in-a-lifetime mission to honor the history of the music I love. I am delighted to have John Sykes to take over,” said Wenner (left), who founded Rolling Stone in 1967 and is currently the magazine’s Editorial Director.

It was under Wenner’s leadership that the Hall has become one of the nation’s most respected cultural institutions. He recruited world-renowned architect I.M. Pei to build the iconic Rock & Roll Hall of Fame building along the Cleveland skyline, which has become the cathedral of rock and roll, and one of Pei’s key works. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum opened in 1995 and has attracted over 13 million visitors to date. The annual induction ceremony began as an industry dinner at the Waldorf Astoria hotel ballroom in 1986 and has now grown to become an arena-level, international-broadcast event. Over the last 34 years, 330 artists have been inducted into the Rock Hall.

“Jann Wenner is a cultural legend,” said Sykes, a co-founder of both MTV and VH1, and a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame board for 25 years. “It’s an honor to serve the foundation in this new capacity, and to build on Jann’s legacy.”