Gene Kirkland; Johnny BuzzerioEx-Deep Purple bassist Glenn Hughes and Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell will be at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Foster Theater tonight to take part in the latest edition of the institution’s SoundExchange Influencers Series. The Cleveland event will feature an interview with Hughes and Cantrell, who are expected to discuss their respective influence on today’s music, as well as various other music-related topics.
Hughes tells ABC Radio that he’s “very, very happy” that Cantrell will be participating in the Q&A event, noting that Jerry agreed to do it in recognition of “having been influenced by his Uncle Glenn.”
Hughes, who was inducted into the Rock Hall as a member of Deep Purple in April, says having Cantrell consider him an influence “is really fantastic, ’cause I’m a big Alice in Chains fan and Jerry’s a good friend.”
He adds, “It’s really nice to have someone that I really love, musically and personally, like Jerry to have been influenced by my work. And I think it’s remarkable that music can spread to all generations and help one another.” Hughes also says he and Cantrell might perform at the event.
Glenn played bass and sang in Deep Purple from 1973 to 1976, contributing to three albums by the band, including 1974’s acclaimed and influential Burn.
A bit of drama surrounded Deep Purple’s induction into the Rock Hall this year, as founding guitarist Ritchie Blackmore chose to skip the ceremony after the current lineup made arrangements to perform at the event without him. Hughes tells ABC Radio that he was just glad to be recognized and enjoyed taking part in the festivities.
Now that he’s a member of the Rock Hall, Hughes says, “I’m just really honored to be of service to do things like [the Influencers Series]. And I’m sure I’ll be doing more.”
Copyright © 2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
