Many in the industry would consider this a high honor. Bass Magazine, which reported on Kaye’s inclusion, even went so far as to describe the news as “a triumph to her fans and to bassists everywhere,” as very few female bassists have ever been inducted. (Others include Talking Heads’ Tina Weymouth and The Go-Go’s Kathy Valentine, per NPR.)
Kaye, however, had a rather different perspective. “I am declining the rrhof awards show… turning it down because it wasn’t something that reflects the work that Studio Musicians do and did in the golden era of the 1960s Recording Hits,” she wrote in a since-deleted Facebook post, per Bass Magazine. “[Y]ou are always part of a TEAM, not a solo artist at all,” she continued. “I refuse to be part of a process that is something else rather than what I believe in, for others’ benefit and not reflecting on the truth – we all enjoyed working with EACH OTHER……..Thank-You for understanding.”
The issue may also be a bit more complicated than Kaye’s aversion to solo recognition. NPR reports that she apparently hates the term “The Wrecking Crew,” which was colloquially used to refer to the group of in-demand ’60s and ’70s session musicians within which she orbited. “I was never a ‘wrecker’ at all….that’s a terrible insulting name,” she wrote in her post. While the Hall of Fame didn’t use the name in its inductees announcement, it did refer to her as a member of the group in a past artist bio, per the outlet. That reference has since been scrubbed from the website.
Whether or not Kaye attends, this year’s induction ceremony will be held November 8 in Los Angeles. Other inductees include Cyndi Lauper, Outkast, Bad Company, Chubby Checker, The White Stripes, and more.
