Rick Wakeman has slammed the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame for leaving the progressive music genre “ignored” – and says he might not attend if Yes are inducted next year.

They’ve been nominated for the third time after first becoming eligible in 1994.

Wakeman tells WROR: “I pushed for Yes to go in the Hall of Fame when I wasn’t in the band, because I felt the band deserved to go in years ago.

“There’s some bands that have been inducted that I have no idea why they’re in there. There’s bands like Yes and a few others and you go, ‘Why aren’t they in?’ It just doesn’t make an ounce of sense to me.”

He continues: “It seems that anything to do with prog rock was considered a dirty word by them.

“It’s the most inventive and the most influential music to musicians that there’s ever been in the history of rock’n’roll – and yet it’s ignored.

“I’m not sure whether I’d turn up. I’m so disgusted with the way that prog rock and Yes have been treated, I might be busy.

“I might be washing my hair that night.”

Wakeman is currently touring with Yes offshoot Anderson Rabin Wakeman, featuring singer Jon Anderson and guitarist Trevor Rabin.

Anderson said last month that a potential Rock Hall induction would be the perfect reunion opportunity, adding: “There won’t be much room, but it will be fun.

“Three or four years ago I went to the Hall Of Fame. I met everybody and they were very sweet. They were very upset I wasn’t in – they pointed to a corner on the second floor and said, ‘That’s reserved for Yes.’”

Public voting continues until December 5, with fans allowed to vote once a day until then.

Forget Yes – the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame still hates Prog

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame nominees 2017

Bad Brains

Chaka Khan

Chic

Depeche Mode

ELO

The J Geils Band

Jane’s Addiction

Janet Jackson

Joan Baez

Joe Tex

Journey

Kraftwerk

MC5

Pearl Jam

Steppenwolf

The Cars

The Zombies

Tupac Shakur

Yes

Steve Howe: Good luck to Anderson Rabin Wakeman

Oct 26: Red Bank Count Basie Theatre, NJ

Oct 28: Atlantic City Borgota Event Center, NJ

Oct 29: Akron Goodyear Theater, OH

Nov 01: New York Beacon Theatre, NY

Nov 02: Pittsburgh Heinz Hall, PA

Nov 04: New Buffalo Four Winds Casino, MI

Nov 05: Chicago Theatre, IL

Nov 07: Nashville Schermerhorn Symphony Centre, TN

Nov 09: St Louis Fox Theatre, MO

Nov 11: New Orleans Saenger Theatre, LA

Nov 12: San Antonio Majestic Theatre, TX

Nov 14: Austin Moody Theater, TX

Nov 16: Denver Paramount Theatre, CO

Nov 17: Salt Lake City Capitol Theater, UT

Nov 19: Las Vegas Pearl, NV

Nov 20: Phoenix Celebrity Theatre, AZ

Nov 22: Los Angeles Orpheum, CA

Nov 25: San Francisco Masonic, CA

Mar 12: Cardiff Arena

Mar 13: Birmingham Symphony Hall

Mar 15: Brighton Dome

Mar 16: Bournemouth International Centre

Mar 18: London Hammersmith Apollo

Mar 19: London Hammersmith Apollo

Mar 21: Nottingham Royal Concert Hall

Mar 22: Edinburgh Usher Hall

Mar 24: Glasgow Royal Concert Hall

Mar 25: Manchester Apollo

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