Jann Wenner said Black musicians ‘are not articulate’
Jann Wenner, founder of Rolling Stone magazine and one of the founders of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, has been kicked off the board for making sexist comments about women singers and racist comments about Black singers, although many Whites emulate or borrow liberally from Black musicians.
In his book, “The Masters,” which collected decades of interviews, Wenner claimed that Blacks and women are “not articulate enough to discuss matters on an intellectual level.” He also restated this view in an interview with The New York Times.
In his book, Wenner lists only White musicians, including Mick Jagger, John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen, and Bono.
Ike Turner played “Rocket 88,” the first rock and roll record, and Jagger called Little Richard the master.
Wenner, who is 77, later apologized for his comments. He sold the Rolling Stone over a series of transactions.