Okay, I'm going to make some people pretty p'd-off here...
I can honestly understand why Bob was not inducted into the RnR Hall of Fame. I think he's a great musician, a very good song writer and a solid guitarist. There's absolutely no denying he kept the band together and for four years or so FM evolved around his talent. Some of his compositions feature in my all-time FM lists. Add in that he always seemed to be a really, really nice guy.
However, the whole point of the HOF is to recognise those who achieve significant things and influence others. Bob's record isn't great.
With FM:
5 albums. Highest chart: 34 (US)
Solo/non-FM- highest chart 12 (US)
I love the period from 1970-75. I so wish he had been part of the band with Stevie and Lindsey. I so wish they'd turned to him when Lindsey left in 87 and even after that I'd dreamed of a mass get-to gather-featuring Bob.
However, Bob was not a very talented guitarist and his song-writing (though extremely interesting) was limited. His record (chart-wise) with FM was not great and his time after FM was only moderately successful. There are loads of artists/bands that had his level of success and much, much more. If he hadn't had a link to FM there would have been no argument to be made.
I feel a bit hypocritical in that I've signed the petitions. I'm not against him being inducted per-se. But I can well understand why he wasn't. I appreciate there are plenty of bands that inducted all members. Equally (and more so?) there are bands that didn't induct all members.
I don't think his omission was a major mistake but I do think he was a major artist who played a majorly significant role in the history of this band. RIP Bob Welch.
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