The following editorial appeared in theDetroit Free Press on Tuesday,
Aug. 17. 2004.
The Miller Brewing Co. may know beer, but it’s downright ignorant
on the subject of rock ‘n’ roll.Whoever dreamed up the idea to celebrate rock’s 50th anniversary
with eight commemorative beer cans featuring Rolling Stone covers of all white stars needs to be banished to Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.A history lesson is in order. You can’t whitewash rock ‘n’ roll.Undeniably talented, Miller’s eight – Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson, Eric Clapton, Bon Jovi, Blondie, Def Leppard, Alice Cooper and Joe Walsh – have a place in rock celebrity. That’s somewhere far behind the long list of black musicians whose big voices and wild guitar licks ignited
a whole new sound in American
music.The most discriminating music
lovers know this truth. They know the legacy of Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Little Richard, Big Mama Thornton, Fats Domino, Jimi Hendrix.Miller and its partner in this botched salute, Rolling Stone magazine, say some artists’ estates were reluctant to cooperate. Besides,
they insist, the selections were less about race than a lack of historical black rock covers. Bad argument. In this digital age, why not create a cover honoring the black pioneers rock rolled over?If legends like John Lennon and Pete Townsend can be honest
about who really put the rock in rock ‘n’ roll, a beer promotion can, too. There is a reason six of the first 10 Hall of Fame inductees in 1986 were black, including Chuck Berry,
Little Richard, James Brown and Ray Charles.Any one of these faces on a Miller can would have added credibility to the effort. The fact none were deemed worthy just makes the whole thing go flat.(c) 2004, Detroit Free Press.

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