As you may or may not know AC/DC will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame later this month. At first bass player Mark Evans, who played on the groups first three studio albums (those released in the US), was to be inducted along with the other members of the band but then suddenly Mark found out that the Rock Hall had changed the rules and he wasn’t going to be inducted.

Mark granted Australian music site Undercover an interview where he talks a bit about the embarrassment of being “un-inducted” and his history with the band (a link to the full interview follows this article).  
 
“I joined them in March 1975,” says Mark Evans. “By that stage 'High Voltage' the album had already been recorded. Also 'High Voltage' the single had already been recorded but as you know 'High Voltage' the single wasn't on 'High Voltage' the album. I started recording with them from 'T.N.T.' onwards. I did the 'T.N.T.' album, 'Dirty Deeds' and 'Let There Be Rock'.”

Moves by the Rock Hall were embarrassing to Evans because when it was first announced that AC/DC would be inducted his name appeared on the list of members but his name was subsequently dropped six weeks later. 

“At the end of the day had it come around and it was going to be the current line-up and Bon inducted I'd say ‘shit missed out but what the hell’. I would have taken it on the chin. That's part of life,” says Evans. “But to be mentioned as being inducted and having it splashed all over the world and then have it retracted, that to me is just unacceptable.”

Below is the press release Mark Evans releases back in January when he discovered that his name was dropped from the induction rolls.

“Sydney’s Sunday Sun-Herald newspaper [on Jan. 19] reported an unprecedented backflip by the U.S. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. It was proudly announced by the Hall of Fame on November 7, 2002 that all current members of seminal blues-rock outfit AC/DC plus foundation members Mark Evans (bass) and Bon Scott (vocals) would be inducted in March 2003. It was revealed [on Sunday, Jan.  19] by Sunday Sun-Herald journalist Peter Holmes that in an unprecedented move the Hall of Fame has now retracted the nomination of Mark Evans. Despite his work featured on four classic albums released by the band (‘TNT’, ‘Dirty Deeds’, ‘Let there be Rock’ and ‘High Voltage’ US release) that   have amassed an amazing 30 million sales worldwide, Mark was offered no explanation for this astonishing turnaround. Suzan Evans, Executive Director of the Hall of Fame, stated just prior to Xmas that Mark’s inclusion, and the fact that this was widely publicized by the Hall of Fame since early November, was ‘an error’. Many requests for clarification of this statement and an explanation of the extraordinary actions by the Hall of Fame have met with no success. The extreme embarrassment and personal hurt that this has caused Mark is obvious. We urge any admirers of the band to implore industry and media contacts to lobby the Hall of Fame in an attempt to have this situation rectified. Further, anyone in direct contact with the band should make them aware of this erroneous decision. They should be encouraged to bring pressure to bare on the board of the Hall of Fame so that Mark’s nomination can be reinstated and he can take his rightful position alongside Bon & the current members.”

Click here to read the Undercover interview with Mark Evans

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