Letter from Dr. Stout, NYC

Dr. Mark R. Stout
Central Park West
12 West 68th Street, #3B
New York, NY 10023
Tel.: 212-362-7999

Personal Email: drmstout@yahoo.com

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Office of the Director
Hall of Fame Induction Committee
1290 Avenue of the Americas

New York, NY 10104-0298

9/11/06

Dear Mr. Director,

On this the fifth anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Centers, I recall how music was able to help many of us mentally escape the sadness of the moment, for myself it was classical music and the happier sounds of “rock and roll”, especially that of The Four Seasons.

I commend your committee’s past decision on the induction of The Four Seasons into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They are without doubt well deserving of this honor. However, it is also without doubt that The Four Seasons bassist and vocal arranger, Joe Long who was an integral part of the groups success and appeal belongs in the Hall of Fame with the other members of the groups “definitive line up”. Mr. Long was a “Four Season” during their most influential years, from the early 1960s thought the 1970s.

As noted on your website, “in addition to Gaudio and Valli, The Four Seasons definitive lineup included singer/guitarist Tommy DeVito and bass vocalist/vocal arranger Nick Massi (later replaced by Joe Long). “ Yet, Joe Long is currently the only member of the “definitive lineup” not inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

I am writing to you to urge that Mr. Joe Long be considered for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along side his fellow band members in The Four Seasons. His accomplishments and contributions to The Four Seasons original sound is well known to musicians and fans alike.

Please take a moment to review his contributions to The Four Seasons, and if you feel as I and many of the bands fans, that Joe Long should be inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with the other Four Seasons, then please forward his name for nomination. Thank you for your time in reviewing this matter.

Best Regards,
Mark Stout

References:
http://fourseasonsfans.blogspot.com
http://joelong2cleveland.blogspot.com
http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/thefourseasons (Rolling Stone Magazine- Joe Long pictured on left)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Long
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_four_seasons (group)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_bass_guitarists
http://genuine-imitation-life-gazette.com/home.html

http://www.seasonally.co.uk/News47PDFs/News47Page10.pdf

http://www.seasonally.co.uk/News47PDFs/News47Page11.pdf

c: Members of rock and roll musical community