HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (March 16, 2007) — Yamaha Guitar Artist Michael Anthony was officially inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 12, as part of the legendary rock group Van Halen. A permanent exhibit celebrating his life and work and those of other Hall of Fame inductees will now be on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland, Ohio.
"A big congratulations goes to Michael on this outstanding accomplishment. It is truly an honor to be recognized as a driving force of rock music and part of history with induction into the Hall of Fame. We are delighted this legendary performer chose to play Yamaha guitars," comments Mike Tempesta, Yamaha Guitars' artist relations manager.
Anthony was the only past member of Van Halen that attended the induction ceremony at New York's Waldorf Astoria hotel. Velvet Revolver performed two of the band's hits before Anthony performed with the night's house band, led by Paul Schaffer. Other Van Halen band members who were honored included Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen, and David Lee Roth.
Anthony had been with the band from its earliest days in 1974 on bass and vocals. The entire Van Halen catalog has shown remarkable consistency with all 10 studio albums having been certified multi-platinum. To date, Van Halen has sold more than 56 million records in the U.S., which places them among the top 20 best-selling artists of all time.
Joining Van Halen in the Rock Hall class of 2007 include: the first hip-hop act to be inducted, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five; college rock favorites R.E.M.; punk rock poet Patti Smith; and '60s girl group The Ronettes.
Anthony's signature bass made by Yamaha, the
BB3000MA is based on a through-neck BB design and features a streamlined neck shape and deeper cutaways.
