WKSU News: Rock Hall announces 2016 presenters, non-performer inductee

Thursday, January 28, 2016 Rock Hall announces 2016 presenters, non-performer inductee Bert Berns wrote many classic R&B songs, and helped discover Neil Diamond and Van Morrison by WKSU's KABIR BHATIA	Reporter Kabir Bhatia

Ace Records has released several volumes of Bert Berns' work.

Courtesy of Ace Records

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced its 2016 inductee in the Ahmet Ertegun Lifetime Achievement Category. Producer Bert Berns will be posthumously inducted during the ceremony on April 8 in New York City.

Berns helped discover Van Morrison and Neil Diamond, and he also wrote such hits as “Twist & Shout,” “Piece of My Heart” and “Hang On, Sloopy.” Rock Hall Vice President of Marketing Todd Mesek says Berns was influential in a number of ways in the 1960s.

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"When you look at Bert Berns’ career he’s really one of the great record men of the Atlantic Records legacy. Songs like ‘I Want Candy’ by The Strangeloves, ‘Hang On, Sloopy,’ which is, of course, an Ohio favorite; he signed Neil Diamond.”

The Rock Hall has also announced some of the presenters for this year’s ceremony, including The Black Keys and Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich. This year’s class features Chicago, Cheap Trick, Deep Purple, Steve Miller and N.W.A. An exhibit on this year’s class will open at the Rock Hall in late March, and tickets for the induction ceremony go on sale Feb. 5.