Entertainer Quickie: Rooney Ends “60 Minutes” Reign, 2012 Rock N Roll Nominees Announced

After thirty-three years of telling people in America what to hate, Andy Rooney will be stepping down. October 2 will be his end-of-show segment for “60 Minutes.” “60 Minutes” will never be the same due to Rooney’s announcement of his retirement.

Rooney, 92, has been providing his constant gripes and opinions of society for the show since 1978.  According to Hollywood.com, “He has been there, week after week, ready with a new subject rife for derision. He has inspired a lot of us with segments on the often-overlooked hardships of poverty, and the inexplicably of music tastes being generational. And beyond this, Rooney is something unlike any other.”

This Sunday’s broadcast will be his 1,097^th essay and he will discuss in further detail his retirement decision. The show will also be showing a feature on Rooney. CBS has not stated yet whether they have found a replacement yet, or if the show will be continued. Jeff Fager, a CBS News chairman, said that Rooney is an “American Original.”

Rooney has worked for CBS for 60 years after joining the network in1949. He first started out for the network as a writer for “Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts.” Rooney rose in ranks by generating a variety of specials and news features. He then joined “60 Minutes” when it was originally launched in 1968. According to the Huffington Post, after “a brief hiatus from 60 Minutes (due to CBS’ refusal to air a special he produced about war they believed to be too controversial), he returned to the program in 1972.” He produced his “now-legendary-essay” in 1978 that has “been on air ever since.”

As Fager leaves the spotlight, others will be entering it as Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announces its nominees for 2012. In the Chicago Tribune, Joel Peresman, president and chief executive of the Rock and Roll Fame Foundation, stated, “”From vocal groups to hip-hop, from singer-songwriters to hard rocking artists, this group represents the spirit of what we celebrate at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.”

The ballots for these nominees will be sent to over 500 voters. They will determine who the next Hall of Famer should be for 2012.

The nominees are: The Spinners, Donovan, Beastie Boys, Heart, The Small Faces/The Faces, The Cure, Guns ‘N Roses, Laura Nyro, Eric B. & Rakim, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Freddie King, War, Rufus with Chaka Khan, Donna Summer.

For Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and Heart, the women in Rock & Roll, this will be their first time as nominees.

According to CNN,  “to be eligible for nomination, ‘an individual artist or band must have released its first single or album at least 25 years prior to the year of nomination.’ That means the 2012 nominees must have released their first recording no later than 1986.”

Once the votes are tallied up, the winners will be revealed next spring on April 14, 2012. The announcement will be held in Cleveland, Ohio at the 27^th Annual Induction Ceremony.

Chicago Tribune stated that before the induction ceremony, “the institution will celebrate the grand opening of it’s new Library and Archive — the world’s largest collection of materials dedicated to rock ‘n’ roll.”

Who will win? Vote and find out. For now check out the photos of the nominees, provided by the Washington Post.

Photos courtesy of Bill Alldredge, The Marmot,  and Andrew Hitchcock via Flickr. And Moloch981, Deras, and Steve Bibiano via WikiCommons.