“Downtown Train” singer Tom Waits has just become the latest in a motley assortment of Rock N’Roll Hall of Fame nominees, reports MTV News. The 2011 list of nominees consists of a range including the Beastie Boys, Neil Diamond, Bon Jovi, and Donovan.
Waits, 60, is perhaps distinguished most by his notoriously gravelly singing voice. His most critically-acclaimed work to date is the 1985 release Rain Dogs. He’s also known for using distinct characters on the outer fringes of society as subject matter. Bone Machine, released in 1992 after a five-hear recording hiatus, won Waits the Grammy for Best Alternative Album. Material from Bone Machine went on to be used in films such as Fight Club and 12 Monkeys.
Nominees must wait 25 years after the release of their first single or album to be considered for the Rock N’Roll Hall of Fame. A panel consisting of over 500 music industry members and experts vote on the nominees. The induction ceremony will be set at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. The finalized list of inductees will be release in September.