Little Anthony and the Imperials are one of the nine nominees for the 2009 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but Little Anthony has never given much thought to the honor. In a recent interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Little Anthony "couldn't even say who was nominated or how many [artists] would get in."

Q: What was your reaction to being nominated for the Rock and Hall of Fame? I guess you waited a long time.

A: You know what? We never waited. And you probably say, "Oh, he's jivin'" But we never discussed it. We felt that we were fulfilling what our destiny was. There are a lot of people in that Hall of Fame that ain't performing anymore. We reached a pinnacle in our career where we were working at some of the finest places in the world, from Vegas to Lake Tahoe, all the biggest rooms. It was almost to us like, I don't know how they decide who gets to be in the Hall of Fame, but we realize that the only thing we had to do was to be better - better performers. People like Billy Joel, Paul Shaffer, Paul Simon, those were the people who were really lobbying for us. We don't have any power.

With the announcement of the 2009 inductees being so close, it's likely the five artists who will be honored have already been notified. Last year, word of the inductees started to leak when John Mellencamp let the cat out of the bag. Before the 2007 inductees were announced, Sammy Hagar also let it slip early. This doesn't seem to bode well for Little Anthony, because it sounds like he hasn't heard anything yet, but we'll know for sure in January when the official announcement is made by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Future Rock Hall predicts the 2009 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees will be:

• Metallica: It was shocking last year when Metallica wasn't nominated in their first eligible year because they have the highest induction chances percentage of any artist. This one is truly a no-brainer for the voting committee.
• Jeff Beck: Voters are also likely to respond to a legendary name who is appearing for the first time on the ballot.
• The Stooges: Is this finally the year The Stooges get in after losing out on the final ballot six previous times? Their performance at last year's induction ceremony should put them over the top.
• Run DMC: As hip-hop immortals they should be a sure thing, but last year's rejection of the Beastie Boys shows that voters may be taking it slow when it comes to hip-hop.
• Little Anthony and the Imperials: Nostalgia could play a factor in inducting this doo-wop group, especially since they are peers of many of the inductees who are part of the nominating committee.

Over 1700 Future Rock Hall voters cast their ballots in the 2009 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame poll. The top five vote getters are Metallica (on 79% of ballots), Jeff Beck (77%), The Stooges (75%), Run DMC (69%), and War (60%). [Last year, FRH voters accurately predicted three out of the five inductees.] The poll results are just one of the factors that go into Future Rock Hall's induction forecast, but there is agreement on four out of five nominees.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will announce the official 2009 inductees in January. Keep checking Future Rock Hall for all of the latest Rock & Roll Hall of Fame news.

Two new music museums on opposite coasts open their doors to the public this week.

The Grammy Museum, opening in downtown L.A., "explores and celebrates the enduring legacies of all forms of music; the creative process; the art and technology of the recording process; and the history of the GRAMMY® Awards, the premier recognition of recorded music accomplishment." Variety has much more on the grand opening.

The new Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Annex, opening in New York, has received generally positive reviews from the press. Here's how the Washington Post sums it up:

[T]he annex isn't attempting to duplicate the Cleveland experience. In its 25,000 square feet, it highlights significant moments in music. It serves as the CliffsNotes to music history. (If you want the whole book, go to Cleveland.) And it does so with enthusiasm, good humor and little pretense.

Kiss co-founder Gene Simmons recently spoke out about his band's exclusion from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during a speech to concert promoters in New York:

"A lot of those guys on the [Nominating Committee] board can go and get my sandwich when I want, and I mean that in the nicest way," he said. "There are disco bands, rap bands, Yiddish folk song bands in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but not Kiss. I believe we have more gold records in America than any other group, but it's OK."

Simmons is probably just trying to be outrageous for his reality show, which was filming his speech, but he has a right to be bitter towards certain members of the Nominating Committee who have effectively black-balled them from the process.