Gothic blues idol Nick Cave is the latest legend inducted into the ARIA Hall Of Fame.
The multi-talented singer, songwriter, author and screenwriter has been eminently eligible for inclusion into the ARIA Hall Of Fame for years, and 2007 finally sees it happen. He began in manic schoolboy proto-punk acts Boys Next Door and The Birthday Party in the early '80s. He found more mainstream fame with the all-star band The Bad Seeds and is still experimenting into his fifth decade, with grimy garage outfit Grinderman.Alongside his musical achievements, Cave has found success in the film world, as an actor in cult hits 'Ghosts... Of The Civil Dead' and 'Johnny Suede' alongside Brad Pitt. His screenplay for the outback noir film 'The Proposition' earned wide plaudits. He has also published books of lyrics and poetry, as well as the Faulkner-esque 1989 novel 'And The Ass Saw The Angel'.
Chairman of the ARIA Awards Committee, Ed St. John, said in a statement, "Nick Cave has enjoyed - and continues to enjoy - one of the most extraordinary careers in the annals of popular music. His contribution over the past 30 years was never limited by geography or nationality and nor could it ever be described in terms of hit records, chart positions or radio airplay.
"He is an Australian artist like Sidney Nolan is an Australian artist - beyond comparison, beyond genre, beyond dispute. As an industry we should be immensely proud and humbled by Nick Cave's achievements; I know I speak for the ARIA board when I say it's a real pleasure to be inducting this artist into the Hall of Fame."
Cave joins fellow 2007 Hall Of Fame inductees Jo Jo Zep And The Falcons, Radio Birdman, Brian Cadd, Hoodoo Gurus, Marcia Hines and Frank Ifield.
