Joe Bonamassa recently shared a post on his official Twitter account, reacting to the nomination of artists like Jethro Tull, Delbert McClinton, and John Mayall. When a fan criticized the nominees’ age after his tweet, the guitarist said that old rockers shouldn’t be shamed for their age.

Every year, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which is a museum and hall of fame that includes notable figures who have influenced rock music’s development, announces nominees that can potentially be inducted.

There are many controversies surrounding the nominations and inductees as it’s not always rock stars who are being included in the Rock Hall. This year’s list of nominees didn’t fail to surprise fans as it has a variety of musicians from different genres.

The list includes Eminem, Lionel Richie, Dolly Parton, and more, besides well-known rock bands such as Jethro Tull, Rage Against the Machine, and Duran Duran. After seeing the list of nominees, Joe Bonamassa shared a post on his official Twitter account saying he just saw the list Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame.

Bonamassa penned in his tweet:

“It’s probably because it’s early in the morning for me… For some reason, I missed seeing Jethro Tull, Delbert McClinton, John Mayall, and Free being included on the 2022 induction list.”

Following his tweet, a fan responded saying that nobody wants to see an 80-year-old person on stage, and young musicians must be represented instead. After the ageist comment, Bonamassa immediately shared a tweet to defend all those musicians.

The guitarist stated that he and many others want to see musicians due to their contributions to rock history regardless of their age. In addition to this, Bonamassa noted that people should give older musicians their moment to shine while they are still alive.

The fan stated:

“I think it’s all about the HBO broadcast now. Who wants to see some 80-year-old up there on stage? Youth must be served.“

Bonamassa replied:

“Who wants to see artists regardless of age be given recognition for their contributions to Rock and Roll history? Ans: Me and many others. Fuck this ageist shit. Give them their moment while they are still alive to enjoy it. It means something to them. I know this first hand.”

You can see the Twitter posts below.