JAM MASTER JAY - RUN-D.M.C. TURN DOWN HALL OF FAME PERFORMANCE

RUN-D.M.C. TURN DOWN HALL OF FAME PERFORMANCE

The surviving members of rap pioneers RUN-D.M.C. will break from tradition when they are inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Saturday (04Apr09) - they have refused to perform out of respect to murdered DJ JAM MASTER JAY.
Remaining bandmates Joseph 'Rev Run' Simmons and Darryl 'DMC' MCDaniels will be honoured alongside stars including Metallica, Jeff Beck and Bobby Womack at the weekend ceremony in Cleveland, Ohio.
Simmons recently revealed he was leaving the decision whether or not to perform up to MCDaniels - and the rapper has declared Run-D.M.C. will not be gracing the stage at the event because they want to keep their vow never to perform without their late pal, who was shot dead in 2002.
MCDaniels tells MTV News, "For me, I tell people, 'Do you want to see me and Run running around without Jay?'
"They tell me I could get Grandmaster Flash (to fill in). But I can get any DJ in the world if I want. It wouldn't be right. I can't replace my drummer."
Instead, a video tribute will be compiled by Hall of Fame organisers to honour the group.
Jam Master Jay, real name Jason Mizell, was killed in a Queens, New York studio in 2002. His murder remains unsolved and is still being investigated by the New York Police Department.