ABSTRACT
Joe Strummer's faith in the power of rock and roll was a consistent element of his public persona, even when he was most critical of the ways that the music had gone wrong. The visual representation of Strummer at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame underscores his connection to rock tradition. Strummer dominates the visual representation of the Clash at the museum. The permanent punk exhibit prominently features Strummer's Fender Telecaster that was spray-painted at an auto body shop. Strummer's sudden death ended the possibility of a Clash reunion, of course, but it also papered over the complexities of the honor for the band. Strummer and the Clash were hailed by both for representing the essence of rock and roll, as a band that saved the music. The Edge accounted for the Clash's importance by representing rock and roll itself as life-changing for listeners, at least those listeners who went on to form rock and roll bands.
