NEW YORK (AP) — Sheryl Crow and Chaka Khan have the crowd roaring at 2023 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Friday night’s induction ceremony, where the Queen of Funk performed a medley of her hits including “Ain’t Nobody” and the Southern singer-songwriter belted out an electric version of “If It Makes You Happy” alongside Olivia Rodrigo.
Crowe joined Rodrigo – both dressed in black – and exchanged verses while playing guitars. Stevie Nicks later joined Crow to perform “Strong Enough” and Peter Frampton came out to help sing “Everyday Is a Winding Road.”
“It’s kind of like getting an Oscar for a screenplay you haven’t finished writing yet,” Crowe said. She thanked her parents for the unconditional love and piano lessons. She described music as a “universal gift.”
Fellow inductees Missy Elliott and Willie Nelson are also expected to take the mic. The ceremony in New York City is streaming live for the first time on Disney+.
Laura Dern chimed in on Crowe and called her friend a “badass goddess.” Dern said the music industry initially had no idea what to do with a guitar-playing Southern singer-songwriter. But she quickly learned. “It charted the chapters of our lives,” Dern said.
Andrew Ridgley He honored his partner in Wham! The late George Michael. “His music was the key to his empathy,” Ridgley said. “George is one of the greatest singers of our time.”
Michael attracted an interesting trio of artists in his tribute: Miguel, Carrie Underwood, and Adam Levine, who performed a medley of “Careless Whisper,” “Faith,” and “One More Try.”
Another posthumous inductee is “Soul Train” creator Don Cornelius.
Elton John was coming out of retirement to perform and toast his songwriting Bernie Taupin Partner.
The ceremony in Brooklyn will see St. Vincent honor Kate Bush, who is riding a new wave of popularity after the TV show “Stranger Things” featured her song “Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God).” Bush did not attend Friday’s ceremony.
“I am blown away by this monumental honor, an award that lies at the beating heart of the American music industry,” she said in a statement. “Thank you so much to everyone who voted for me. I never imagined that I would receive this wonderful award.”
LL Cool J introduced DJ Kool Herc, nicknamed the Father of Hip-Hop. “Arguably no one has made a greater contribution to hip-hop culture than DJ Kool Herc,” LL Cool J said and then turned to the older artist: “She lit the fire and it’s still burning.” A visibly affected Herc was unable to speak for a few moments before thanking his parents, James Brown, Marcus Garvey, and Harry Belafonte, among others.
Queen Latifah will induct Elliott, who will become the first female hip-hop artist to be inducted into the Rock Hall. Elliott will then take the Barclays Center stage to perform. The four-time Grammy Award winner is also the first female rapper to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Dave Matthews, Brandi Carlile and Chris Stapleton will join Nelson on stage, while New Edition will perform in front of inductees The Spinners, represented by members John Edwards and Henry Fambrough.
She, Sia, and Common accompanied Khan on a medley of her hits that included “I Feel For You,” “Ain’t Nobody,” “Sweet Thing,” and “I’m Every Woman,” the latter of which had almost everyone on their feet. .
When it was Khan’s turn, she called on guitarist Tony Maiden, a member of the band Rufus, in which Khan had appeared early in her career. “If it wasn’t for the band, I wouldn’t be here today,” Khan said.
Also inducted into the Hall as the Class of 2023 are Rage Against the Machine, Link Ray and Al Kooper. Ice-T will present Rage Against the Machine.
The strong representation of women at the ceremony this year comes shortly after the hall was demolished Rolling Stone co-founder Jann Wenner from its board of directors. Weiner, who also co-founded the hall, said black musicians and women “didn’t speak as clearly as” the white musicians featured in his new book of interviews. He later apologized.
Artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years before they are eligible for the definition. Nominees were voted on by more than 1,000 artists, historians and music industry professionals.
ABC will air a special featuring performance highlights and iconic moments on January 1.
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