Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducts Cher, Foreigner, Mary J. Blige, Ozzy and more: NPR

CLEVELAND — Pure pop kicked off the induction ceremony at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Saturday, with Dua Lipa and Cher singing “Believe,” followed by a rump by funk masters Kool & the Gang. The stage was given over to a shaker medley and a medley of rock classics. Powerful performances from foreign players, Peter Frampton and gospel icon Dionne Warwick captivated the 83-year-old crowd.

The more than five-hour ceremony included Mary J. Blige, A Tribe Called Quest, Ozzy Osbourne, Dave Matthews Band, Jimmy Buffett, MC5, Alexis Korner, John Mayall and Norman Whitt. Field, Bigg’s posthumous recognition also included this year’s Hall of Fame inductees. Mama Thornton.

“Where do I start? Cher is not one person,” Zendaya said at Cher’s induction. “Her name is as legendary as her legacy.” Zendaya said Cher, 78, is the only woman in the past 70 years to have a No. 1 hit on the Billboard charts. pointed out. “Cher got a good one,” Zendaya said, as Cher performed a rockin’ version of “If I Could Turn Back Time.”

In her speech, Cher said she was inspired by Cinderella and thanked her mother for instilling in her to always get back up even when defeated. “The one thing I got from my mom is to never give up,” she said. “I will never give up. I am talking to the women and we will continue to move forward.”

Julia Roberts was instrumental in inducting the Dave Matthews Band. She is a self-confessed big fan and appeared in the band’s video for their 2005 single “Dreamgirl.” Wearing a band T-shirt, Roberts said the group’s appeal was “voluntary abandonment,” adding that the first time she and her husband danced was to a Dave Matthews Band song.

The jam band, which mixes funk, folk rock, jazz, blues and pop, then played “The Ants March” and asked the audience to sing the chorus, as well as “Crash” and “So Much to “Sei” was played. When they took the stage just after midnight, the arena was still full and the crowd was singing along and swaying.

Matthews hugged Roberts, handed the trophy to his bandmates, and praised the Class of 2024. “We’re swimming in very deep water here,” he said. He expressed his gratitude to the band’s current and former members, as well as the bar owner who gave him a home in Charlottesville, Virginia. He thanked his fans, who roared back.

Dr. Dre appointed Blige, who is credited with creating a whole new category of music, hip-hop soul. A nine-time Grammy Award winner, her most famous song is “Family Affair,” from her 2001 triple platinum album No More Drama. “When you hear Mary’s story, you know you’re not alone in your heartbreak,” Dre said.

Blige wore a shiny black hat, a sparkly dress, long black gloves and boots, and sang a mix of hits including “Love No Limits,” “Be Happy” and “Family Affair.” . At the end of her set, in echoes of James Brown, a dancer brought a cloak to wrap her around. She thanked her fans, her mother, a single mother who is raising her children on Project, and Method Man and Dr. Dre for helping her win Grammys and Emmys. “Be graceful. Trust the journey,” she advised. “You have value.”

Chuck D was inducted into Kool & the Gang, saying, “This is the celebration we’ve been waiting for.” The band’s 1980 chart-topping hit “Celebration” was followed by “Cherish,” “Get Down on It,” “Jungle Boogie,” “Ladies Night,” “Joanna,” and many more. He had 12 top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. They have been Hall eligible since 1994.

The Roots helped the band perform a medley of hits, featuring bassist, co-founder and last original member Robert “Cool” Bell and longtime singer James “JT” Bell. Taylor took the lead and got the crowd into a frenzy. As confetti poured into the arena, Taylor asked the audience to use their cell phone lights as he read out the names of the 10 members who have played important roles in the band’s success.

Warwick attended the ceremony just days after attending a memorial service for his longtime friend and collaborator Cissy Houston in Newark, New Jersey. Teyana Taylor called her a “truly unique person” and criticized the teleprompter operator for not adding “Ms.” before her name. Jennifer Hudson sang “I’ll Never Love This Way Again,” and Warwick joined in to sing “Walk On By.”

Warwick said this is the third year he has been nominated for the Hall of Fame. “I’m so happy to be here,” she said. “That’s all I’m going to say and walk off stage. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

Dave Chappelle helped select this year’s only hip-hop group, A Tribe Called Quest, which includes Q-Tip, Jarobi, Ali Shahid Muhammad, and the late Phife Dawg. Chappelle said the group incorporated “jazz and soul in a way never seen before in hip-hop” and also proved that it was “cool and not necessarily gangster.” Queen Latifah, Busta Rhymes, Common, The Roots and De La Soul will be on hand to perform Tribe hits including “Bonita Applebum,” “Scenario” and “Can I Kick It?” They performed a medley.

Sammy Hagar introduced Foreigner and thanked the persistent fans who requested their participation. The British-American rockers, who produced hits like “Cold as Ice” and “Waiting for a Girl Like You,” topped the charts in the 1970s and ’80s. , until last year, I had never even entered the hall, let alone voted. , despite having been eligible for over 20 years.

Hager noted that Foreigner is currently touring without its original members. “That’s how great the song is,” he said. “Who deserves this more than a foreigner?” Demi Lovato and Slash join Foreigner on tour for “Feels Like the First Time,” Hagar takes lead on “Hot Blood” Served. Kelly Clarkson thrilled with her powerful “I Want to Know What Love Is,” but the arena erupted when original singer Lou Gramm joined her. Gramm expressed his gratitude to guitarist Mick Jones, who was sidelined in New York due to Parkinson’s disease.

Saturday’s induction ceremony will be held at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, which the Hall promises to return to every few years. A television special featuring highlights of the performance will air on ABC on January 1st.

The Who’s Roger Daltrey was appointed as Frampton. “It’s time for some tough times!” he said. “Peter has had the most amazing career ever. It’s probably easier to name people he hasn’t worked with than it is to name people he’s worked with.” Daltrey said.

Frampton’s entrance into the hall began with his 1976 live double album “Show Me the Way” and “Baby I Love Your Way.” Frampton Comes Alive!” was also a big help. Daltrey noted that Frampton always plays with a big smile on his face.

A suitably grinning Frampton, who performed at last year’s ceremony honoring Sheryl Crow, brought out Keith Urban to perform “Do You Feel Like I Do,” where he announced that he was one of rock’s greatest guitarists. The reason why he is considered one of the He used his famous talk box effect and the crowd roared. “I’m a really lucky guy to have had this amazing career,” he said, thanking David Bowie for reviving his professional career after it had been cut short.

Before forming the band, Dave Matthews helped honor Buffett with an acoustic version of the late singer-songwriter’s “A Pirate Looks at Forty.” James Taylor then appeared, calling Buffett, who popularized Beach Bum’s soft rock with the escapist song “Margaritaville,” “larger than life, but at the same time just the right size and always authentic.” Taylor, Kenny Chesney and Mac McAnally then performed Buffett’s “Come Monday.”

When musician and actor Jack Black first heard the Blizzard of Oz album, he toasted Osbourne, saying, “Heaven opened above my head.” Black called Osbourne “the Jack Nicholson of rock” and joked that his reality show, “The Osbournes,” was probably “the most evil thing he’s ever done.”

Sitting on the throne, Osbourne praised the career and life accomplishments of the late guitarist Randy Rhoads and his wife, Sharon. This is Ozzy’s second time in the hall, the first being in 2006 for a Prince of Darkness tribute that included Jelly Roll, Billy Idol, Maynard James Keenan, Wolfgang Van Halen, Steve and more. It’s been since he performed with his band, the seminal metal band Black Sabbath. Stevens, Robert Trujillo and Chad Smith performed “Crazy Train,” “Mama, I’m Coming Home” and “No More Tears.”

The ‘In Memoriam’ section included tributes to Kris Kristofferson, Cissy Houston, David Sanborn and Liam Payne, among others. The Dave Matthews Band played “Burning Down the House” as fans lined up.