NEW YORK (AP) 鈥 Sheryl Crow and Olivia Rodrigo kicked off the 2023 Friday night and Missy Elliott closed the show more than four hours later with a roof-shaking set, as the hall celebrated a strong representation of women and Black artists.
Chaka Khan, Kate Bush, 鈥淪oul Train鈥 creator Don Cornelius, The Spinners and DJ Kool Herc were also inducted in a celebration of funk, art-rock, R&B and hip-hop, Country music was represented by Willie Nelson, punk had Rage Against the Machine, the late George Michael repped pure pop and Link Wray defined guitar heroes.
The ceremony's strong representation of Black and women artists this year came not long after the hall removed Wenner, who also co-founded the hall, had said that Black and female musicians 鈥渄idn鈥檛 articulate at the level鈥 of the white musicians featured in his new book of interviews. He later apologized.
The new inductees鈥 talent seemed to show how misguided Wenner鈥檚 initial stance was. Elton John's songwriting partner, Bernie Taupin, drew cheers when he slyly said he was honored to join the 2023 class with such 鈥減rofoundly articulate women鈥 and 鈥渁rticulate Black artists.鈥'
Queen Latifah introduced Missy Elliott, who became the first female hip-hop artist in the rock hall, smashing the boundaries of fashion and style along the way. 鈥淣othing sounded the same after Missy came onto the scene,鈥 Latifah said. 鈥淪he is avant garde without even trying.鈥
Elliott then appeared onstage at Brooklyn鈥檚 Barclays Center as if beamed from a spaceship and with smoke machines pumping, a kinetic light show and a massive digital screen working overtime, performed 鈥淕et Ur Freak On,鈥 鈥淭he Rain (Supa Dupa Fly),鈥 鈥淲ork It,鈥 鈥淧ass That Dutch鈥 and 鈥淟ose Control.鈥
鈥淢issy will wear you out!鈥 Queen Latifah joked after the set. 鈥淭his woman goes hard for the art.鈥 Elliott, in a sparkly bucket hat, had her mother in attendance, the first time she saw her daughter perform live.
Elliott noted hip-hop's , 50 years after its birth in New York. 鈥淭o be standing here, it means so much to me,鈥 she said. Of her fellow inductees, she said: 鈥淚鈥檓 honored just to be in a room with you all.鈥
The show kicked off when Crow joined by Rodrigo 鈥 both in black 鈥 traded verses as they both played guitars. Stevie Nicks later joined Crow for a performance of 鈥淪trong Enough鈥 and Peter Frampton came out to help sing 鈥淓veryday Is a Winding Road.鈥
鈥淭his is a little bit like getting an Oscar for a screenplay you have not finished writing,鈥 Crow said. She thanked her parents for unconditional love 鈥渁nd piano lessons.鈥 She called music a 鈥渦niversal gift.鈥
Laura Dern inducted Crow, calling her friend 鈥渁 badass goddess.鈥 Dern said the music business initially had no idea what to do with a Southern female guitar-playing singer-songwriter. But it soon learned. 鈥淪he mapped out the chapters of our lives,鈥 Dern said.
came out of retirement to perform and toast 鈥淗e became my best friend and my lyricist,鈥 John said. 鈥淗e is without doubt one the finest lyric writers of all time.鈥
John joked that the two never had an argument over their 56 years together. 鈥淗e was disgusted by my behavior, but that鈥檚 a given.鈥 John also revealed that the two have just finished a new album.
The two men hugged at the podium and Taupin said he found in John when they met in 1967 someone 鈥渢o inspire with their imagination and ignite your dreams.鈥 John then sat at the piano to sing 鈥淭iny Dancer.鈥
H.E.R., Sia and Common accompanied Khan for a medley of her funky hits that included 鈥淚 Feel For You,鈥 鈥淎in鈥檛 Nobody,鈥 鈥淪weet Thing鈥 and 鈥淚鈥檓 Every Woman,鈥 the latter which brought nearly everyone to their feet.
At the podium, Khan graciously called up guitarist Tony Maiden, a member of the band Rufus, which featured Khan in her early career. 鈥淲ithout him and the band, I would not be here today,鈥 Khan said.
Nelson鈥檚 part of the ceremony took a fair chunk of the night, with Dave Matthews playing an acoustic 鈥淔unny How Time Slips Away,鈥 and the legend joining Chris Stapleton on 鈥淲hiskey River,鈥 dueting with Crow for 鈥淐razy鈥 and then all three musicians combining with Nelson for a rollicking 鈥淥n the Road Again,鈥 which got a standing ovation.
Matthews said wrote his first song at 7 in 1940 and has put out over 70 albums. He ran through the legendary musician鈥檚 career, including Farm Aid, IRS troubles and Nelson鈥檚 preference for pot. 鈥淚t鈥檚 people like Willie Nelson who give me hope for the world,鈥 Matthews said.
When it was his turn, Nelson thanked his wife, Annie, for 鈥渒eeping me out here, doing what I鈥檓 meant to do.鈥 He added: 鈥淭hanks for appreciating my music.鈥
honored his partner in Wham!, the late George Michael. 鈥淗is music was key to his compassion,鈥 Ridgeley said. 鈥淕eorge is one of the greatest singers of our time.鈥
Michael attracted an intriguing trio of performers in his honor: Miguel, Carrie Underwood and Adam Levine, who each performed one of his hits 鈥 鈥淐areless Whisper,鈥 鈥淔aith鈥 and 鈥淥ne More Try.鈥
Another posthumous inductee was 鈥淪oul Train鈥 creator Don Cornelius. A huge sign from his old TV dance show was lowered and the crowd danced happily. Snoop Dogg, Questlove and Lionel Richie in a video called the show a rite of passage and a pioneering show that elevated Black music and culture.
Big Boi inducted Kate Bush, telling the crowd he never knew what to expect from her music and comparing her insistence on producing her own work to being very hip-hop. "Who sounds like Kate Bush?" he asked. 鈥淚f you were hearing Kate's music for the first time, why wouldn't you believe this was a current artist?鈥
St. Vincent took the stage to perform a solemn 鈥淩unning Up That Hill (A Deal with God),鈥 the Bush song that bumped up her popularity after the TV show 鈥淪tranger Things鈥 featured it. Bush didn't make it to Friday's ceremony.
LL Cool J presented inductee DJ Kool Herc, called the Father of Hip-Hop. 鈥淎rguably, no one made a bigger contribution to hip-hop culture than DJ Kool Herc,鈥 LL Cool J said and then turned to the older artist: 鈥淵ou lit the fire and it鈥檚 still blazing.鈥 A visibly moved Herc was unable to speak for a few moments before thanking his parents, James Brown, Marcus Garvey and Harry Belafonte, among others.
The Spinners, who became a hit-making machine with four No. 1 R&B hits in less than 18 months, were honored by a velvet-jacket-and-fedora-clad New Edition, who sang 鈥淚鈥檒l Be Around,鈥 鈥淭he Rubberband Man鈥 and 鈥淐ould It Be I鈥檓 Falling in Love.鈥 John Edwards and Henry Fambrough represented the Philadelphia five-member group.
Also entering the hall as the class of 2023 were Rage Against the Machine and the late guitarist Link Wray. Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin honored Wray with a virtuoso performance of the late guitar god鈥檚 seminal 鈥淩umble鈥 with a double-necked guitar. The stage was later filled with singers including John, Crow and Brittany Howard belting out the Band's song 鈥淭he Weight,鈥 in honor of the late
Ice-T presented activist punk-rockers Rage Against the Machine 鈥 鈥渞ock rocks the boat,鈥 he said 鈥 and guitarist Tom Morello urged the crowd to fight for a world 鈥渨ithout compromise or apologies.鈥
Artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years before they鈥檙e eligible for induction. Nominees were voted on by more than 1,000 artists, historians and music industry professionals.
ABC will air a special featuring performance highlights and standout moments on Jan. 1.
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Mark Kennedy is at
Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press
