A massive lineup of talent came together to celebrate the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s newest members on Saturday night in Downtown Cleveland, bringing some of the biggest stars in the history of rock, pop, funk, R&B and hip-hop together under one roof.
The 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction class included Cher, Mary J. Blige, Ozzy Osbourne, Kool & the Gang, A Tribe Called Quest, Dave Matthews Band, Foreigner and Peter Frampton. Acknowledgement for musical influence went to Alexis Korner, John Mayall and Big Mama Thornton, while Jimmy Buffett, Dionne Warwick, MC5 and Norman Whitfield were each honored for musical excellence.
Ahead of the big show, John Sykes, the chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, talked about the “attitude” of rock tying together the many sounds and performers onstage that night. “The names and the faces of rock 'n' roll may have changed, but the attitude has lived on,” Sykes said at the beginning of the night’s festivities. “That’s rock ‘n’ roll.”
And it started here in Cleveland. “This is where rock ‘n' roll began,” Sykes said in the press room. “It all began right here in Cleveland, Ohio, with Alan Freed as the DJ that got it started.”
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But what about the future of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Northeast Ohio?
Rock Hall President and CEO Greg Harris detailed the ongoing $135 million expansion to the museum’s building and grounds. He also mentioned the future of the ceremony in Cleveland. (Currently, the induction ceremony cycles between three cities: Los Angeles, New York City and Cleveland. Before 2024, the last induction ceremony to take place in Cleveland was in 2021.) “The intent is to keep cycling the inductions for Cleveland, Ohio, on a very regular basis, and we're really pleased to be hosting,” Harris noted.
Before we need to wait at least three more years until it comes back to Cleveland, relive some of the biggest moments of the 2024 induction ceremony.
Cher, Dua and Zendaya Host a Star-Studded Opening
Dua Lipa was the first star to take the stage at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, setting the tone for a star-studded evening. Offering a tribute performance to Cher, with her chart-topping song “Believe.” Zendaya followed with a heartwarming introduction for the Goddess of Pop as she was welcomed on stage to accept her award.
“She just did exactly what she wanted,” Zendaya said. “This fierce woman is a hero, a true artist and just about as authentically rock 'n' roll as you can get.”
READ MORE: Dua Lipa and Zendaya Celebrate Cher in Cleveland's 2024 Rock Hall Inductions
Prince of Darkness
Ozzy Osbourne admittedly did not have much to say when accepting his induction into the Rock Hall, but his sheer presence was enough, as he graced the stage in a grotesque black suit while sitting upon a black bat-shaped throne. With few words to speak for himself other than his grateful thank you’s, Osbourne’s presenter, Jack Black, said what everyone was thinking — and didn’t censor a bit of it.
“The greatest frontman in the history of rock 'n' roll,” Black proclaimed. “He could do it all. That f***ing sound was raw power. That voice could cut through glass. Unholy f***ing sh**. This motherf***er invented heavy metal.”
The admiration continued, as a bejeweled lineup of rock legends held down the fort for Osbourne, with an electrifying tribute to his greatest hits. Robert Trujillo of Metallica, Ozzy’s lead guitarist Zakk Wylde, Billy Idol, Jelly Roll, Wolfgang Van Halen and Tool’s Maynard James Keenan were among the lineup, sent into their frenzy of a show by The Prince of Darkness, King of Metal’s famous scream. Crafting their own versions of “Crazy Train,” “Mama I’m Coming Home” and “No More Tears,” the stage was engulfed in Osboune’s trademarked dark energy.
Foreigner’s Finally In
A star-studded crew performed together for Foreigner, a band considered a longtime snub in the Rock Hall universe. But "snub," they are no more.
The tribute started with Demi Lovato, Sammy Hagar and a ripping guitar solo from Slash on the band’s hit “Hot Blooded.” “Now the real singer’s coming out,” Hagar shouted. “Welcome Miss Kelly Clarkson!” Clarkson wasn’t alone onstage; she joined former Foreigner lead singer Lou Gramm for an impassioned duet performance of “I Wanna Know What Love Is,” complete with a gospel choir backing them.
Gramm, Al Greenwood, Rick Wills and Annabelle Dexter-Jones, Mick Jones’ daughter, were there to accept the award. Founder Mick Jones and drummer Dennis Elliot were expected to attend, but a last-minute dispute over scheduling caused them to cancel. “Although the band went through some changes as time went on, I believe the original band encompassed what Foreigner was all about,” Gramm said in his acceptance speech. “As I think back about those times, I’m convinced that Ian McDonald and Eddie [Gagliardi], who have passed on to a better place, were pivotal players and personalities in Foreigners’ early success.”
Frampton Gets an Award Worth Waiting For
Peter Frampton capped off a career he started as a teenager with his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Presented by his longtime friend and colleague, Roger Daltrey of The Who, the celebration was deemed worth the wait. “Peter is a restless soul, Daltrey remarked. “He really is.”
Frampton then wowed the crowd with an intimate, yet electrifying performance of “Do You Feel Like I Do” alongside country star Keith Urban. In his acceptance speech, Frampton thanked his fans and spoke of how his battle with inclusion body myositis (which he discussed with Cleveland Magazine in September) helped him appreciate those fans more. “I see my audience, using my music as an escape,” Frampton said. “I have no idea what battles they may be fighting. I am now fully aware of what lies between a ‘Hello’ and a handshake.”
READ MORE: Peter Frampton Gives an Ovation-Worthy Performance at Cleveland's Rock Hall Induction
A Big “Celebration” For Youngstown Native Robert Bell
J.T. Taylor and Robert Bell of Kool & The Gang grooved to the band’s greatest hits — including the funky “Jungle Boogie,” “Get Down On It” and “Celebration” — in a performance that got the room full of celebrities up and moving. Bell, a co-founder of the group, especially vibed onstage, slapping the bass with a guitar strap that bore a bedazzled “Kool” on it.
It was a special moment for Bell, who grew up not so far away from the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse with his brother and fellow Kool & The Gang member, the late Ronald Bell. "I’m a boy from Youngstown, Ohio, who made it to Cleveland, Ohio and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame,” he said.
A Legendary Hip-Hop Jam
A slew of hip-hop stars, including The Roots, Black Thought, Queen Latifah, De La Soul, Busta Rhymes and Common, came together in a big showcase after A Tribe Called Quest was inducted by comedian Dave Chappelle.
Following their induction speeches and many thank-yous, a hip-hop jam for the ages took place, featuring Queen Latifah on “Can I Kick It?,” Common on “Bonita Applebum” and Busta Rhymes, of course, on his hit song with A Tribe Called Quest, “Scenario" — the song that helped to launch the rapper's career. All the while, the Roots jammed in the background. “Thank you tribe,” Busta said at the end of the song. “Ya’ll gave birth to me, Tribe.”
READ MORE: A Tribe Called Quest’s Rock Hall Induction Featured a Major Hip-Hop Showcase
Jimmy Buffett Honored
Multiple artists took the stage for star-studded tribute to Jimmy Buffett, one of 2024’s handful of posthumous inductees. Fellow inductee Dave Matthews was among those moved to honor the tropical rock icon with a stripped-down performance of "A Pirate Looks at Forty.” "I wish you could be here, but it's too late. I'm gonna play a song that he wrote about being too late," Dave Matthews said.
Bringing the spirit of Margaritaville to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Kenny Chesney, James Taylor and Mike MacAnally celebrated Buffett’s life with a three-way performance of “Come Monday.” “I don't know why that's so hard to believe,” Taylor said of Buffett’s passing. “Jimmy was sort of a central hero, like a heroic figure in some reek myth. His adventure was our adventure and we got to share his huge love of this life. He was larger than life, but somehow at the same time always right-sized and always authentic. Jimmy was the self-made man and a poet, and there won't be another like him.”
Remembering Those Lost
Beyond Buffett, the ceremony celebrated and honored other lives lost in the music industry in the past year — even including One Direction member Liam Payne who died on Oct. 16, just three days before the event took place. The segment also noted some of this year's inductees who passed away, including John Mayall, Kool & The Gang's George "Funky" Brown, MC5 drummer Dennis Thompson and MC5 guitarist Wayne Kramer.
Dave Matthews Band Fans Go Wild
Wrapping up the night was the group that some fans in the house might have been the most excited for: Dave Matthews Band. The band first made headlines back in 2020, when it was nominated to be in the Rock Hall for the first time, and won the Rock Hall’s fan vote system with more than a million votes, according to Ultimate Classic Rock. Despite the robust support, it wasn’t selected to be an inductee.
That is, until 2024.
And one of the band’s biggest fans, actress Julia Roberts, had the honor of inducting it into the museum. Roberts, who starred in the band’s "Dreamgirl" music video, talked about the band’s influence on her own life. “I’ve been lucky enough to attend many a Dave Matthews Band concert, and I don’t think I’ve ever heard any of their songs played the same way twice,” Roberts said.
Saturday certainly marked a unique DMB show, with Matthews and Co. rocking out at the induction. The crowd exploded and shout-sang along to “Ants Marching,” swayed to “Crash Into Me” and bobbed to “So Much to Say.” Matthews was self-deprecating when it came to the honor — and thanked the band’s diehard fans for making it happen. “I blame it on their persistence, not on the quality of anything,” he said.
Matthews was the star of the night as he led the final performance, choosing to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense with a fiery performance of “Burning Down the House.”
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