Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson, Missy Elliott and more have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
On Friday evening, some of music’s biggest stars gathered at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, to honor music legends, including Elton John, Olivia Rodrigo, HER, Jazmine Sullivan, Miguel, Carrie Underwood and more.
The night began with Crowe and Rodrigo performing to Crowe’s hit song, “If It Makes You Happy” while playing guitar.
More: Missy Elliott, Willie Nelson and Sheryl Crow are among this year’s inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Actress Laura Dern then took the stage to honor Crowe, who spoke about Crowe’s career, activism and successes in the music industry and the artists who were influenced by the “All I Wanna Do” singer, cementing her as an artist.
A video tribute to her career in the industry played after interviews with Maren Morris, Stevie Nicks and Rodrigo, before Crowe took to the stage with Nicks to perform Crowe’s song “Strong Enough”. Crowe then brought Peter Frampton to the stage, whom she said was one of her “heroes.” With Nicks on vocals and Frampton on guitar, the trio performed “Everyday Is a Winding Road.”
“It’s very surreal,” Crowe said as she accepted her award, saying it was a huge honor, but “a huge honor to be inducted alongside one of the people I admire most on this planet, which is Willie Nelson.”
During her speech, she thanked her parents for introducing her to many musical greats such as Duke Ellington, Burt Bacharach, Dionne Warwick, James Taylor, and Carole King, and for piano lessons. She also thanked her two sons, Wyatt and Levi.
More: Missy Elliott talks about preparing to become the first female rapper inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
“This is what music has brought me,” she said. “It has been the most amazing journey.” “When I think back to my years playing music and my journey, I could never have dreamed of my life. I was a kid dreaming of rock and roll flowing on album covers. I knew every name of every musician on every album cover, and I found my identity in the lyrics of the songs I was… I’m sure she wrote it for me, like, I’m sure James Taylor wrote “Fire and Rain” about me and for me. Stevie Nicks, I honestly wouldn’t be who I am without her.
At the end of her speech, Crowe paid tribute to the late Jimmy Buffett, sharing one of his quotes, “He said, ‘If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.’” Yes, for me, there have been ups and downs along the way. But my story is A story of endless possibilities for any young person embarking on the musical journey. I love the work. Thank you so much guys.
On the red carpet before the ceremony, Crowe told “Good Morning America” that the most important thing she has learned about herself throughout her career is her connection to her community.
Grammy Award-winning R&B singer Jazmine Sullivan also took the stage to honor Chaka Khan, who received the Music Excellence Award. After showing a video about her career, with interviews with HER, Queen Latifah, and Joni Mitchell, Khan took to the stage with Common, Sia, and HER to perform some of her hits, “I Feel For You,” “Ain’t Nobody,” “Something Beautiful.” and “I am every woman.”
When it was time for him to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, musician Dave Matthews took the stage to honor the country music legend.
“Thank you so much,” Nelson said before performing some of his songs with Chris Stapleton. “And thank you all for this great honor. I appreciate the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame recognition. Including so many legends and some, I’m lucky enough to call a friend. Thanks again for including me tonight. And thanks for recognizing my music.”
Crowe also took the stage to perform “Crazy” with Nelson.
Missy Elliott was the last artist to be inducted. After Queen Latifah paid tribute to the artist, she took to the stage to deliver a rousing performance of some of her hit songs including “Get Ur Freak On,” “Work It,” and “Lose Control.”
“I’ve been through a lot of ups and downs and I know where my talents come from,” said Elliott, the first female rapper to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. “God brought me all the way here. He’s allowed me to meet some great people along the way. I’m still pinching myself to be in a room with some of the recruits I see.”
“And this is the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. This goes deeper than just me being here,” Elliott added.
Another notable moment of the night was Miguel, Levine and Underwood’s tribute to George Michael, who was inducted posthumously. Additionally, Elton John took the stage to honor his friend and lyricist Bernie Taupin, who received the Music Excellence Award. The duo has collaborated together on numerous songs including “Benny and the Jets,” “Rocket Man (I Think It’s Gonna Be a Very Long Time),” “Tiny Dancer,” and many more. John also performed “Tiny Dancer” on piano.
Artists also inducted include “Running Up That Hill” singer Kate Bush, Rage Against the Machine and The Spinners. DJ Kool Herc and Link Wray received the Music Impact Award, and Don Cornelius received the Ahmet Ertegun Award. Al Kooper also received the Music Excellence Award alongside Khan.
ABC will air a special featuring performance highlights and moments from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony on Monday, January 1, 2024 at 8 p.m. ET.
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