LOS ANGELES, Calif. — A few more stars are now shining in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The organization welcomed its newest class of inductees during a special ceremony at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Saturday.
What You Need To Know
- The 2022 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductions were held Saturday, Nov. 5 in Los Angeles
- The event will be streamed Nov. 19 on HBOMax.
- 14 individuals and groups were inducted in this year's class
Duran Duran started the induction ceremony on a high note, performing a medley of hits for the crowd. The band won the fan vote this year with nearly a million votes as a first-time Rock Hall nominee.
Singer Simon Le Bon said the band is thankful for the support.
“We get to make people feel better about themselves,” he said. “This is an industry I’m proud to be a part of.”
He also announced some difficult news during their induction speech, reading an open letter from guitarist Andy Taylor, who revealed he has stage 4 prostate cancer. Taylor was unable to attend the event in person due to his condition.
The new wave band was one of 14 individuals or groups inducted into the Rock Hall during Saturday's event. Artists from a variety of genres were recognized for their influence on rock music.
When asked in the press room before the show whether there are any plans to change the name of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to something broader and indicative of the range of music genres represented inside the hall, CEO Greg Harris said there wasn’t a chance.
“Rock and roll is a spirit, it’s an attitude, it’s a sound,” Harris said.
It’s a similar sentiment to the one Lionel Richie expressed during his induction speech.
“Rock and roll is not a color,” he said. “It is a feeling. It is a vibe.”
Cleveland native Neil Geraldo channeled that vibe in his guitar playing. He was inducted with his wife and longtime musical partner Pat Benatar after performing a medley of their 80s anthems.
Other inductees included Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, the Eurythmics and Eminem, who admitted he was a little surprised at first about being inducted.
“I realize what an honor it is right now for me to be up here tonight, and what a privilege it is to do the music that I love and the music that saved my life,” Eminem said.
The rap artist was joined onstage by Steven Tyler of Aerosmith and Ed Sheeran for his induction performance.
There was even a little bit of country to close the show.
Dolly Parton initially turned down her induction, but said she’s grateful for the honor after learning more about its musical mission.
“I feel honored mostly, I think, to be in this house of all this greatness and all this talent,” she said. “And when I always thought about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I thought it was just for people in rock and roll!”
Parton said she plans to live up to her new honor by releasing an album of rock music. She debuted her first rock and roll song during the induction ceremony.
“I’m a rock star now!” Parton said.
Other honorees included Judas Priest, Harry Belafonte, Elizabeth Cotten, Jimmy Iovine, Allen Grubman, Sylvia Robinson and Carly Simon.
Simon was the only inductee in the Performer category who was not present at the event. She recently lost both her sisters to cancer. Sara Bareilles and Olivia Rodrigo paid tribute to Simon during the ceremony.
The 2022 Rock and Roll Induction Ceremony will air on HBOMax on Nov. 19.