The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is making room for new members.
Eminem, Lionel Richie, Dolly Parton, Duran Duran, Carly Simon, Eurythmics and the married duo of Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo will be among the artists honored on Saturday night during the Rock Hall’s 37th annual induction ceremony at the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles.
The 2022 class of inductees is among the more diverse in the hall’s history, with acts representing hip-hop, country music, R&B, new wave and soft rock; the group also includes one artist, Parton, who made waves when she asked that her nomination be withdrawn because she felt she hadn’t earned the right to become a member. (She later said she’d accept the honor.)
How precisely Parton will do that is among the storylines we’ll be watching at the ceremony, which will also feature awards bestowed on Judas Priest, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Harry Belafonte, the late Elizabeth Cotton, Allen Grubman, Jimmy Iovine and Sylvia Robinson.
The event won’t be televised until Nov. 19 on HBO and HBO Max. But The Times’ Mikael Wood, August Brown and Amy Kaufman will be in the building and reporting live beginning just before 7 p.m.
Dolly Parton at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
(Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)
6:56 p.m. Greetings from the Microsoft Theater, where audience members — music-biz VIPs and regular plebes alike — are settling into their seats and HBO camerapeople are scurrying to and fro ahead of what promises to be a very long night of back-slapping. I’m sitting in the theater, prepared to witness all the onstage action, while my colleague August Brown is backstage in the press room. — Mikael Wood
7:02 p.m. I’m reporting from the press pen just offstage from the Microsoft Theater. Mikael Wood is out in the crowd with the better-dressed guests.
Greg Harris, the Rock Hall’s chief executive, popped in just before showtime to tout the 13 million visitors to the museum and million-plus students reached since its inception 27 years ago. This year is an exceptionally eclectic class, featuring Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie, Eurythmics and Eminem among the inductees.
“Rock ‘n’ roll doesn’t know boundaries,” Harris said. “Rock ‘n’ roll is inclusive, rock ‘n’ roll is broad and as you can see from this year’s induction class, rock ‘n’ roll is incredibly diverse. It’s an attitude, a spirit. It’s always pushing the envelope. It’s the sound of every new generation defining itself and carrying itself forward. To pick up from Berry Gordy, it’s the sound of young America, but it’s also the sound that stays with us through our entire lives.” — August Brown
7:15 p.m. And we’re getting going with the Rock Hall’s chairman, John Sykes, who’s coming out — to the sound of Dire Straits’ “Money for Nothing” — for an introductory speech. “I love this unpaid job,” Sykes says, before he begins extolling the virtues of this year’s introductory class, which he says encompasses “different colors, genres and sounds.” — MW
7:23 p.m. Robert Downey Jr. is onstage in a lime-green suit pontificating on “what makes longevity” as he inducts Duran Duran, whose origin story, he says, comes down to “confidence and faith.” He’s recounting his 50th birthday party, where Duran Duran performed. “And I s— you not, halfway through ‘Rio,’ a prominent Hollywood director’s wife tore off her bra and tossed it on stage.” — MW
7:32 p.m. The night’s first performance comes from the first-inducted: Duran Duran, which is having a bit of technical trouble. We in the house can hear Simon Le Bon’s vocals — but nothing from the band — as he belts out 1981’s “Girls on Film.” Alerted to the situation, Le Bon stops and jokes: “We just needed to prove to you that we weren’t lip syncing.” Now they’re starting again. — MW
7:40 p.m. Dare I say that Duran Duran sounds better here than they did in September at the Hollywood Bowl? Clearly the band’s being voted into the Rock Hall signals a long-awaited respect for these new wave glamour-pusses — and clearly they’re enjoying it. The lascivious “Girls on Film” into a screwed-tight “Rio” into … the mawkish “Ordinary World” (complete with string section sawing away meaningfully). Oh well. At least they didn’t play “White Lines.” — MW
7:46 p.m. In his speech, Simon Le Bon tells the crowd why Andy Taylor couldn’t be here tonight: The band’s former guitarist has Stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer, which he was diagnosed with four years ago. — MW
7:47 p.m. Andy Taylor sent a letter in his absence from the stage. “Just over four years ago, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer,” read Le Bon. “Many families have experienced the slow burn of this disease and of course, we are no different. So I speak from the perspective of a family man, but with profound humility to the band, the greatest fans a group could have, and this exceptional accolade. I’m massively disappointed I couldn’t make it, let there be no doubt I was stoked about the whole thing. Even bought a new guitar with the essential whammy. I’m so very proud of these four brothers. I’m amazed at their durability and I’m overjoyed at accepting this award.” — AB
7:53 p.m. As the band’s speech comes to a close, Duran Duran keyboardist Nick Rhodes lobbies Rock Hall voters to let in the New York Dolls, who were on the ballot this time but didn’t make the cut. — MW
7:55 p.m. Now we’re watching a video package about Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, the groundbreaking pop and R&B production duo known for their work with Janet Jackson, New Edition, George Michael and Mary J. Blige, among many others. Jam and Lewis are receiving the hall’s Musical Excellence Award tonight. — MW
8 p.m. Janet Jackson, wearing a sharp-angled suit and an asymmetrical hairdo, is presenting the award to Jam and Lewis. She’s recounting their work on her 1986 “Control” album: “There was no pressure, and we felt like we were kids,” she says, adding that “nobody had ever asked me what I wanted to talk about” in her songs before the duo did. “What I like most about working with them is they understand that making music is not just about following the trends, chasing the sound or watching the charts. It’s about seeing what you truly feel and expressing it in a way that fans can enjoy and appreciate. The records we made were the records we wanted to hear. And luckily, it turned out, millions of others wanted to hear them as well … If they have a formula, it’s to convey musical truth to the audience of the artists. — MW
8:06 p.m. “This all started out in the basement for us,” Lewis says in the duo’s speech, thanking his mother (who’s sitting near the stage) for putting up with the noise he and Jam made as they learned to build songs growing up in Minneapolis. Well, almost put up with: “We used to hear every day: ‘Turn that s— down!’” Lewis says. “So I thank you, Mom, for tolerating us.” He’s also thanking the Time, the foundational Minneapolis funk band, and Prince, without whom “we never would’ve had a platform,” Lewis says. “We would’ve stayed in the basement bugging my mom forever.” — MW
8:09 p.m. Jam and Lewis paid tribute to 91-year-old Clarence Avant, the “Black Godfather” and legendary music industry executive whose wife Jacqueline was killed in a home invasion last year in L.A. Avant’s hands-off style of guidance helped them shape their sound and opened up their funk to pop, rock and R&B audiences. “Music and meddling don’t go together,” Lewis said, grateful for Avant’s trust over decades. — AB
8:11 p.m. “That’s the most I’ve ever heard Terry Lewis speak in my life,” says Jam, the duo’s more voluble member, as his partner passes him the mic. Jam points out that, in sports, a star typically has to retire before he or she is honored this way. “I don’t see a gold watch quite yet, so I think we still got some time,” he adds. — MW
8:20 p.m Sheryl Crow is here to induct Pat Benatar and Benatar’s husband and longtime collaborator, Neil Giraldo. Crow remembers heading to college to study classical piano and voice — although “what I really wanted was to be Pat Benatar,” she says. Benatar “rocked as hard as any man but still maintained her identity as a woman,” Crow adds, describing her music as “totally individual and immediately recognizable.” — MW
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is making room for new members.
Eminem, Lionel Richie, Dolly Parton, Duran Duran, Carly Simon, Eurythmics and the married duo of Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo will be among the artists honored on Saturday night during the Rock Hall’s 37th annual induction ceremony at the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles.
The 2022 class of inductees is among the more diverse in the hall’s history, with acts representing hip-hop, country music, R&B, new wave and soft rock; the group also includes one artist, Parton, who made waves when she asked that her nomination be withdrawn because she felt she hadn’t earned the right to become a member. (She later said she’d accept the honor.)
How precisely Parton will do that is among the storylines we’ll be watching at the ceremony, which will also feature awards bestowed on Judas Priest, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Harry Belafonte, the late Elizabeth Cotton, Allen Grubman, Jimmy Iovine and Sylvia Robinson.
The event won’t be televised until Nov. 19 on HBO and HBO Max. But The Times’ Mikael Wood, August Brown and Amy Kaufman will be in the building and reporting live beginning just before 7 p.m.
Dolly Parton at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
(Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)
6:56 p.m. Greetings from the Microsoft Theater, where audience members — music-biz VIPs and regular plebes alike — are settling into their seats and HBO camerapeople are scurrying to and fro ahead of what promises to be a very long night of back-slapping. I’m sitting in the theater, prepared to witness all the onstage action, while my colleague August Brown is backstage in the press room. — Mikael Wood
7:02 p.m. I’m reporting from the press pen just offstage from the Microsoft Theater. Mikael Wood is out in the crowd with the better-dressed guests.
Greg Harris, the Rock Hall’s chief executive, popped in just before showtime to tout the 13 million visitors to the museum and million-plus students reached since its inception 27 years ago. This year is an exceptionally eclectic class, featuring Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie, Eurythmics and Eminem among the inductees.
“Rock ‘n’ roll doesn’t know boundaries,” Harris said. “Rock ‘n’ roll is inclusive, rock ‘n’ roll is broad and as you can see from this year’s induction class, rock ‘n’ roll is incredibly diverse. It’s an attitude, a spirit. It’s always pushing the envelope. It’s the sound of every new generation defining itself and carrying itself forward. To pick up from Berry Gordy, it’s the sound of young America, but it’s also the sound that stays with us through our entire lives.” — August Brown
7:15 p.m. And we’re getting going with the Rock Hall’s chairman, John Sykes, who’s coming out — to the sound of Dire Straits’ “Money for Nothing” — for an introductory speech. “I love this unpaid job,” Sykes says, before he begins extolling the virtues of this year’s introductory class, which he says encompasses “different colors, genres and sounds.” — MW
7:23 p.m. Robert Downey Jr. is onstage in a lime-green suit pontificating on “what makes longevity” as he inducts Duran Duran, whose origin story, he says, comes down to “confidence and faith.” He’s recounting his 50th birthday party, where Duran Duran performed. “And I s— you not, halfway through ‘Rio,’ a prominent Hollywood director’s wife tore off her bra and tossed it on stage.” — MW
7:32 p.m. The night’s first performance comes from the first-inducted: Duran Duran, which is having a bit of technical trouble. We in the house can hear Simon Le Bon’s vocals — but nothing from the band — as he belts out 1981’s “Girls on Film.” Alerted to the situation, Le Bon stops and jokes: “We just needed to prove to you that we weren’t lip syncing.” Now they’re starting again. — MW
7:40 p.m. Dare I say that Duran Duran sounds better here than they did in September at the Hollywood Bowl? Clearly the band’s being voted into the Rock Hall signals a long-awaited respect for these new wave glamour-pusses — and clearly they’re enjoying it. The lascivious “Girls on Film” into a screwed-tight “Rio” into … the mawkish “Ordinary World” (complete with string section sawing away meaningfully). Oh well. At least they didn’t play “White Lines.” — MW
7:46 p.m. In his speech, Simon Le Bon tells the crowd why Andy Taylor couldn’t be here tonight: The band’s former guitarist has Stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer, which he was diagnosed with four years ago. — MW
7:47 p.m. Andy Taylor sent a letter in his absence from the stage. “Just over four years ago, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer,” read Le Bon. “Many families have experienced the slow burn of this disease and of course, we are no different. So I speak from the perspective of a family man, but with profound humility to the band, the greatest fans a group could have, and this exceptional accolade. I’m massively disappointed I couldn’t make it, let there be no doubt I was stoked about the whole thing. Even bought a new guitar with the essential whammy. I’m so very proud of these four brothers. I’m amazed at their durability and I’m overjoyed at accepting this award.” — AB
7:53 p.m. As the band’s speech comes to a close, Duran Duran keyboardist Nick Rhodes lobbies Rock Hall voters to let in the New York Dolls, who were on the ballot this time but didn’t make the cut. — MW
7:55 p.m. Now we’re watching a video package about Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, the groundbreaking pop and R&B production duo known for their work with Janet Jackson, New Edition, George Michael and Mary J. Blige, among many others. Jam and Lewis are receiving the hall’s Musical Excellence Award tonight. — MW
8 p.m. Janet Jackson, wearing a sharp-angled suit and an asymmetrical hairdo, is presenting the award to Jam and Lewis. She’s recounting their work on her 1986 “Control” album: “There was no pressure, and we felt like we were kids,” she says, adding that “nobody had ever asked me what I wanted to talk about” in her songs before the duo did. “What I like most about working with them is they understand that making music is not just about following the trends, chasing the sound or watching the charts. It’s about seeing what you truly feel and expressing it in a way that fans can enjoy and appreciate. The records we made were the records we wanted to hear. And luckily, it turned out, millions of others wanted to hear them as well … If they have a formula, it’s to convey musical truth to the audience of the artists. — MW
8:06 p.m. “This all started out in the basement for us,” Lewis says in the duo’s speech, thanking his mother (who’s sitting near the stage) for putting up with the noise he and Jam made as they learned to build songs growing up in Minneapolis. Well, almost put up with: “We used to hear every day: ‘Turn that s— down!’” Lewis says. “So I thank you, Mom, for tolerating us.” He’s also thanking the Time, the foundational Minneapolis funk band, and Prince, without whom “we never would’ve had a platform,” Lewis says. “We would’ve stayed in the basement bugging my mom forever.” — MW
8:09 p.m. Jam and Lewis paid tribute to 91-year-old Clarence Avant, the “Black Godfather” and legendary music industry executive whose wife Jacqueline was killed in a home invasion last year in L.A. Avant’s hands-off style of guidance helped them shape their sound and opened up their funk to pop, rock and R&B audiences. “Music and meddling don’t go together,” Lewis said, grateful for Avant’s trust over decades. — AB
8:11 p.m. “That’s the most I’ve ever heard Terry Lewis speak in my life,” says Jam, the duo’s more voluble member, as his partner passes him the mic. Jam points out that, in sports, a star typically has to retire before he or she is honored this way. “I don’t see a gold watch quite yet, so I think we still got some time,” he adds. — MW
8:20 p.m Sheryl Crow is here to induct Pat Benatar and Benatar’s husband and longtime collaborator, Neil Giraldo. Crow remembers heading to college to study classical piano and voice — although “what I really wanted was to be Pat Benatar,” she says. Benatar “rocked as hard as any man but still maintained her identity as a woman,” Crow adds, describing her music as “totally individual and immediately recognizable.” — MW
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is making room for new members.
Eminem, Lionel Richie, Dolly Parton, Duran Duran, Carly Simon, Eurythmics and the married duo of Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo will be among the artists honored on Saturday night during the Rock Hall’s 37th annual induction ceremony at the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles.
The 2022 class of inductees is among the more diverse in the hall’s history, with acts representing hip-hop, country music, R&B, new wave and soft rock; the group also includes one artist, Parton, who made waves when she asked that her nomination be withdrawn because she felt she hadn’t earned the right to become a member. (She later said she’d accept the honor.)
How precisely Parton will do that is among the storylines we’ll be watching at the ceremony, which will also feature awards bestowed on Judas Priest, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Harry Belafonte, the late Elizabeth Cotton, Allen Grubman, Jimmy Iovine and Sylvia Robinson.
The event won’t be televised until Nov. 19 on HBO and HBO Max. But The Times’ Mikael Wood, August Brown and Amy Kaufman will be in the building and reporting live beginning just before 7 p.m.
Dolly Parton at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
(Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)
6:56 p.m. Greetings from the Microsoft Theater, where audience members — music-biz VIPs and regular plebes alike — are settling into their seats and HBO camerapeople are scurrying to and fro ahead of what promises to be a very long night of back-slapping. I’m sitting in the theater, prepared to witness all the onstage action, while my colleague August Brown is backstage in the press room. — Mikael Wood
7:02 p.m. I’m reporting from the press pen just offstage from the Microsoft Theater. Mikael Wood is out in the crowd with the better-dressed guests.
Greg Harris, the Rock Hall’s chief executive, popped in just before showtime to tout the 13 million visitors to the museum and million-plus students reached since its inception 27 years ago. This year is an exceptionally eclectic class, featuring Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie, Eurythmics and Eminem among the inductees.
“Rock ‘n’ roll doesn’t know boundaries,” Harris said. “Rock ‘n’ roll is inclusive, rock ‘n’ roll is broad and as you can see from this year’s induction class, rock ‘n’ roll is incredibly diverse. It’s an attitude, a spirit. It’s always pushing the envelope. It’s the sound of every new generation defining itself and carrying itself forward. To pick up from Berry Gordy, it’s the sound of young America, but it’s also the sound that stays with us through our entire lives.” — August Brown
7:15 p.m. And we’re getting going with the Rock Hall’s chairman, John Sykes, who’s coming out — to the sound of Dire Straits’ “Money for Nothing” — for an introductory speech. “I love this unpaid job,” Sykes says, before he begins extolling the virtues of this year’s introductory class, which he says encompasses “different colors, genres and sounds.” — MW
7:23 p.m. Robert Downey Jr. is onstage in a lime-green suit pontificating on “what makes longevity” as he inducts Duran Duran, whose origin story, he says, comes down to “confidence and faith.” He’s recounting his 50th birthday party, where Duran Duran performed. “And I s— you not, halfway through ‘Rio,’ a prominent Hollywood director’s wife tore off her bra and tossed it on stage.” — MW
7:32 p.m. The night’s first performance comes from the first-inducted: Duran Duran, which is having a bit of technical trouble. We in the house can hear Simon Le Bon’s vocals — but nothing from the band — as he belts out 1981’s “Girls on Film.” Alerted to the situation, Le Bon stops and jokes: “We just needed to prove to you that we weren’t lip syncing.” Now they’re starting again. — MW
7:40 p.m. Dare I say that Duran Duran sounds better here than they did in September at the Hollywood Bowl? Clearly the band’s being voted into the Rock Hall signals a long-awaited respect for these new wave glamour-pusses — and clearly they’re enjoying it. The lascivious “Girls on Film” into a screwed-tight “Rio” into … the mawkish “Ordinary World” (complete with string section sawing away meaningfully). Oh well. At least they didn’t play “White Lines.” — MW
7:46 p.m. In his speech, Simon Le Bon tells the crowd why Andy Taylor couldn’t be here tonight: The band’s former guitarist has Stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer, which he was diagnosed with four years ago. — MW
7:47 p.m. Andy Taylor sent a letter in his absence from the stage. “Just over four years ago, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer,” read Le Bon. “Many families have experienced the slow burn of this disease and of course, we are no different. So I speak from the perspective of a family man, but with profound humility to the band, the greatest fans a group could have, and this exceptional accolade. I’m massively disappointed I couldn’t make it, let there be no doubt I was stoked about the whole thing. Even bought a new guitar with the essential whammy. I’m so very proud of these four brothers. I’m amazed at their durability and I’m overjoyed at accepting this award.” — AB
7:53 p.m. As the band’s speech comes to a close, Duran Duran keyboardist Nick Rhodes lobbies Rock Hall voters to let in the New York Dolls, who were on the ballot this time but didn’t make the cut. — MW
7:55 p.m. Now we’re watching a video package about Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, the groundbreaking pop and R&B production duo known for their work with Janet Jackson, New Edition, George Michael and Mary J. Blige, among many others. Jam and Lewis are receiving the hall’s Musical Excellence Award tonight. — MW
8 p.m. Janet Jackson, wearing a sharp-angled suit and an asymmetrical hairdo, is presenting the award to Jam and Lewis. She’s recounting their work on her 1986 “Control” album: “There was no pressure, and we felt like we were kids,” she says, adding that “nobody had ever asked me what I wanted to talk about” in her songs before the duo did. “What I like most about working with them is they understand that making music is not just about following the trends, chasing the sound or watching the charts. It’s about seeing what you truly feel and expressing it in a way that fans can enjoy and appreciate. The records we made were the records we wanted to hear. And luckily, it turned out, millions of others wanted to hear them as well … If they have a formula, it’s to convey musical truth to the audience of the artists. — MW
8:06 p.m. “This all started out in the basement for us,” Lewis says in the duo’s speech, thanking his mother (who’s sitting near the stage) for putting up with the noise he and Jam made as they learned to build songs growing up in Minneapolis. Well, almost put up with: “We used to hear every day: ‘Turn that s— down!’” Lewis says. “So I thank you, Mom, for tolerating us.” He’s also thanking the Time, the foundational Minneapolis funk band, and Prince, without whom “we never would’ve had a platform,” Lewis says. “We would’ve stayed in the basement bugging my mom forever.” — MW
8:09 p.m. Jam and Lewis paid tribute to 91-year-old Clarence Avant, the “Black Godfather” and legendary music industry executive whose wife Jacqueline was killed in a home invasion last year in L.A. Avant’s hands-off style of guidance helped them shape their sound and opened up their funk to pop, rock and R&B audiences. “Music and meddling don’t go together,” Lewis said, grateful for Avant’s trust over decades. — AB
8:11 p.m. “That’s the most I’ve ever heard Terry Lewis speak in my life,” says Jam, the duo’s more voluble member, as his partner passes him the mic. Jam points out that, in sports, a star typically has to retire before he or she is honored this way. “I don’t see a gold watch quite yet, so I think we still got some time,” he adds. — MW
8:20 p.m Sheryl Crow is here to induct Pat Benatar and Benatar’s husband and longtime collaborator, Neil Giraldo. Crow remembers heading to college to study classical piano and voice — although “what I really wanted was to be Pat Benatar,” she says. Benatar “rocked as hard as any man but still maintained her identity as a woman,” Crow adds, describing her music as “totally individual and immediately recognizable.” — MW
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is making room for new members.
Eminem, Lionel Richie, Dolly Parton, Duran Duran, Carly Simon, Eurythmics and the married duo of Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo will be among the artists honored on Saturday night during the Rock Hall’s 37th annual induction ceremony at the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles.
The 2022 class of inductees is among the more diverse in the hall’s history, with acts representing hip-hop, country music, R&B, new wave and soft rock; the group also includes one artist, Parton, who made waves when she asked that her nomination be withdrawn because she felt she hadn’t earned the right to become a member. (She later said she’d accept the honor.)
How precisely Parton will do that is among the storylines we’ll be watching at the ceremony, which will also feature awards bestowed on Judas Priest, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Harry Belafonte, the late Elizabeth Cotton, Allen Grubman, Jimmy Iovine and Sylvia Robinson.
The event won’t be televised until Nov. 19 on HBO and HBO Max. But The Times’ Mikael Wood, August Brown and Amy Kaufman will be in the building and reporting live beginning just before 7 p.m.
Dolly Parton at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
(Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)
6:56 p.m. Greetings from the Microsoft Theater, where audience members — music-biz VIPs and regular plebes alike — are settling into their seats and HBO camerapeople are scurrying to and fro ahead of what promises to be a very long night of back-slapping. I’m sitting in the theater, prepared to witness all the onstage action, while my colleague August Brown is backstage in the press room. — Mikael Wood
7:02 p.m. I’m reporting from the press pen just offstage from the Microsoft Theater. Mikael Wood is out in the crowd with the better-dressed guests.
Greg Harris, the Rock Hall’s chief executive, popped in just before showtime to tout the 13 million visitors to the museum and million-plus students reached since its inception 27 years ago. This year is an exceptionally eclectic class, featuring Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie, Eurythmics and Eminem among the inductees.
“Rock ‘n’ roll doesn’t know boundaries,” Harris said. “Rock ‘n’ roll is inclusive, rock ‘n’ roll is broad and as you can see from this year’s induction class, rock ‘n’ roll is incredibly diverse. It’s an attitude, a spirit. It’s always pushing the envelope. It’s the sound of every new generation defining itself and carrying itself forward. To pick up from Berry Gordy, it’s the sound of young America, but it’s also the sound that stays with us through our entire lives.” — August Brown
7:15 p.m. And we’re getting going with the Rock Hall’s chairman, John Sykes, who’s coming out — to the sound of Dire Straits’ “Money for Nothing” — for an introductory speech. “I love this unpaid job,” Sykes says, before he begins extolling the virtues of this year’s introductory class, which he says encompasses “different colors, genres and sounds.” — MW
7:23 p.m. Robert Downey Jr. is onstage in a lime-green suit pontificating on “what makes longevity” as he inducts Duran Duran, whose origin story, he says, comes down to “confidence and faith.” He’s recounting his 50th birthday party, where Duran Duran performed. “And I s— you not, halfway through ‘Rio,’ a prominent Hollywood director’s wife tore off her bra and tossed it on stage.” — MW
7:32 p.m. The night’s first performance comes from the first-inducted: Duran Duran, which is having a bit of technical trouble. We in the house can hear Simon Le Bon’s vocals — but nothing from the band — as he belts out 1981’s “Girls on Film.” Alerted to the situation, Le Bon stops and jokes: “We just needed to prove to you that we weren’t lip syncing.” Now they’re starting again. — MW
7:40 p.m. Dare I say that Duran Duran sounds better here than they did in September at the Hollywood Bowl? Clearly the band’s being voted into the Rock Hall signals a long-awaited respect for these new wave glamour-pusses — and clearly they’re enjoying it. The lascivious “Girls on Film” into a screwed-tight “Rio” into … the mawkish “Ordinary World” (complete with string section sawing away meaningfully). Oh well. At least they didn’t play “White Lines.” — MW
7:46 p.m. In his speech, Simon Le Bon tells the crowd why Andy Taylor couldn’t be here tonight: The band’s former guitarist has Stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer, which he was diagnosed with four years ago. — MW
7:47 p.m. Andy Taylor sent a letter in his absence from the stage. “Just over four years ago, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer,” read Le Bon. “Many families have experienced the slow burn of this disease and of course, we are no different. So I speak from the perspective of a family man, but with profound humility to the band, the greatest fans a group could have, and this exceptional accolade. I’m massively disappointed I couldn’t make it, let there be no doubt I was stoked about the whole thing. Even bought a new guitar with the essential whammy. I’m so very proud of these four brothers. I’m amazed at their durability and I’m overjoyed at accepting this award.” — AB
7:53 p.m. As the band’s speech comes to a close, Duran Duran keyboardist Nick Rhodes lobbies Rock Hall voters to let in the New York Dolls, who were on the ballot this time but didn’t make the cut. — MW
7:55 p.m. Now we’re watching a video package about Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, the groundbreaking pop and R&B production duo known for their work with Janet Jackson, New Edition, George Michael and Mary J. Blige, among many others. Jam and Lewis are receiving the hall’s Musical Excellence Award tonight. — MW
8 p.m. Janet Jackson, wearing a sharp-angled suit and an asymmetrical hairdo, is presenting the award to Jam and Lewis. She’s recounting their work on her 1986 “Control” album: “There was no pressure, and we felt like we were kids,” she says, adding that “nobody had ever asked me what I wanted to talk about” in her songs before the duo did. “What I like most about working with them is they understand that making music is not just about following the trends, chasing the sound or watching the charts. It’s about seeing what you truly feel and expressing it in a way that fans can enjoy and appreciate. The records we made were the records we wanted to hear. And luckily, it turned out, millions of others wanted to hear them as well … If they have a formula, it’s to convey musical truth to the audience of the artists. — MW
8:06 p.m. “This all started out in the basement for us,” Lewis says in the duo’s speech, thanking his mother (who’s sitting near the stage) for putting up with the noise he and Jam made as they learned to build songs growing up in Minneapolis. Well, almost put up with: “We used to hear every day: ‘Turn that s— down!’” Lewis says. “So I thank you, Mom, for tolerating us.” He’s also thanking the Time, the foundational Minneapolis funk band, and Prince, without whom “we never would’ve had a platform,” Lewis says. “We would’ve stayed in the basement bugging my mom forever.” — MW
8:09 p.m. Jam and Lewis paid tribute to 91-year-old Clarence Avant, the “Black Godfather” and legendary music industry executive whose wife Jacqueline was killed in a home invasion last year in L.A. Avant’s hands-off style of guidance helped them shape their sound and opened up their funk to pop, rock and R&B audiences. “Music and meddling don’t go together,” Lewis said, grateful for Avant’s trust over decades. — AB
8:11 p.m. “That’s the most I’ve ever heard Terry Lewis speak in my life,” says Jam, the duo’s more voluble member, as his partner passes him the mic. Jam points out that, in sports, a star typically has to retire before he or she is honored this way. “I don’t see a gold watch quite yet, so I think we still got some time,” he adds. — MW
8:20 p.m Sheryl Crow is here to induct Pat Benatar and Benatar’s husband and longtime collaborator, Neil Giraldo. Crow remembers heading to college to study classical piano and voice — although “what I really wanted was to be Pat Benatar,” she says. Benatar “rocked as hard as any man but still maintained her identity as a woman,” Crow adds, describing her music as “totally individual and immediately recognizable.” — MW
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is making room for new members.
Eminem, Lionel Richie, Dolly Parton, Duran Duran, Carly Simon, Eurythmics and the married duo of Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo will be among the artists honored on Saturday night during the Rock Hall’s 37th annual induction ceremony at the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles.
The 2022 class of inductees is among the more diverse in the hall’s history, with acts representing hip-hop, country music, R&B, new wave and soft rock; the group also includes one artist, Parton, who made waves when she asked that her nomination be withdrawn because she felt she hadn’t earned the right to become a member. (She later said she’d accept the honor.)
How precisely Parton will do that is among the storylines we’ll be watching at the ceremony, which will also feature awards bestowed on Judas Priest, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Harry Belafonte, the late Elizabeth Cotton, Allen Grubman, Jimmy Iovine and Sylvia Robinson.
The event won’t be televised until Nov. 19 on HBO and HBO Max. But The Times’ Mikael Wood, August Brown and Amy Kaufman will be in the building and reporting live beginning just before 7 p.m.
Dolly Parton at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
(Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)
6:56 p.m. Greetings from the Microsoft Theater, where audience members — music-biz VIPs and regular plebes alike — are settling into their seats and HBO camerapeople are scurrying to and fro ahead of what promises to be a very long night of back-slapping. I’m sitting in the theater, prepared to witness all the onstage action, while my colleague August Brown is backstage in the press room. — Mikael Wood
7:02 p.m. I’m reporting from the press pen just offstage from the Microsoft Theater. Mikael Wood is out in the crowd with the better-dressed guests.
Greg Harris, the Rock Hall’s chief executive, popped in just before showtime to tout the 13 million visitors to the museum and million-plus students reached since its inception 27 years ago. This year is an exceptionally eclectic class, featuring Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie, Eurythmics and Eminem among the inductees.
“Rock ‘n’ roll doesn’t know boundaries,” Harris said. “Rock ‘n’ roll is inclusive, rock ‘n’ roll is broad and as you can see from this year’s induction class, rock ‘n’ roll is incredibly diverse. It’s an attitude, a spirit. It’s always pushing the envelope. It’s the sound of every new generation defining itself and carrying itself forward. To pick up from Berry Gordy, it’s the sound of young America, but it’s also the sound that stays with us through our entire lives.” — August Brown
7:15 p.m. And we’re getting going with the Rock Hall’s chairman, John Sykes, who’s coming out — to the sound of Dire Straits’ “Money for Nothing” — for an introductory speech. “I love this unpaid job,” Sykes says, before he begins extolling the virtues of this year’s introductory class, which he says encompasses “different colors, genres and sounds.” — MW
7:23 p.m. Robert Downey Jr. is onstage in a lime-green suit pontificating on “what makes longevity” as he inducts Duran Duran, whose origin story, he says, comes down to “confidence and faith.” He’s recounting his 50th birthday party, where Duran Duran performed. “And I s— you not, halfway through ‘Rio,’ a prominent Hollywood director’s wife tore off her bra and tossed it on stage.” — MW
7:32 p.m. The night’s first performance comes from the first-inducted: Duran Duran, which is having a bit of technical trouble. We in the house can hear Simon Le Bon’s vocals — but nothing from the band — as he belts out 1981’s “Girls on Film.” Alerted to the situation, Le Bon stops and jokes: “We just needed to prove to you that we weren’t lip syncing.” Now they’re starting again. — MW
7:40 p.m. Dare I say that Duran Duran sounds better here than they did in September at the Hollywood Bowl? Clearly the band’s being voted into the Rock Hall signals a long-awaited respect for these new wave glamour-pusses — and clearly they’re enjoying it. The lascivious “Girls on Film” into a screwed-tight “Rio” into … the mawkish “Ordinary World” (complete with string section sawing away meaningfully). Oh well. At least they didn’t play “White Lines.” — MW
7:46 p.m. In his speech, Simon Le Bon tells the crowd why Andy Taylor couldn’t be here tonight: The band’s former guitarist has Stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer, which he was diagnosed with four years ago. — MW
7:47 p.m. Andy Taylor sent a letter in his absence from the stage. “Just over four years ago, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer,” read Le Bon. “Many families have experienced the slow burn of this disease and of course, we are no different. So I speak from the perspective of a family man, but with profound humility to the band, the greatest fans a group could have, and this exceptional accolade. I’m massively disappointed I couldn’t make it, let there be no doubt I was stoked about the whole thing. Even bought a new guitar with the essential whammy. I’m so very proud of these four brothers. I’m amazed at their durability and I’m overjoyed at accepting this award.” — AB
7:53 p.m. As the band’s speech comes to a close, Duran Duran keyboardist Nick Rhodes lobbies Rock Hall voters to let in the New York Dolls, who were on the ballot this time but didn’t make the cut. — MW
7:55 p.m. Now we’re watching a video package about Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, the groundbreaking pop and R&B production duo known for their work with Janet Jackson, New Edition, George Michael and Mary J. Blige, among many others. Jam and Lewis are receiving the hall’s Musical Excellence Award tonight. — MW
8 p.m. Janet Jackson, wearing a sharp-angled suit and an asymmetrical hairdo, is presenting the award to Jam and Lewis. She’s recounting their work on her 1986 “Control” album: “There was no pressure, and we felt like we were kids,” she says, adding that “nobody had ever asked me what I wanted to talk about” in her songs before the duo did. “What I like most about working with them is they understand that making music is not just about following the trends, chasing the sound or watching the charts. It’s about seeing what you truly feel and expressing it in a way that fans can enjoy and appreciate. The records we made were the records we wanted to hear. And luckily, it turned out, millions of others wanted to hear them as well … If they have a formula, it’s to convey musical truth to the audience of the artists. — MW
8:06 p.m. “This all started out in the basement for us,” Lewis says in the duo’s speech, thanking his mother (who’s sitting near the stage) for putting up with the noise he and Jam made as they learned to build songs growing up in Minneapolis. Well, almost put up with: “We used to hear every day: ‘Turn that s— down!’” Lewis says. “So I thank you, Mom, for tolerating us.” He’s also thanking the Time, the foundational Minneapolis funk band, and Prince, without whom “we never would’ve had a platform,” Lewis says. “We would’ve stayed in the basement bugging my mom forever.” — MW
8:09 p.m. Jam and Lewis paid tribute to 91-year-old Clarence Avant, the “Black Godfather” and legendary music industry executive whose wife Jacqueline was killed in a home invasion last year in L.A. Avant’s hands-off style of guidance helped them shape their sound and opened up their funk to pop, rock and R&B audiences. “Music and meddling don’t go together,” Lewis said, grateful for Avant’s trust over decades. — AB
8:11 p.m. “That’s the most I’ve ever heard Terry Lewis speak in my life,” says Jam, the duo’s more voluble member, as his partner passes him the mic. Jam points out that, in sports, a star typically has to retire before he or she is honored this way. “I don’t see a gold watch quite yet, so I think we still got some time,” he adds. — MW
8:20 p.m Sheryl Crow is here to induct Pat Benatar and Benatar’s husband and longtime collaborator, Neil Giraldo. Crow remembers heading to college to study classical piano and voice — although “what I really wanted was to be Pat Benatar,” she says. Benatar “rocked as hard as any man but still maintained her identity as a woman,” Crow adds, describing her music as “totally individual and immediately recognizable.” — MW
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is making room for new members.
Eminem, Lionel Richie, Dolly Parton, Duran Duran, Carly Simon, Eurythmics and the married duo of Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo will be among the artists honored on Saturday night during the Rock Hall’s 37th annual induction ceremony at the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles.
The 2022 class of inductees is among the more diverse in the hall’s history, with acts representing hip-hop, country music, R&B, new wave and soft rock; the group also includes one artist, Parton, who made waves when she asked that her nomination be withdrawn because she felt she hadn’t earned the right to become a member. (She later said she’d accept the honor.)
How precisely Parton will do that is among the storylines we’ll be watching at the ceremony, which will also feature awards bestowed on Judas Priest, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Harry Belafonte, the late Elizabeth Cotton, Allen Grubman, Jimmy Iovine and Sylvia Robinson.
The event won’t be televised until Nov. 19 on HBO and HBO Max. But The Times’ Mikael Wood, August Brown and Amy Kaufman will be in the building and reporting live beginning just before 7 p.m.
Dolly Parton at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
(Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)
6:56 p.m. Greetings from the Microsoft Theater, where audience members — music-biz VIPs and regular plebes alike — are settling into their seats and HBO camerapeople are scurrying to and fro ahead of what promises to be a very long night of back-slapping. I’m sitting in the theater, prepared to witness all the onstage action, while my colleague August Brown is backstage in the press room. — Mikael Wood
7:02 p.m. I’m reporting from the press pen just offstage from the Microsoft Theater. Mikael Wood is out in the crowd with the better-dressed guests.
Greg Harris, the Rock Hall’s chief executive, popped in just before showtime to tout the 13 million visitors to the museum and million-plus students reached since its inception 27 years ago. This year is an exceptionally eclectic class, featuring Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie, Eurythmics and Eminem among the inductees.
“Rock ‘n’ roll doesn’t know boundaries,” Harris said. “Rock ‘n’ roll is inclusive, rock ‘n’ roll is broad and as you can see from this year’s induction class, rock ‘n’ roll is incredibly diverse. It’s an attitude, a spirit. It’s always pushing the envelope. It’s the sound of every new generation defining itself and carrying itself forward. To pick up from Berry Gordy, it’s the sound of young America, but it’s also the sound that stays with us through our entire lives.” — August Brown
7:15 p.m. And we’re getting going with the Rock Hall’s chairman, John Sykes, who’s coming out — to the sound of Dire Straits’ “Money for Nothing” — for an introductory speech. “I love this unpaid job,” Sykes says, before he begins extolling the virtues of this year’s introductory class, which he says encompasses “different colors, genres and sounds.” — MW
7:23 p.m. Robert Downey Jr. is onstage in a lime-green suit pontificating on “what makes longevity” as he inducts Duran Duran, whose origin story, he says, comes down to “confidence and faith.” He’s recounting his 50th birthday party, where Duran Duran performed. “And I s— you not, halfway through ‘Rio,’ a prominent Hollywood director’s wife tore off her bra and tossed it on stage.” — MW
7:32 p.m. The night’s first performance comes from the first-inducted: Duran Duran, which is having a bit of technical trouble. We in the house can hear Simon Le Bon’s vocals — but nothing from the band — as he belts out 1981’s “Girls on Film.” Alerted to the situation, Le Bon stops and jokes: “We just needed to prove to you that we weren’t lip syncing.” Now they’re starting again. — MW
7:40 p.m. Dare I say that Duran Duran sounds better here than they did in September at the Hollywood Bowl? Clearly the band’s being voted into the Rock Hall signals a long-awaited respect for these new wave glamour-pusses — and clearly they’re enjoying it. The lascivious “Girls on Film” into a screwed-tight “Rio” into … the mawkish “Ordinary World” (complete with string section sawing away meaningfully). Oh well. At least they didn’t play “White Lines.” — MW
7:46 p.m. In his speech, Simon Le Bon tells the crowd why Andy Taylor couldn’t be here tonight: The band’s former guitarist has Stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer, which he was diagnosed with four years ago. — MW
7:47 p.m. Andy Taylor sent a letter in his absence from the stage. “Just over four years ago, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer,” read Le Bon. “Many families have experienced the slow burn of this disease and of course, we are no different. So I speak from the perspective of a family man, but with profound humility to the band, the greatest fans a group could have, and this exceptional accolade. I’m massively disappointed I couldn’t make it, let there be no doubt I was stoked about the whole thing. Even bought a new guitar with the essential whammy. I’m so very proud of these four brothers. I’m amazed at their durability and I’m overjoyed at accepting this award.” — AB
7:53 p.m. As the band’s speech comes to a close, Duran Duran keyboardist Nick Rhodes lobbies Rock Hall voters to let in the New York Dolls, who were on the ballot this time but didn’t make the cut. — MW
7:55 p.m. Now we’re watching a video package about Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, the groundbreaking pop and R&B production duo known for their work with Janet Jackson, New Edition, George Michael and Mary J. Blige, among many others. Jam and Lewis are receiving the hall’s Musical Excellence Award tonight. — MW
8 p.m. Janet Jackson, wearing a sharp-angled suit and an asymmetrical hairdo, is presenting the award to Jam and Lewis. She’s recounting their work on her 1986 “Control” album: “There was no pressure, and we felt like we were kids,” she says, adding that “nobody had ever asked me what I wanted to talk about” in her songs before the duo did. “What I like most about working with them is they understand that making music is not just about following the trends, chasing the sound or watching the charts. It’s about seeing what you truly feel and expressing it in a way that fans can enjoy and appreciate. The records we made were the records we wanted to hear. And luckily, it turned out, millions of others wanted to hear them as well … If they have a formula, it’s to convey musical truth to the audience of the artists. — MW
8:06 p.m. “This all started out in the basement for us,” Lewis says in the duo’s speech, thanking his mother (who’s sitting near the stage) for putting up with the noise he and Jam made as they learned to build songs growing up in Minneapolis. Well, almost put up with: “We used to hear every day: ‘Turn that s— down!’” Lewis says. “So I thank you, Mom, for tolerating us.” He’s also thanking the Time, the foundational Minneapolis funk band, and Prince, without whom “we never would’ve had a platform,” Lewis says. “We would’ve stayed in the basement bugging my mom forever.” — MW
8:09 p.m. Jam and Lewis paid tribute to 91-year-old Clarence Avant, the “Black Godfather” and legendary music industry executive whose wife Jacqueline was killed in a home invasion last year in L.A. Avant’s hands-off style of guidance helped them shape their sound and opened up their funk to pop, rock and R&B audiences. “Music and meddling don’t go together,” Lewis said, grateful for Avant’s trust over decades. — AB
8:11 p.m. “That’s the most I’ve ever heard Terry Lewis speak in my life,” says Jam, the duo’s more voluble member, as his partner passes him the mic. Jam points out that, in sports, a star typically has to retire before he or she is honored this way. “I don’t see a gold watch quite yet, so I think we still got some time,” he adds. — MW
8:20 p.m Sheryl Crow is here to induct Pat Benatar and Benatar’s husband and longtime collaborator, Neil Giraldo. Crow remembers heading to college to study classical piano and voice — although “what I really wanted was to be Pat Benatar,” she says. Benatar “rocked as hard as any man but still maintained her identity as a woman,” Crow adds, describing her music as “totally individual and immediately recognizable.” — MW
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is making room for new members.
Eminem, Lionel Richie, Dolly Parton, Duran Duran, Carly Simon, Eurythmics and the married duo of Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo will be among the artists honored on Saturday night during the Rock Hall’s 37th annual induction ceremony at the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles.
The 2022 class of inductees is among the more diverse in the hall’s history, with acts representing hip-hop, country music, R&B, new wave and soft rock; the group also includes one artist, Parton, who made waves when she asked that her nomination be withdrawn because she felt she hadn’t earned the right to become a member. (She later said she’d accept the honor.)
How precisely Parton will do that is among the storylines we’ll be watching at the ceremony, which will also feature awards bestowed on Judas Priest, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Harry Belafonte, the late Elizabeth Cotton, Allen Grubman, Jimmy Iovine and Sylvia Robinson.
The event won’t be televised until Nov. 19 on HBO and HBO Max. But The Times’ Mikael Wood, August Brown and Amy Kaufman will be in the building and reporting live beginning just before 7 p.m.
Dolly Parton at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
(Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)
6:56 p.m. Greetings from the Microsoft Theater, where audience members — music-biz VIPs and regular plebes alike — are settling into their seats and HBO camerapeople are scurrying to and fro ahead of what promises to be a very long night of back-slapping. I’m sitting in the theater, prepared to witness all the onstage action, while my colleague August Brown is backstage in the press room. — Mikael Wood
7:02 p.m. I’m reporting from the press pen just offstage from the Microsoft Theater. Mikael Wood is out in the crowd with the better-dressed guests.
Greg Harris, the Rock Hall’s chief executive, popped in just before showtime to tout the 13 million visitors to the museum and million-plus students reached since its inception 27 years ago. This year is an exceptionally eclectic class, featuring Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie, Eurythmics and Eminem among the inductees.
“Rock ‘n’ roll doesn’t know boundaries,” Harris said. “Rock ‘n’ roll is inclusive, rock ‘n’ roll is broad and as you can see from this year’s induction class, rock ‘n’ roll is incredibly diverse. It’s an attitude, a spirit. It’s always pushing the envelope. It’s the sound of every new generation defining itself and carrying itself forward. To pick up from Berry Gordy, it’s the sound of young America, but it’s also the sound that stays with us through our entire lives.” — August Brown
7:15 p.m. And we’re getting going with the Rock Hall’s chairman, John Sykes, who’s coming out — to the sound of Dire Straits’ “Money for Nothing” — for an introductory speech. “I love this unpaid job,” Sykes says, before he begins extolling the virtues of this year’s introductory class, which he says encompasses “different colors, genres and sounds.” — MW
7:23 p.m. Robert Downey Jr. is onstage in a lime-green suit pontificating on “what makes longevity” as he inducts Duran Duran, whose origin story, he says, comes down to “confidence and faith.” He’s recounting his 50th birthday party, where Duran Duran performed. “And I s— you not, halfway through ‘Rio,’ a prominent Hollywood director’s wife tore off her bra and tossed it on stage.” — MW
7:32 p.m. The night’s first performance comes from the first-inducted: Duran Duran, which is having a bit of technical trouble. We in the house can hear Simon Le Bon’s vocals — but nothing from the band — as he belts out 1981’s “Girls on Film.” Alerted to the situation, Le Bon stops and jokes: “We just needed to prove to you that we weren’t lip syncing.” Now they’re starting again. — MW
7:40 p.m. Dare I say that Duran Duran sounds better here than they did in September at the Hollywood Bowl? Clearly the band’s being voted into the Rock Hall signals a long-awaited respect for these new wave glamour-pusses — and clearly they’re enjoying it. The lascivious “Girls on Film” into a screwed-tight “Rio” into … the mawkish “Ordinary World” (complete with string section sawing away meaningfully). Oh well. At least they didn’t play “White Lines.” — MW
7:46 p.m. In his speech, Simon Le Bon tells the crowd why Andy Taylor couldn’t be here tonight: The band’s former guitarist has Stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer, which he was diagnosed with four years ago. — MW
7:47 p.m. Andy Taylor sent a letter in his absence from the stage. “Just over four years ago, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer,” read Le Bon. “Many families have experienced the slow burn of this disease and of course, we are no different. So I speak from the perspective of a family man, but with profound humility to the band, the greatest fans a group could have, and this exceptional accolade. I’m massively disappointed I couldn’t make it, let there be no doubt I was stoked about the whole thing. Even bought a new guitar with the essential whammy. I’m so very proud of these four brothers. I’m amazed at their durability and I’m overjoyed at accepting this award.” — AB
7:53 p.m. As the band’s speech comes to a close, Duran Duran keyboardist Nick Rhodes lobbies Rock Hall voters to let in the New York Dolls, who were on the ballot this time but didn’t make the cut. — MW
7:55 p.m. Now we’re watching a video package about Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, the groundbreaking pop and R&B production duo known for their work with Janet Jackson, New Edition, George Michael and Mary J. Blige, among many others. Jam and Lewis are receiving the hall’s Musical Excellence Award tonight. — MW
8 p.m. Janet Jackson, wearing a sharp-angled suit and an asymmetrical hairdo, is presenting the award to Jam and Lewis. She’s recounting their work on her 1986 “Control” album: “There was no pressure, and we felt like we were kids,” she says, adding that “nobody had ever asked me what I wanted to talk about” in her songs before the duo did. “What I like most about working with them is they understand that making music is not just about following the trends, chasing the sound or watching the charts. It’s about seeing what you truly feel and expressing it in a way that fans can enjoy and appreciate. The records we made were the records we wanted to hear. And luckily, it turned out, millions of others wanted to hear them as well … If they have a formula, it’s to convey musical truth to the audience of the artists. — MW
8:06 p.m. “This all started out in the basement for us,” Lewis says in the duo’s speech, thanking his mother (who’s sitting near the stage) for putting up with the noise he and Jam made as they learned to build songs growing up in Minneapolis. Well, almost put up with: “We used to hear every day: ‘Turn that s— down!’” Lewis says. “So I thank you, Mom, for tolerating us.” He’s also thanking the Time, the foundational Minneapolis funk band, and Prince, without whom “we never would’ve had a platform,” Lewis says. “We would’ve stayed in the basement bugging my mom forever.” — MW
8:09 p.m. Jam and Lewis paid tribute to 91-year-old Clarence Avant, the “Black Godfather” and legendary music industry executive whose wife Jacqueline was killed in a home invasion last year in L.A. Avant’s hands-off style of guidance helped them shape their sound and opened up their funk to pop, rock and R&B audiences. “Music and meddling don’t go together,” Lewis said, grateful for Avant’s trust over decades. — AB
8:11 p.m. “That’s the most I’ve ever heard Terry Lewis speak in my life,” says Jam, the duo’s more voluble member, as his partner passes him the mic. Jam points out that, in sports, a star typically has to retire before he or she is honored this way. “I don’t see a gold watch quite yet, so I think we still got some time,” he adds. — MW
8:20 p.m Sheryl Crow is here to induct Pat Benatar and Benatar’s husband and longtime collaborator, Neil Giraldo. Crow remembers heading to college to study classical piano and voice — although “what I really wanted was to be Pat Benatar,” she says. Benatar “rocked as hard as any man but still maintained her identity as a woman,” Crow adds, describing her music as “totally individual and immediately recognizable.” — MW
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is making room for new members.
Eminem, Lionel Richie, Dolly Parton, Duran Duran, Carly Simon, Eurythmics and the married duo of Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo will be among the artists honored on Saturday night during the Rock Hall’s 37th annual induction ceremony at the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles.
The 2022 class of inductees is among the more diverse in the hall’s history, with acts representing hip-hop, country music, R&B, new wave and soft rock; the group also includes one artist, Parton, who made waves when she asked that her nomination be withdrawn because she felt she hadn’t earned the right to become a member. (She later said she’d accept the honor.)
How precisely Parton will do that is among the storylines we’ll be watching at the ceremony, which will also feature awards bestowed on Judas Priest, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Harry Belafonte, the late Elizabeth Cotton, Allen Grubman, Jimmy Iovine and Sylvia Robinson.
The event won’t be televised until Nov. 19 on HBO and HBO Max. But The Times’ Mikael Wood, August Brown and Amy Kaufman will be in the building and reporting live beginning just before 7 p.m.
Dolly Parton at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
(Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)
6:56 p.m. Greetings from the Microsoft Theater, where audience members — music-biz VIPs and regular plebes alike — are settling into their seats and HBO camerapeople are scurrying to and fro ahead of what promises to be a very long night of back-slapping. I’m sitting in the theater, prepared to witness all the onstage action, while my colleague August Brown is backstage in the press room. — Mikael Wood
7:02 p.m. I’m reporting from the press pen just offstage from the Microsoft Theater. Mikael Wood is out in the crowd with the better-dressed guests.
Greg Harris, the Rock Hall’s chief executive, popped in just before showtime to tout the 13 million visitors to the museum and million-plus students reached since its inception 27 years ago. This year is an exceptionally eclectic class, featuring Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie, Eurythmics and Eminem among the inductees.
“Rock ‘n’ roll doesn’t know boundaries,” Harris said. “Rock ‘n’ roll is inclusive, rock ‘n’ roll is broad and as you can see from this year’s induction class, rock ‘n’ roll is incredibly diverse. It’s an attitude, a spirit. It’s always pushing the envelope. It’s the sound of every new generation defining itself and carrying itself forward. To pick up from Berry Gordy, it’s the sound of young America, but it’s also the sound that stays with us through our entire lives.” — August Brown
7:15 p.m. And we’re getting going with the Rock Hall’s chairman, John Sykes, who’s coming out — to the sound of Dire Straits’ “Money for Nothing” — for an introductory speech. “I love this unpaid job,” Sykes says, before he begins extolling the virtues of this year’s introductory class, which he says encompasses “different colors, genres and sounds.” — MW
7:23 p.m. Robert Downey Jr. is onstage in a lime-green suit pontificating on “what makes longevity” as he inducts Duran Duran, whose origin story, he says, comes down to “confidence and faith.” He’s recounting his 50th birthday party, where Duran Duran performed. “And I s— you not, halfway through ‘Rio,’ a prominent Hollywood director’s wife tore off her bra and tossed it on stage.” — MW
7:32 p.m. The night’s first performance comes from the first-inducted: Duran Duran, which is having a bit of technical trouble. We in the house can hear Simon Le Bon’s vocals — but nothing from the band — as he belts out 1981’s “Girls on Film.” Alerted to the situation, Le Bon stops and jokes: “We just needed to prove to you that we weren’t lip syncing.” Now they’re starting again. — MW
7:40 p.m. Dare I say that Duran Duran sounds better here than they did in September at the Hollywood Bowl? Clearly the band’s being voted into the Rock Hall signals a long-awaited respect for these new wave glamour-pusses — and clearly they’re enjoying it. The lascivious “Girls on Film” into a screwed-tight “Rio” into … the mawkish “Ordinary World” (complete with string section sawing away meaningfully). Oh well. At least they didn’t play “White Lines.” — MW
7:46 p.m. In his speech, Simon Le Bon tells the crowd why Andy Taylor couldn’t be here tonight: The band’s former guitarist has Stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer, which he was diagnosed with four years ago. — MW
7:47 p.m. Andy Taylor sent a letter in his absence from the stage. “Just over four years ago, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer,” read Le Bon. “Many families have experienced the slow burn of this disease and of course, we are no different. So I speak from the perspective of a family man, but with profound humility to the band, the greatest fans a group could have, and this exceptional accolade. I’m massively disappointed I couldn’t make it, let there be no doubt I was stoked about the whole thing. Even bought a new guitar with the essential whammy. I’m so very proud of these four brothers. I’m amazed at their durability and I’m overjoyed at accepting this award.” — AB
7:53 p.m. As the band’s speech comes to a close, Duran Duran keyboardist Nick Rhodes lobbies Rock Hall voters to let in the New York Dolls, who were on the ballot this time but didn’t make the cut. — MW
7:55 p.m. Now we’re watching a video package about Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, the groundbreaking pop and R&B production duo known for their work with Janet Jackson, New Edition, George Michael and Mary J. Blige, among many others. Jam and Lewis are receiving the hall’s Musical Excellence Award tonight. — MW
8 p.m. Janet Jackson, wearing a sharp-angled suit and an asymmetrical hairdo, is presenting the award to Jam and Lewis. She’s recounting their work on her 1986 “Control” album: “There was no pressure, and we felt like we were kids,” she says, adding that “nobody had ever asked me what I wanted to talk about” in her songs before the duo did. “What I like most about working with them is they understand that making music is not just about following the trends, chasing the sound or watching the charts. It’s about seeing what you truly feel and expressing it in a way that fans can enjoy and appreciate. The records we made were the records we wanted to hear. And luckily, it turned out, millions of others wanted to hear them as well … If they have a formula, it’s to convey musical truth to the audience of the artists. — MW
8:06 p.m. “This all started out in the basement for us,” Lewis says in the duo’s speech, thanking his mother (who’s sitting near the stage) for putting up with the noise he and Jam made as they learned to build songs growing up in Minneapolis. Well, almost put up with: “We used to hear every day: ‘Turn that s— down!’” Lewis says. “So I thank you, Mom, for tolerating us.” He’s also thanking the Time, the foundational Minneapolis funk band, and Prince, without whom “we never would’ve had a platform,” Lewis says. “We would’ve stayed in the basement bugging my mom forever.” — MW
8:09 p.m. Jam and Lewis paid tribute to 91-year-old Clarence Avant, the “Black Godfather” and legendary music industry executive whose wife Jacqueline was killed in a home invasion last year in L.A. Avant’s hands-off style of guidance helped them shape their sound and opened up their funk to pop, rock and R&B audiences. “Music and meddling don’t go together,” Lewis said, grateful for Avant’s trust over decades. — AB
8:11 p.m. “That’s the most I’ve ever heard Terry Lewis speak in my life,” says Jam, the duo’s more voluble member, as his partner passes him the mic. Jam points out that, in sports, a star typically has to retire before he or she is honored this way. “I don’t see a gold watch quite yet, so I think we still got some time,” he adds. — MW
8:20 p.m Sheryl Crow is here to induct Pat Benatar and Benatar’s husband and longtime collaborator, Neil Giraldo. Crow remembers heading to college to study classical piano and voice — although “what I really wanted was to be Pat Benatar,” she says. Benatar “rocked as hard as any man but still maintained her identity as a woman,” Crow adds, describing her music as “totally individual and immediately recognizable.” — MW
