April 8, 2017
by Carla Hay
The 32nd Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony—which took place April 7, 2017, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York—featured several on-stage reunions for inductees such as Journey, Yes and Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), which have all had numerous lineup changes over the years. Highlights of the show will be televised in a special that premieres on HBO on April 29, 2017, at 8 p.m. Eastern Time. An exhibit for the 2017 inductees went on display March 31 at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. More than 900 voters picked inductees, according to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Artists are eligible for inclusion 25 years after the release of their first recording.
Here’s a rundown of the ceremony:
ELO
Band members inducted: Jeff Lynne, Bev Bevan, Roy Wood, Richard Tandy. (Tandy and Bevan did not attend the ceremony for reasons that have not been publicly disclosed.)
Inducted by: Dhani Harrison, son of George Harrison. ELO leader Jeff Lynne worked with George Harrison several times as a producer and as a fellow member of the Traveling Wilburys.
Songs performed: “Roll Over Beethoven,” “Evil Woman,” “Mr. Blue Sky”
One of ELO’s earliest hits was the band’s 1972 cover version of Chuck Berry’s “Roll Over Beethoven,” so it was fitting that the band played the song as a tribute to Berry who died on March 18, 2017, at the age of 90. Lynne accepted the induction award on stage with ELO co-founder Roy Wood, who quit the band in 1972, a year after the band’s first album was released. Wood and Lynne have not appeared on stage together in decades. Wood, however, did not perform at the ceremony.
Lynne has been recording and touring as the leader of Jeff Lynne’s ELO since 2014. Tandy is a member of Jeff Lynne’s ELO, while Bevan formed the spinoff band ELO Part II in the 1980s, after ELO’s most successful lineup disbanded. ELO has been revived off and on over the years; there was a short-lived revival in 2001 and the group was revived again in 2014, with Lynne and Tandy as the only original members.
Joan Baez
Inducted by: Jackson Browne
Songs performed: “Swing Low Sweet Chariot,” “Deportee” and “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.” For the latter two songs, Baez was joined on stage by Mary Chapin Carpenter and Indigo Girls guitarist Amy Ray.
Members inducted: Jon Anderson, Bill Bruford, Steve Howe, Tony Kaye, Trevor Rabin, Chris Squire, Rick Wakeman, Alan White
Inducted by: Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson of Rush, a band heavily influenced by Yes’ brand of progressive rock.
Songs performed: “Owner of a Lonely Heart,” “Roundabout.” Yes was joined on stage for the performance by former lead singer Anderson and Rush’s Lee.
Band members inducted: Steve Perry, Neal Schon, Gregg Rolie, Ross Valory, Aynsley Dunbar, Steve Smith, Jonathan Cain. All of them attended the ceremony.
Inducted by: Pat Monahan, lead singer of Train, another successful rock band from San Francisco.
Songs performed: “Separate Ways,” “Lights,” “Don’t Stop Believin'”
Ex-Journey singer Perry, who left the band in 1987, gave an emotional speech, in which he thanked the fans: “Speaking of fans, you’re the one who put us here. You’re the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.” Perry did not perform with Journey at the ceremony, but former Journey keyboardist Rolie joined the band on stage for “Lights,” which Journey dedicated to Perry. Journey’s current lineup consists of lead singer Arnel Pineda, guitarist Schon, keyboardist Cain, bassist Valory and drummer Smith.
Nile Rodgers
Inducted by: Pharrell Williams, who worked with Rodgers on the Daft Punk album “Random Access Memories.”
Rodgers, a Grammy-winning producer and founder of Chic, was given the Award for Musical Excellence. The rest of the artists were inducted in the Performers category.
Prince tribute
Prince died on April 21, 2016, 12 days after the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony that year. A tribute to Prince was done for the 2017 ceremony. Lenny Kravitz performed the Prince songs “When Doves Cry” and “The Cross.”
Pearl Jam
Members inducted: Eddie Vedder, Jeff Ament, Matt Cameron, Stone Gossard, Mike McCready, Dave Krusen. All of them attended the ceremony.
Inducted by: David Letterman, who substituted for the originally announced presenter Neil Young.
Songs performed: “Alive,” “Better Man,” “Given to Fly,” “Rockin’ in the Free World.” Former Pearl Jam drummer Krusen joined Pearl Jam on stage to perform “Alive.” For “Rockin’ in the Free World,” Pearl Jam was joined on stage Yes’ Trevor Rabin; Rush’s Lee, Lifeson and Neil Peart; and Journey’s Schon and Cain.
