Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – The rhapsodic hip-hop transformers Wu-Tang Clan and punk rocker Billy Idol were among the music luminaries inducted Saturday into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at a star-studded concert gala. The versatile Phil Collins, post-punk and electronic dance music renegades Joy Division/New Order, and the velvet-voiced late Luther Vandross also joined the rock pantheon at the ceremony held in Los Angeles’s Peacock Theater.
But several of the 2026 class of artists — Oasis, Sade, and Iron Maiden — skipped the night celebrating their honor, one of the music industry’s most prestigious. But the show went on. Staten Island’s own Wu-Tang Clan — the ragtag group of New Yorkers who paired raw production with streetwise rhymes and martial arts influences — brought the ruckus, performing their own hits including “C.R.E.A.M” and “Wu‐Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing ta F’ Wit.”
“We went from being banned on the radio to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,” said member Method Man onstage to resounding cheers. To the haters, he said, “you can kiss my inducted ass.” It proved a banner night for women in hip-hop, with honorees including Queen Latifah as well as MC Lyte, who is widely recognized as the “First Lady of Hip Hop.” The storied performers tore up the stage with a medley of their hits before Megan Thee Stallion and Remy Ma joined them to underscore the legacy of women in rap.
Travis Barker, the drummer from Blink-182, inducted Collins, drawing tears from the British artist who attended the ceremony alongside his children, including Lily of “Emily in Paris” fame. Collins — whose entry into the hall is his second; the first was as part of the band Genesis — walked to the stage with two canes, taking the mic and saying, “I’m really not as bad as it looks.” “You haven’t heard the last of me, I can promise you that.” Cynthia Erivo belted out Collins’s smash “In The Air Tonight,” with Barker playing the instantly recognizable drum fill. “My life has just been one thing after the other, one dream after the other,” Collins said to journalists backstage.
Punk rocker Billy Idol performed on behalf of himself after an induction from Gwen Stefani, delivering an electrifying version of his hit “Rebel Yell.” Stefani later joined him onstage for a duet of “Eyes Without a Face.” Idol took to the podium with Steve Stevens, his longtime guitarist who was also inducted. “Punk was and remains a tremendously positive thing. Freedom to be yourself, freedom to be proud of our differences,” Idol said. “We are beautiful because we are true to ourselves.” “And now I’m going to party with the Wu-Tang Clan!” the rocker shouted in closing.
In inducting no-shows Oasis, actor Bob Odenkirk called their music “a dose of Viagra for the ego.” “Is anyone surprised they didn’t show up?” Odenkirk said to laughter. “They didn’t want to be here. It would’ve been out of character if they had.” Trent Reznor introduced the two British rock bands Joy Division and New Order, who got a rare joint induction. New Order formed from the ashes of Joy Division after the original group’s lead singer, Ian Curtis, died in 1980. Bassist Peter Hook accepted the award on the group’s behalf.
Iron Maiden, who skipped as they’re touring in Australia, were honored by a supergroup of performers including St. Vincent, along with members of Rage Against the Machine and Metallica, and none other than Jack Black. Oprah Winfrey introduced the legacy of the late Vandross, while Usher, another of music’s great crooners, delivered a rendition of “Never Too Much.”
Legendary television host Ed Sullivan, whose shows brought scores of musical acts to the masses, received the prestigious Ahmet Ertegun Award, which goes to a non-performing industry notable. Celia Cruz, Fela Kuti, and Gram Parsons were also among those honored, as was Rick Rubin, for whom Neil Young delivered a wide-ranging induction speech befitting the producer’s sweeping career. The Red Hot Chili Peppers — dressed as Rubin lookalikes with sunglasses and long flowing white hair, as well as his signature wizard-esque beard — performed for the industry legend. And Rubin delivered the night’s shortest speech. “You can’t kill rock and roll,” he said. “Thank you.”
© 2024 AFP
