MusicUK

On April 14th, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted its 33rd class: Nina Simone, Sister Rosetta Tharpe (in the Early Influence category), Bon Jovi, the Cars, Dire Straits and the Moody Blues. The induction ceremony, which took place in Cleveland, included tributes to Tom Petty and Chris Cornell, performances from several inductees and an exceptionally bawdy speech from Howard Stern. Here, in advance of Saturday's HBO premiere of the event, we look back at the night's most unforgettable moments.



Lauryn Hill's surprise appearance during the Nina Simone tribute
After Andra Day performed Simone's "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free" and "I Put a Spell on You," Hill made an unannounced cameo. She put a contemporary spin on the old folk song "Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair," completely reinventing the arrangement with her versatile band. Hill then remade "Ain't Got No, I Got Life" by filling it with nimbly rapped verses about racial injustice, shattering the apolitical tone of the event. Hill finished with a brassy, harmony-filled rendition of "Feeling Good," ending the Simone tribute on a hopeful note: "It's a new dawn/It's a new day/It's a new life for me."

Alabama Shakes' Brittany Howard covers Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Howard honored "the godmother of rock & roll," with a version of "That's All," one of Tharpe's thumping, bluesy cuts. Backed by a cheerful band that included the Roots' Questlove on drums and longtime Late Show With David Letterman bandleader Paul Shaffer on piano, Howard was one of the night's most commanding performers, picking out spindly lines on electric guitar and demonstrating impressive range as a singer.

Howard Stern's wild induction speech
Stern was characteristically foul-mouthed during his address, which touted the commercial accomplishments of Bon Jovi. "The bubonic plague only killed 50 million people … peanuts compared to 130 million Bon Jovi albums!" Stern exclaimed. "Try to look at it this way: The average amount of sperm in one ejaculation is only 100 million – Bon Jovi beats sperm, ladies and gentlemen … Leonard Cohen used to sit at home alone beating off at night thinking about selling three million albums, let alone a hundred million." Stern later complimented Richie Sambora for having the biggest penis in the band before leading the crowd through a surprisingly in-tune version of "Wanted Dead or Alive" and announcing, "Eat shit, Bob Dylan!"

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