Cher inducted into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with Dua Lipa and Zendaya paying tribute
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Dua Lipa and Cher opened the Rock and Roll Hall Fame induction ceremony on Saturday night singing 'Believe' before giving way to a medley of rump shakers by funk masters Kool & the Gang and a powerhouse performance by Dionne Warwick, bringing the house down at 83.
Dua Lipa and Cher opened the Rock & Roll Hall Fame induction ceremony on Saturday night singing “Believe” before giving way to a medley of rump shakers by funk masters Kool & the Gang and a powerhouse performance by Dionne Warwick, bringing the house down at 83.
The inductees this year also include: Mary J. Blige, A Tribe Called Quest, Ozzy Osbourne, Peter Frampton, Foreigner, Dave Matthews Band, the late Jimmy Buffett, MC5, the late Alexis Korner, the late John Mayall and the late Big Mama Thornton.
Zendaya inducted Cher. “Where do I even begin? Cher is not one person,” the actor said. "Her name is just as legendary as her legacy." Zendaya noted that Cher is the only woman to have a No. 1 hit on a Billboard chart in each of the past seven decades. "Cher has got the goods," Zendaya said before Cher performed a rocking version of “If I Could Turn Back Time.”
In her speech, Cher said she was inspired by Cinderella and thanked her mother for instilling in her to always get back up after defeat. “The one thing I got from my mom is to never give up,” she said. “I never give up. I'm talking to the women — down and out, we keep going.”
Chuck D inducted Kool & the Gang, saying “This is a long-due celebration.” The band had 12 Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 including the 1980 chart-topper “Celebration” as well as “Cherish,” “Get Down On It,” “Jungle Boogie,” “Ladies Night” and “Joanna.” They’ve been eligible for the hall since 1994.
The Roots helped the band do a medley of hits that got the crowd grooving — led by Robert “Kool” Bell — bass guitarist, co-founder and last original member — and longtime singer James “JT” Taylor. Confetti shot into the arena and Taylor asked the crowd to use their cellphone lights as he read off the names of 10 members who were critical to the band's success.
Warwick arrived at the ceremony only a few days after attending a memorial to her longtime friend and collaborator, Cissy Houston, in Newark, New Jersey. Teyana Taylor called her “truly one of a kind” as well as telling off the teleprompter operator for not putting "Ms." before her name. Jennifer Hudson sang “I’ll Never Love This Way Again” and was joined by Warwick, who also sang “Walk On By.”
