Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson, Missy Elliott and others were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
On Friday night, some of music’s biggest stars gathered at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York to honor music legends including Elton John, Olivia Rodrigo, HER, Jazmine Sullivan, Miguel, Carrie Underwood and more.
The evening began with a performance by Crow and Rodrigo, who rocked out to Crow’s hit “If It Makes You Happy” while playing guitar.
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Sheryl Crow and Olivia Rodrigo perform onstage during the 38th Annual Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony at Barclays Center on November 3, 2023 in New York.
MORE: Missy Elliott, Willie Nelson and Sheryl Crow are among this year’s inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Actress Laura Dern then took the stage to honor Crow, who discussed Crow’s career, activism, achievements in the music industry and the artists who were influenced by the “All I Wanna Do” singer, cementing her as an artist.
A video tribute to her career in the industry was then played, with interviews from Maren Morris, Stevie Nicks and Rodrigo, before Crow took the stage with Nicks to perform Crow’s song “Strong Enough”. Crow then brought Peter Frampton on stage, who she described as one of her “heroes”. With Nicks on vocals and Frampton on guitar, the trio performed “Everyday Is a Winding Road.”
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Peter Frampton, Sheryl Crow and Stevie Nicks perform onstage during the 38th annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Barclays Center on November 3, 2023 in New York.
“This is so surreal,” Crow said as she accepted her award, saying it was a great honor but a “huge honor to be inducted alongside one of the people I most admire on this planet and that is Willie Nelson.”
During her speech, she thanked her parents for introducing her to many music greats such as Duke Ellington, Burt Bacharach, Dionne Warwick, James Taylor and Carole King, and for teaching her piano. She also thanked her two sons, Wyatt and Levi.
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Sheryl Crow speaks onstage during the 38th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Barclays Center on November 3, 2023 in New York.
MORE: Missy Elliott talks about her preparations to become the first female rapper inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
“This is the most incredible journey music has taken me,” she said. “When I think about the years I’ve spent making music and my journey, I couldn’t have imagined my life. I was a kid dreaming of rock ‘n’ roll and spilling over album covers. I knew every name of every musician on every album cover and I found my identity in the lyrics of the songs that I was sure were written for me, for example I was sure that James Taylor wrote “Fire and Rain” about me wrote, and without me, Stevie Nicks, I honestly wouldn’t be who I am.”
At the very end of her speech, Crow paid tribute to the late Jimmy Buffett and shared one of his quotes: “He said, ‘If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.’ Yes, there have been ups and downs for me on this journey. But my story is one with endless possibilities for every young person who embarks on the musical journey. I love the work. Thank you guys.”
On the red carpet before the ceremony, Crow told “Good Morning America” that the most important thing she’s learned about herself throughout her career is her connection to her community.
Grammy-winning R&B singer Jazmine Sullivan also took the stage to honor Chaka Khan, who received the Musical Excellence Award. After a video about her career played with interviews from HER, Queen Latifah and Joni Mitchell, Khan took the stage with Common, Sia and HER to perform some of her hits: “I Feel For You,” “Ain’t Nobody” , “Sweet Thing” and “I’m Every Woman.”
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Chaka Khan speaks as she receives the Musical Excellence Award during the 38th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Brooklyn, New York, USA, November 3, 2023. Portal/Eduardo Munoz
When Willie Nelson was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, musician Dave Matthews took the stage to pay tribute to the country music legend.
“Thank you so much,” Nelson said before performing some of his hits with Chris Stapleton. “And I thank you all for this great honor. I appreciate the recognition from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Included in so many legends and some I’m lucky enough to call a friend. Thank you again for hosting me this evening. And thank you for appreciating my music.”
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Inductee Willie Nelson speaks during the 38th annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Brooklyn, New York, U.S., November 3, 2023. Portal/Eduardo Munoz
Crow also took the stage to perform “Crazy” with Nelson.
Missy Elliott was the last artist to be inducted. After paying tribute to the artist, Queen Latifah took the stage for a stirring performance of some of her hits, including “Get Ur Freak On,” “Work It” and “Lose Control.”
“I’ve been through so many ups and downs and I know where my gifts come from,” said Elliott, who was the first female rapper to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. “God brought me all the way here. It has allowed me to meet some incredible people along the way. I’m still pinching myself about even being in the same room with some of the new additions I see.”
“And this is the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. And that goes deeper than just me being up here,” Elliott added.
Other notable moments of the evening included Miguel, Levine and Underwood’s tribute to George Michael, who was inaugurated posthumously. Additionally, Elton John took the stage to honor his friend, lyricist Bernie Taupin, who received the Musical Excellence Award. The duo collaborated on many songs including “Benny and the Jets”, “Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going to Be a Long, Long Time)”, “Tiny Dancer” and many others. John also played “Tiny Dancer” on piano.
Artists also included included “Running Up That Hill” singer Kate Bush, Rage Against the Machine and The Spinners. DJ Kool Herc and Link Wray received the Musical Influence Award and Don Cornelius received the Ahmet Ertegun Award. In addition to Khan, Al Kooper also received the Musical Excellence Award.
ABC will air a special featuring performance highlights and moments from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony on Monday, January 1, 2024 at 8:00 p.m. ET.