Prince Bursts Into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

by Country Girl 9 Replies latest social entertainment

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  Country Girl

  Prince, Seger Make Rock and Roll Hall By DAVID BAUDER Associated Press Writer NEW YORK ? Prince burst into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Monday with some blistering funk, joined by the regional stew of Bob Seger's heartland rock, ZZ Top's Texas boogie and Jackson Browne's California smoothness. George Harrison became the third ex-Beatle inducted for his solo work. British jam band Traffic and the '50s harmony group the Dells were also honored. It was clearly Prince's night, though, as he opened the ceremony with a trio of 1980s hits and came out later to upstage Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne and Harrison's son, Dhani, on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." Dressed in a white suit and displaying nimble dance steps, Prince performed three songs that caught the breadth of his work: the rock anthem "Let's Go Crazy," the topical "Sign O' the Times" and funk groove of "Kiss." A restless perfectionist, the Minneapolis-based singer often played every instrument on his discs. He said he was preoccupied early in his career with maintaining his freedom. "I embarked on a journey more fascinating than I could ever imagine, but a word to the wise to the young artists ? without spiritual guidance too much freedom can lead to spiritual decline," he said. He also warned youthful musicians: "A real friend and mentor is not on your payroll." Chart-topping rappers OutKast and soulful singer Alicia Keys both cited Prince as influences. "There are many kings," Keys said. "King Henry VIII, King Solomon, King Tut, King James, King Kong and the three kings. But there is only one Prince." Browne co-wrote "Take it Easy" for the Eagles, then was successful on his own with "Doctor My Eyes," "The Pretender" and "Running on Empty," chronicling the turn of the 1960s utopian dream into the cynical '70s. The "No Nukes" concert organizer has mixed the political with the personal throughout his career. "I want to thank you for allowing me to put my personal politics in my songs," he said. "Music is a very empowering thing. I'm thankful for having had a lifetime doing it. Thank you for this job." Bruce Springsteen inducted Brown, noting with some jealousy that while he and his E Street Band usually drew an audience filled with men ? and not particularly good-looking men ? Browne was a magnet for women. Springsteen called Browne a "bona fide rock 'n' roll sex star." "Jackson was drawing more women than an Indigo Girls show," Springsteen said. Browne performed "The Pretender," paused to thank his manager, then sang "Running on Empty." Seger, who still lives in the Detroit area, burst from regional to national fame with the hits "Night Moves," "Old Time Rock & Roll" and "Like a Rock," the latter a longtime Chevy commercial theme. Fellow Michigan singer Kid Rock inducted Seger, calling him one of music's most overlooked performers. In the Detroit area, Seger is God, Rock said. "Bob Seger's music not only influenced me, it taught me to be proud of where I come from. I still am," he said. "He set the bar for all of us who came from the Midwest." Seger brought up his Silver Bullet Band for their first public performance in nine years. They sang "Turn the Page" and the wedding staple, "Old Time Rock 'n' Roll." Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne, two fellow members of the Traveling Wilburys, were on hand to salute Harrison. The guitarist joins John Lennon and Paul McCartney as Beatles also honored for their solo work. Harrison's biggest hit, "My Sweet Lord," came in a burst of pent-up creativity following the Beatles' breakup. He recorded infrequently in the decade before his November 2001 cancer death, but a well-received posthumous disc came out in 2002. "He often said he wasn't pursuing a solo career," Petty said. "He never hired a manager or an agent. He just loved playing music with his friends." For all his solo albums, he was saluted with two group efforts, the Traveling Wilburys tune, "Handle With Care," and the Beatles song, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." Hirsute blues-rockers ZZ Top were an early MTV staple with the boogie hits, "Legs" and "Sharp-Dressed Man," helped by the presence of little-dressed women in their videos. Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards gave a semi-coherent induction speech, praising the band's consistency and longevity. Richards wore a colorful headband and what appeared to be a collection of jewelry and fishing lures hanging from his hair. Traffic featured teen prodigy organist Steve Winwood, who later went on to solo success. The pastoral, jazzy Traffic had hits with "Glad" and "Low Spark of High Heeled Boys." Although former Traffic member Dave Mason was inducted, he didn't perform with the band. The Dells, a vocal harmony quintet that hit with "Oh What a Night" in 1955, were the inspiration for the film "The Five Heartbeats." With only one personnel change, a group formed in high school is still performing together more than 50 years later. Dells member Chuck Barksdale said he hoped the hall would open its doors to other vocal groups, like the O'Jays, the Manhattans and the Whispers. Rolling Stone magazine founder Jann Wenner also received a lifetime achievement award. Highlights of the awards ceremony will be shown on VH1 on Sunday. ___
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  xjw_b12

  Dressed in a white suit and displaying nimble dance steps, Prince performed three songs that caught the breadth of his work: the rock anthem "Let's Go Crazy," the topical "Sign O' the Times" and funk groove of "Kiss."

  How appropiate !!

  He said he was preoccupied early in his career with maintaining his freedom.

  Well he's kinda kissing that goodbye isn't he ?

  without spiritual guidance too much freedom can lead to spiritual decline," he said.

  And would you like a copy of the Watchtower and Awake with that ?
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  Country Girl

  Hiya XJW:

  I'm not sure if this is *true* or not, but I heard that at some of these NPG club thingies he does, he has actually passed out JW literature in the hallways, and actually discusses doctrine with his club members.

  CG
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  gitasatsangha

  He actually did a video where he was passing out tracts on a street corner.
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  Country Girl

  Hiya Gitas:

  What video was that? I'd *love* to see it! I am a total country music fan at this point, since I moved to Texas and got me a truck and a horse at least. <grin> I still buy every piece of music he puts out nationally, because when I was very young (17), I started listening to him and was enthralled. I noticed a few things: that he said his show was a "family show" on the Ellen DeGeneres show.. but I was thinking a little about that when he said that his early fans are now having children and bringing them to concerts. He can't actually play HALF the stuff that he played back then and get away with it, if it's a FAMILY show. Then his admonitions at the induction into the Rock Music Hall of Fame about "too much freedom leads to spiritual decline"; what the *hell*? I think he is really starting to feel the stifling nature of the JWs, since he is actually going to take this year to do a tour, and *if* he is a true JW, he's going to actually have to stop doing really suggestive music... which most of his early music IS! I think a crack in his facade may happen this year, and Manuella will have a BIG choice: the big money OR the JW's. Will be interesting to see what happens.

  CG
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  gitasatsangha

  the song was "The One". It wasn't offically a Prince CD. For whatever reason he just called used the band name "New Power Generation" for that cd (which was New Power Soul, it came out a few years ago). What is more scary is the heavilly witness related stuff that followed. The song "The War" is a creepy look into the mind of a talented delusional paranoid man turned talented delusional paranoid witness. Then he helped Larry Graham do the GCS2000 cd (Graham Central Station comeback), and it's equally creepy end title Eye-Ma-Gettin. That CD is as much Prince's work as Larry-G's. It end's with one of the best bass solo's I've ever heard (even compared to George Clinton), juxtaposed to Larry Graham barely coherently yelling "Prepare your spirit for Armageddon! God's War is Armageddon! Prepare your spirritttttt!" then a heartbeat, then a new born baby screaming suddenly.

  Wierd. Creepy. Don't like prince no more.

  Uh i was off track. "The One" didn't make it very far up the charts. It would be a pretty hard video to find on kazaa I guess, but you might be able to buy it off off of his website.
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  xjw_b12

  There was a thread here last year, which had a link to a review a reporter did, when Prince played Calgary I think.

  It was one of those "intimate" "unplugged" type concerts, and I remember the reporter lamenting, how Prince did none of his old music, just his newer material, and how dissapointed he was.

  I'd post it if I could find it but search at JWD is broken
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  BluesBrother

  OK, did I dream this?

  Breakfast TV on the BBC.Entertainment segment, called I believe "Liquid News" There was a feature on the Rockn Roll Hall of Fame Awards. Prince was receiving his award and he said something like

  " Our praise and thanks to the most high Jehovah"

  I know it was early but I am pretty sure I heard it.
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  razorMind

  RE: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.....

  I'm coming in late on this, but I'm just now seeing a snippet of the rerun, and he states at the end of his spiel, "This world and its wicked system of things will be getting harder," or some such crap.
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  Sassy

  Seger is God, Rock said.

  woo hoo.. go BOB