This Saturday, Sir Paul McCartney and Foo Fighters joined forces on stage. The amazing musical pairing took place at this year’s Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony.
The 2021 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony took place on Saturday 30th October in Cleveland, this year saw the ceremony return as a live event after previous years live-streamed due to COVID-19. The night also boasted an array of special guests, memorable performances and of course the winning inductees and more awards. During the induction of Foo Fighters McCartney took the stage to sing their praises. The former Beatle gave his impassioned speech before closing the evening with an unforgettable performance. McCartney and the Foo Fighters concluded the ceremony with a now legendary rendition of the Beatles track “Get Back”. The performance saw McCartney and frontman Dave Grohl showcase their vocal prowess.
Within McCartney’s speech, the singer drew comparisons between himself and former Nirvana drummer, Dave Grohl. He noted the similar journeys which both have taken and the tragedies in which they both suffered. In 1980 the world stood still when it was announced that Beatles member John Lennon had been shot. Grohl also lost a friend and bandmate, fourteen years after Lennon’s death the news of Kurt Cobain’s suicide left everyone in shock. Before they took the podium to make their own speeches, the Foo Fighters performed three of their most loved tracks, “Best Of You”, “Everlong” and “My Hero”.
McCartney discussed the pair’s connection, “I fell into rock and roll, I joined a group. My group was the Beatles. Like I say, the world changed. Dave did a similar kind of thing. He joined a group, Nirvana. We had a great time with our groups, but then eventually tragedy happened, and my group broke up, The same happened with Dave: His group broke up under tragic circumstances. And so then the question is, what do you do now? And we both were presented with that question. In my case, I thought, Well, I’ll make an album where I play all the instruments myself. So I did that. Dave’s group broke up, what’s he to do? He makes an album where he plays all the instruments himself. Do you think this guy’s stalking me?”
Another highlight of the evening was the induction of powerhouse Jay-Z, the artist’s introduction video included a list of the world’s most talented individuals. The video featured Beyonce, Samuel L. Jackson and comedian Chris Rock with the official induction speech given by Dave Chappelle. However, the real surprise came after the video. A pre-recorded message by former President Barack Obama left audience members in awe.
The politician had this to say, “I’ve turned to Jay-Z’s words at different points in my life, whether I was brushing dirt off my shoulder on the campaign trail, or sampling his lyrics on the Edmund Pettus Bridge on the 50th anniversary of the Selma march to Montgomery, Today, Jay-Z is one of the most renowned artists in history and an embodiment of the American dream, a dream he has helped make real for other young people like him.”
Other inductees included Tina Turner, Carole King, The Go-Gos and Todd Rundgren. Other winners included Clarence Avant, who was given the Ahmet Ertegun Award. The prize is given to those who not performing industry professionals but who still embody passion and hold musical influence. The Musical Excellence Award was given to three highly influential acts, LL Cool J, Billy Preston and Randy Rhodes. The Early Influence Award was handed to pioneers Kraftwerk, Charley Patton and icon Gil Scott Heron famed for his poem, “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”.
The ceremony is available to watch on HBO on 20th November, the event can also be streamed via HBO Max.
