Lenny Kravitz to Honor Prince at Rock Hall Induction Ceremony
Lenny Kravitz, Alicia Keys and Pharrell are among the latest set of performers and presenters scheduled to appear at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony April 7th at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
Kravitz will perform a special tribute to Prince, while Keys, Mary Chapin Carpenter and the Indigo Girls will also perform. Pharrell is set to present Chic’s Nile Rodgers with the Award for Musical Excellence, while Dhani Harrison – son of George and Olivia Harrison – will induct Electric Light Orchestra and Train’s Pat Monahan will induct Journey.
All three presenters are closely tied to the artists they’re celebrating. Rodgers has collaborated with Pharrell on several occasions, most notably on Daft Punk’s 2013 album, Random Access Memories, and its hit, “Get Lucky.” Electric Light Orchestra’s Jeff Lynne was a longtime friend and collaborator of George Harrison, and following the latter’s death in 2001, Lynne partnered with Dhani to finish the former Beatles’ final solo album, Brainwashed.
Monahan, meanwhile, is an avowed Journey fan, with Train both covering the band’s classic, “Don’t Stop Believing,” and referencing it in their song “This’ll Be My Year” (Monahan also interviewed Journey’s Jonathan Cain on an episode of podcast, “Patcast.”)
Earlier this week, Rolling Stone confirmed that Snoop Dogg would induct his late friend Tupac Shakur into the Hall of Fame. In January, presenters for the rest of the 2017 Rock Hall class were announced, with Neil Young introducing Pearl Jam, Jackson Browne introducing Joan Baez and Rush’s Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson introducing Yes.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will air on HBO April 29th at 8 p.m. ET/PT. A special exhibit dedicated to the 2017 class will open at the Rock Hall in Cleveland March 31st.