The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was supposed to induct its 2020 class at an in-person ceremony on May 2, but it – like nearly every other live event this year – was forced to postpone and go virtual thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. That ceremony airs Saturday (Nov. 7) in a broadcast on HBO.
Written content by Joe Lynch from Billboard
While some of the unexpected live pairings you typically find at a RRHOF ceremony were missed (last year saw surprise guest Harry Styles duet with inductee Stevie Nicks), the decision to forgo musical performances was probably a wise one on the producers’ part – after all, we’re on the umpteenth virtual/distanced awards show this year, and the fatigue is real. Overall, the 2020 Rock Hall induction ceremony’s brisk pace and manageable two-hour runtime was greatly appreciated, particularly for a ceremony that usually runs more than double that for those who attend in person.
With performances 86’d, that meant each one of the inductees received an introduction from a celebrity fan as well as a montage of their career peppered with footage of musicians explaining their impact. After that, the inductee(s) or their surviving family members gave a remote acceptance speech.
In addition to this year’s class – Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails, the Notorious B.I.G., Whitney Houston, T. Rex and the Doobie Brothers – Irving Azoff and Jon Landau were inducted as non-performers, receiving the Ahmet Ertegun Award. A video tribute to the late Eddie Van Halen was also part of the ceremony, including testimonials from Slash, Metallica’s Kirk Hammett and Tom Morello, with the latter calling him “the Mozart of our generation.”
Here’s a quick rundown of what happened with each of the 2020 Rock Hall inductees.
The Doobie Brothers
Before the surviving Doobie Brothers accepted the honor, everyone from Brad Paisley to Nancy Wilson to an all-smiles Luke Bryan sang their praises. But the best bit came from self-professed superfan Judd Apatow, who revealed, “Probably my favorite Doobie Brothers song is ‘Jesus Is Just Alright.’ Why? I don’t know. I’m a Jewish kid from Long Island.” Read more about all the other inductees from Billboard.
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Here’s a sample of the Doobie Brothers and Whitney Houston’s music:
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