ERIC CLAPTON

HALL OF FAME

 

Clapton Inducted Into Hall of Fame Copyright© 2000 LAUNCH Media, Inc.

Robbie Robertson, former guitarist and chief songwriter with the Band, induced Eric Clapton into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame last night (March 6) in New York by recalling the break-up of Clapton's band Cream. Robertson recalled Clapton's journey to Woodstock, N.Y. where the Band was residing at the time, with the stated intention of joining the Band.
An amused Robertson acknowledged the he felt somewhat threatened by Clapton's talent. "Let's talk guitar. Let's talk full, fluid, soulful guitar. No smashing guitars. No burning guitars. No tricks, no gimmicks. Just keeping it real guitar," he said.

Robertson added, "Yes, Eric Clatpon is Johnnie B. Goode. Eric Clapton is the son of the Singing Cowboy, of Robert Johnson, Little Walter, and Muddy Waters. I can hear so many reflections of influences and him paying tribute to the great musical forefathers."
In his induction speech, Robertson also recalled one of the most infamous moments in Clapton's career. "Somebody at one time painted on a wall in England, Eric Clapton is God. And in an interview, some press person asked 'Well, how do you feel about that?' And in his kind of humble way, he said 'Well, there was a photo of that wall, with Eric Clapton is God painted on it. And there was a young man taking a leak on the wall.' And he said 'That pretty much sums up how I feel about that.'"
In his acceptance speech, Clapton - who inducted the Band into the Hall Of Fame in 1994 -- lived up the humble billing Robertson gave him and acknowledged the he was nervous about the evening. "I don't want to say much because, I don't know, I don't want to say much. I want to thank my daughter R uth and my girlfriend Melea for putting me up for the last few days because I've been very nervous and irritable about this thing," he said. "I don't quite know how to handle this stuff."
Clapton added that he was ultimately not interested in stardom or image, but in his craft. "For me it's about the music. I'm just the messenger, and I carry the message. And I hope to do that as long as I live. And all I want to do is thank the guys I worshipped when I was growing up and that's Robert Johnson, Elmore James, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf."
Clapton then followed with a two-song musical performance. He first played "Tears in Heaven," his haunting dedication to his late son Conor, who died in a fall from an apartment window in New York City during 1991. He then invited Robertson to join him to re-create their jam on the uptempo "Further On Up the Road" from The Last Waltz.
-- Darren Davis, Gary Graff, and Bruce Simon, New York

 

Raitt, Clapton, Davis Shine at Hall of Fame Induction Copyright© 2000 Los Angeles Times

By ELYSA GARDNER, Special To The Times

Guitarist and singer Bonnie Raitt accepts her statue. NEW YORK--Near the end of Monday's 15th annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, Paul McCartney introduced James Taylor by announcing, "I'm very honored to induct him into the Rhythm & Blues-Rock and Roll-Ballad-Jazz-Slow Fox Trot Awards.
"We all know you can't really call it one thing, what's going on here tonight," McCartney explained. " 'Rock 'n' roll' is too slim." Perhaps even more so than previous ceremonies, this year's gala emphasized the diversity and the roots of contemporary pop music. In their acceptance speeches, inductees Bonnie Raitt and Eric Clapton acknowledged the debts they owe to seminal blues and R&B musicians.
"I know how important it is for us to not only recognize their rightful place in our culture's history, but to make certain they get what's coming to them in the way of proper royalties and medical care," said Raitt. "I'm proud to be a bridge between blues and rock, but I won't be standing on the backs of those who didn't get their due."
In a lengthy tribute to Raitt that was alternately saucy and earnest, Melissa Etheridge described the Los Angeles-based singer as "a woman so tough, so uncompromising, so secure that she hasn't felt the need to change her hairstyle in 30 years." Etheridge joined Raitt for a feisty version of Raitt's "Thing Called Love."
Guitarist and singer Eric Clapton plays during the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Other musical highlights included Ray Charles' elegant, plaintive reading of early-influence inductee Nat King Cole's 1948 hit "Nature Boy," and Clapton's teaming with Robbie Robertson for a blistering version of the blues standard "Further on Up the Road." "For me, it's about the music," said Clapton. "I'm just the messenger. . . . I carry the message. I hope to be able to do that as long as I live." In a video clip shown after Paul Simon's induction speech for the Moonglows, the R&B group was depicted as "the sound of rhythm & blues blossoming into rock 'n' roll." Simon, a notorious perfectionist, called the group's most famous recording, "Sincerely," a "perfect" single.
Diana Ross saluted Billie Holiday, who was inducted as an early influence, with an abridged, a cappella version of Holiday's classic "Strange Fruit." Lil' Kim stressed hip-hop's obligation to old-school soul by inducting Earth, Wind & Fire.
The original members of that '70s group--including leader Maurice White, who is suffering from Parkinson's disease--reunited for a zesty performance of "Shining Star" and "That's the Way of the World." They also expressed gratitude to fans and industry supporters, among them Arista Records President Clive Davis, who was himself inducted as a nonperformer. Whitney Houston was supposed to sing her signature hit "I Will Always Love You" as a tribute to Davis, who was instrumental in launching her career. But she was forced to cancel because "she lost her voice," a representative said. Predictably, there were some lighter moments. Inducting the Lovin' Spoonful, John Mellencamp recalled the role that the '60s folk-rock band's songs played in his rebellious youth, concluding that these musicians inspired him "by writing songs so beautiful and simple that a dumb--- like me could get an acoustic guitar and play along."
Drummer Hal Blaine, saxophonist King Curtis, bassist James Jamerson, guitarist Scotty Moore and drummer Earl Palmer were honored in the new "sidemen" category.

Stars Shine at Roll Hall Induction Copyright© 2000 RollingStone.com

"There is a time in every musician's life, and for that matter, in every music lover's life, when we are so open and attuned to the world around us that we are able to feel music for the first time with the intensity of a divine hand," Paul Simon said in his remarks about the Moonglows, the first act inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Monday night. Simon's speech established the tone for the evening's celebration. The fifteenth annual induction ceremony took a decidedly humble turn from years past. It was an evening in which the artists present did more than acknowledge their roots and influences, they stripped away the layers of their respective musical personalities revealing the personal stamps of their predecessors, tracing the branches of the musical tree back to its pre-WWII roots.
That's not to say the evening lacked some genuine rockin' chills and thrills. Three-time inductee, Eric Clapton found the perfect foil for his smooth blues-lines in presenter Robbie Robertson's angular chops on "Further On Up the Road," the Moonglows wooed with their delicate a capella harmonies on "Ten Commandments of Love", and Earth, Wind and Fire raised the roof with "Shining Star" at New York City's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel on Monday night. Following Simon's introduction of the Moonglows into the Hall, Lil' Kim took the podium and inducted Earth, Wind and Fire by way of the declaration that, "in this lifetime, there's music you like, and then music that you need." While Parkinson's disease-stricken leader Maurice White isn't the stage dynamo he once was, the band set off some of the evening's biggest fireworks as they played together publicly for the first time in almost twenty years. A T-shirt-and-tux-clad John Mellencamp puffed a cigarette while he recalled the first time he heard the Lovin' Spoonful, as a fourteen-year-old, motorcycle-riding, girl-chasing brat in the summer of 1966. "That summer was great for me and the soundtrack played on the radio was 'Summer in the City,'" he said. "It played over and over again. I never got tired of hearing it. Poetic and beautiful in its course. Sexy and poignant in every breath that the singer sang. The song I assumed was written about New York City. I'd never been to New York City, but here I was in a town of 4,000 people and I related to every word that guy sang." Mellencamp sang the chorus before adding a "Fuck, yeah."
But the ceremony's punkest moment wasn't John Mellencamp's underdressed and ciggie-drenched presentation. It was something more simple and sublime: rock & roll aging gracefully, as James Taylor thanked his fiancée and referred to her as "snookums," quite possibly the first and last time the term will ever be used in any rock & roll event.
The evening's festivities focused on and reveled in rock & roll's status as a musical mutt, more about the subtleties of this bastardized music form than any punk-like inkling to rock the boat. Paul McCartney captured the agenda best in his induction speech for James Taylor: "I'm just very honored to induct him into the rhythm and blues, rock & roll, ballad jazz, slow foxtrot awards here tonight. And you know you gotta do all those categories, because we all know you can't really call it one thing. Rock & roll is really too slim a scope for what's going on tonight."
The new Sidemen portion of the program was particularly keen in observing the diverse aspects that make a great rock & roll moment. A number of accomplished musicians were given the chance to step from behind the shadow of the legends they supported and stake a claim to those musical touches that they created. Hal Blaine's rolling thumper of a drum intro on the Beach Boys "Wouldn't It Be Nice," King Curtis' chatty sax on "Charlie Brown," James Jamerson's definitive bass lines on "My Girl" and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," Earle Palmer's breakneck drumming on "Good Golly Miss Molly" and Scotty Moore's ringing guitar solo on "Heartbreak Hotel" are the notes, solos, intros, lines, and embellishments that have defined rock & roll over the course of its history. Moore and Palmer were on hand to receive their awards while Jamerson and Blaine were represented by family.
Arista honcho Clive Davis, who's already enjoyed plenty of accolades this year for his involvement in Santana's comeback smash, continued his winning run with his induction by Patti Smith. "This is by far the best year of my life, professionally," he said.
In stark contrast to Mellencamp's shabby-chic was Ray Charles' smashing gold tux coat with gold lamé shirt, worn as he posthumously inducted Nat King Cole. Diana Ross followed with an induction of the late Billie Holiday and a rich take on "God Bless the Child."
The clocks then jumped forward to the Seventies. Melissa Etheridge offered up a wide-eyed, lengthy summation of Bonnie Raitt's career, claiming "she's not the queen [of rock & roll], she doesn't want to be the queen. She is a soldier. She is in the trenches, alone in a man's world breaking ground." Raitt accepted before tearing through "Thing Called Love" with Etheridge and "I Can't Make You Love Me," with Bruce Hornsby on piano.
Then Robertson took the stage. "I've been asked tonight to induct Eric alias Derek and the Dominoes alias EC alias God alias Slowhand Clapton and all his personas into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame," he began his speech. "That's a whole lot of music, and that's a whole lot of blues."
"I don't want to say much," Clapton said before thanking his daughter and girlfriend (both in attendance) and the bluesmen he "worshipped" as a youth. "Love and music is all you need," he said concluding his brief speech. "If I may, I'll just go over there and play the rest of the time." Clapton then offered up two distinctly blues shades with "Tears in Heaven" followed by the guitar-driven return to The Last Waltz with "Further On Up the Road."
Taylor was the evening's final inductee, introduced by surprise presenter Paul McCartney. "I'm very grateful for this," Taylor said hoisting his statuette and joking, "I only hope one of these never falls in the hands of someone desperate enough to use it." Following spirited takes on "Mexico" and "Fire and Rain," the evening's honorees took to the stage for a six-song jam initiated by Natalie Cole leading a swinging, bluesy "Route 66." With "How Sweet It Is," "Long Tall Sally," "I Shot the Sherriff," "Love and Happiness," and "Sweet Home Chicago" the latest inductees pushed the music well past the midnight hour and logged the obligatory bow before heading to Cleveland.
When all was said and done, the honors landed in the proper laps, even those that weren't present. From the jazzy soul of Cole and Holiday to the updated blues of Raitt and Clapton, from the careful vocal craft of the Moonglows to the soul-funk of EWF, and from the jug-band tinged tunes of the Lovin' Spoonful to James Taylor's modern folk, one of rock and roll's greatest attributes is its diamond-like nature; a multi-faceted result of an intense combustion of basic elements. As it should have been, this year's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony was a gem rather than a rawk.
ANDREW DANSBY

Eric Clapton Re-Enters Rock Hall Copyright© 2000 SonicNet Music News of the World, the daily music news service - http://www.sonicnet.com/

NEW YORK -- Eric Clapton let his guitar do the talking Monday night - March 6, 2000 - as he was inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame for an unprecedented third time. Instead of offering a long-winded speech, the soft-spoken British blues guitarist told the crowd of well-dressed rockers and industry movers, "For me, it's about the music. I'm the messenger and I carry the message." With that, the rocker, who was previously inducted with the '60s rock bands Cream and the Yardbirds, closed his eyes and performed a moving, emotive rendition of his hit song "Tears in Heaven," followed by a searing version of the blues standard "Further on up the Road."
"I might be young. But I grooved to Earth, Wind & Fire. These men make music that brings people together." - Lil' Kim, rapper The 15th annual ceremony at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel also included the induction of such '70s rock and soul stars as the Lovin' Spoonful, James Taylor and Earth, Wind & Fire, as well as bluesy singer/guitarist Bonnie Raitt.
The event climaxed hours later with the traditional all-star jam, which this year featured former Band member Robbie Robertson, Lovin' Spoonful leader John Sebastian, singer/songwriter James Taylor, R&B singer Natalie Cole and rocker Melissa Etheridge.
Hall of Famer Robertson inducted Clapton by listing his various nicknames, including "EC, alias God, alias Slow Hand Clapton," and then joined hiim on guitar for "Further on Down the Road." Clapton was clean-shaven and wore a black suit, yellow tie and wire-rimmed glasses, Old Meets New.
In a meeting of the brash new and the brassy old, risqué rapper Lil' Kim inducted '70s soul-funk group Earth, Wind & Fire. "I might be young," Lil' Kim said, sporting a towering head of blonde hair offset by a daring hot pink-and-black polka dot dress. "But I grooved to Earth, Wind & Fire. These men make music that brings people together." The group, led by singers Maurice White and Philip Bailey, scored a number of funk, soul and disco hits in the '70s, inclduing "Boogie Wonderland" and "Shining Star." They performed "Shining Star" following their induction, causing a several people in the audience to jump from their seats and boogie. Hall of Famer Paul Simon inducted the 1950s doo-wop group the Moonglows. The singer/songwriter spoke of the innocence of youth, when minds are open and "we hear and feel in a way that will affect us for the rest of our lives." Simon recalled hearing the Moonglows' hit "Sincerely" (RealAudio excerpt) as a child on famed rock DJ Alan Freed's "Moondog" radio show in 1955, calling the song a "magical, perfect" record. Leader Harvey Fuqua then led the band in a performance of the track that drew a rousing standing ovation.
For the first time in the Hall of Fame's history, a number of rock 'n' roll side musicians were inducted. Mike Stoller of the songwriting team of Leiber and Stoller inducted saxophonist King Curtis, Elvis Presley guitarist Scotty Moore, Motown bassist James Jamerson, R&B drummer Earl Palmer and session drummer Hal Blaine, who performed on a number of Beach Boys records. Celebrating Clive Davis.
One of the emotional highlights of the evening came when cathartic rocker Patti Smith inducted Arista Records President Clive Davis, who this year oversaw the unexpected, Grammy-winning return of Santana. Davis was inducted in the nonperformer category.
The always intense Smith, wearing a baggy black suit and loosened tie, was close to tears during the induction. The singer credited the longtime executive with teaching her all about the music business, as well as giving her the invaluable advice, "Loosen up."
Davis, whose triumphant year was tempered by a battle with Arista's parent company BMG over reports of its attempts to force his retirement, was serenaded by Smith with a raucous version of the singer's anthemic call to arms "People Have the Power".
"You have risen and are still rising," Smith said to Davis. Early Influences, Big Surprises Legendary pianist/songwriter Ray Charles inducted early influence and fellow singer/pianist Nat "King" Cole, while former Supremes singer and solo star Diana Ross paid touching tribute to another early influence inductee, late jazz singer Billie Holiday.
Singer/songwriter Etheridge inducted blues slide guitarist Raitt, who made her name in the 1970s with her distinctive vocals and guitar style but didn't reach mass-audience success until her Grammy-winning 1989 album Nick of Time. In one of the night's biggest surprises, former Beatle Paul McCartney showed up to usher in an artist who began his career on the Beatles' Apple Records label in the late '60s, singer/songwriter James Taylor.
Rootsy rocker John Mellencamp inducted the Lovin' Spoonful, recalling that during the summer he was 14 the group's hit "Summer in the City" was a radio staple.
Artists become eligible for the Rock Hall of Fame 25 years after releasing their first record, with nearly 800 voters selecting the inductees.

Stars Shine At Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony Copyright© 2000 CDnow Online, Inc.

Bonnie RaittLong, somewhat rambling, yet poetic inductions by John Mellencamp (for jug band rockers Lovin' Spoonful) and Melissa Etheridge (for blues/pop guitarist-singer Bonnie Raitt) highlighted the 15th annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies Monday (March 6) night at New York's Waldorf Astoria.
Also enshrined in the lengthy four-and-a half hour ceremony were guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, the Hall's first three-time inductee having already been honored with the Yardbirds (1992) and Cream (1993); singer/songwriter James Taylor; R&B group Earth, Wind & Fire; and the '50s rhythm pioneers the Moonglows.
Singers Nat King Cole and Billie Holiday were inducted as Early Influences; Arista Records honcho Clive Davis was inducted in the Non-Performer category; and in a new category, "Side-Men," saxophonist King Curtis, Motown bassist James Jamerson, West Coast drummers Earl Palmer and Hal Blaine, and Elvis Presley's guitarist Scotty Moore took their places. (Blaine, suffering from pneumonia, was unable to attend).
Tossing his gum aside and puffing on a cigarette (wasn't one heart attack enough?), Mellencamp thumbed through pages of text as he remembered hearing the Spoonful song "Summer in the City" for the first time and how it affected his life, being that he came from a small town of 4,000 people. Appearing on the stage for the first time in 21 years, Lovin' Spoonful performed "Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind" and "Do You Believe in Magic," the latter with John Sebastian playing his autoharp for the first time in 30 years. Reading from a teleprompter, Melissa Etheridge praised Bonnie Raitt as a female musician, a pioneer and a humanitarian for her charitable causes. "She's a woman in a man's world breaking ground."
"[That] speech wore me out," Raitt responded, since she felt she should be considered as a musician first, not just a female musician. "It's not just because I put on a guitar, but I ride it," she added. Raitt then sang, "Are You Ready For a Thing Called Love," joined by Etheridge and Bruce Hornsby, followed by a slow ballad, "I Can't Make You Love Me."

Eric Clapton, who inducted The Band a few years ago, was returned the honor by The Band's Robbie Robertson. "Let's talk guitars," said Robertson. "Let's talk tasteful, fluid, soulful guitar. No smashing guitars, no burning guitars, no tricks, no gimmicks, just keeping it real guitar ... a whole lotta music, a whole lotta blues, he's always remained faithful."
In a succinct, 30-second acceptance, Clapton stated, "For me, it's all about the music. I'm the messenger and play the message." Clapton performed an acoustic "Tears in Heaven" followed by "Further on up the Road" with Robertson also on guitar, and Clapton laying down one of his patented sweet solos.
Sir Paul McCartney was the surprise inductor of James Taylor, the first artist signed to the Beatles' Apple record company, "Before it was a computer," jested Sir Paul. "James was a haunting guy who can play the guitar and sing," he said.
Holding the tall statuette, Taylor quipped, "I hope this never falls into the hands of someone to use it. In the words of Joe McCarthy," Taylor continued, "I have a list," and thanked numerous people. He performed "Mexico" and "Fire and Rain." A six-song closing jam was scheduled but with McCartney not making it on stage, "Long Tall Sally" and "I Shot the Sheriff" were dropped. Still, Natalie Cole blew everyone away with "Route 66," Taylor and Robertson excelled on "How Sweet It Is," EW&F funked up "Love & Happiness," and Clapton took everyone down to "Sweet Home Chicago."