Pineda’s journey to the Hall of Fame
When Journey was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Brooklyn, it wasn’t estranged frontman Steve Perry who sang with the band, but the Pinoy Arnel Pineda (in foto, right).
Seattle rockers Pearl Jam, the late rapper Tupac Shakur and 1970s hitmaking band Journey were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Friday night.
Joan Baez, Electric Light Orchestra and Yes were also part of the 2017 class inducted at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, which kicked off with a tribute to Chuck Berry.
David Letterman inducted Pearl Jam, and brought a small guitar and letter onstage that he said vocalist Eddie Vedder gave to his son days before his latenight show ended in 2015.
Vedder also used his speech to discuss climate change, saying “climate change is real, that’s not fake news.”
Tupac Shakur—who died in 1996—was remembered by Snoop Dogg with a touching and playful speech.
Dogg, a former label mate and friend of Shakur, said he attended the event to make sure the rapper, actor and poet is remembered as a “strong black man.”
Dogg, a marijuana enthusiast, also said it was Shakur who first gave him weed. “That’s right— Tupac got Snoop Dogg smoking blunts,” he said to laughs from the audience. Later, Alicia Keys performed a medley of Shakur’s songs on piano, including Dear
Mama and Changes. One of the night’s most anticipated performances was Journey’s. But despite earlier reports, Steve Perry did not perform with the current Journey members. Instead, Filipino singer Arnel Pineda sang lead as the band performed their hits, including Don’t Stop Believin’.
Perry, estranged from the band for many years, did em- brace guitarist and co-founder Neal Schon onstage.
“You’re the one who put us here,” Perry said to the Journey fans, earning one of the night’s loudest applauses. “I’ve been gone a long time but you’ve never not been in my heart.”
He gave a “complete shoutout” to Pineda saying he “sings his heart out every night.”
Also during the induction, Lenny Kravitz paid tribute to Prince after the “In Memoriam” section with an explosive performance of
When Doves Cry, backed by a choir and beaming purple lights.
Pharrell Williams said kind words about Nile Rodgers, who received a special honor at the event.
To be eligible, all of the nominees had to have released their first recording no later than 1991.
Inductees will eventually be enshrined in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame museum in Cleveland. / AP