Rock Hall 2017 class includes Pearl Jam, Tupac and Journey
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.
The new inductees closed the multi-hour event with a group performance, and before that Pearl Jam electrified with a performance of its well-known songs.
David Letterman inducted the band, and brought a small guitar and letter onstage that he said Vedder gave to his son days before his late-night show ended in 2015.
Letterman wasn’t the only fan in the room: As Vedder thanked his wife during his speech, one male fan from a seat up high screamed, “I love you, Eddie!”
“Shoot, honey, I thought you were sitting down in the front,” Vedder said to laughs.
His wife, Jill, was tearyeyed in the audience as fans continued to cheer.
Vedder also used his speech to discuss climate change, saying “climate change is real, that’s not fake news.” He also said his daughter Olivia was a big fan of Chance the Rapper, and thanked the Grammywinning hip-hop star for his charitable contributions to Chicago.
Speaking of rappers, 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, says he attended the event to make sure the rapper, actor and poet is remembered as a “strong black man that stood for his.”
Dogg, a marijuana enthusiast, also says 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.