Rock and Roll Hall of Fame adds members

It was all a dream: Whitney, B. I. G. inducted into Rock Hall

Notorious B. I. G., Whitney Houston, the Doobie Brothers, Nine Inch Nails, T. Rex and Depeche Mode are inducted.

NEW YORK » In a normal year, the newly inducted Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class would have hit the stage and performed the well- known songs that made them famous and helped them enter the prestigious organization. Not in 2020. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, this year’s all- star group was inducted Saturday night in a taped HBO special that told the stories of Whitney Houston, Notorious B. I. G. and the Doobie Brothers’ rise to fame and how acts like Nine Inch Nails, T. Rex and Depeche Mode heavily impacted the music industry and generations after them.

As she inducted Houston into the Rock Hall, Grammy- winning singer Alicia Keys gave a beautiful, heartfelt speech about one of the best singers in pop history.

“We all know what a miraculous singer Whitney was, perhaps the greatest voice of our all time,” said Keys, who wrote a song for Houston’s last album. “We all know how her unprecedented success brought Black women into the absolute highest reaches of the music industry’s pantheon. We all know that her music will live forever — that music, that everlasting voice is her final generous gift to us.

“And she will now be one of the brightest lights ever to shine in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.”

Houston, one of the best- selling acts in music history who died in 2012 at age 48, released her debut album in 1985 and recently

became the first Black artist to have three diamond- certified albums.

Her mother and aunt, Cissy and Pat Houston, accepted the award on her behalf.

The Notorious B. I. G. was shot to death in 1997 at 24 and in a few years became one of the top voices in rap and pop. He was inducted by close friend and collaborator Diddy.

“Nobody has come close to the way Biggie sounds, to the way he raps, to the frequency that he hits,” Diddy said. “Tonight, we are inducting the greatest rapper of all time.”

The Notorious B. I. G.’ s son and daughter, C. J. and T’yanna Wallace, accepted the honor.

The British band T. Rex was known primarily for its 1970s hit “Bang a Gong ( Get It On)” and, to a lesser extent, “Jeepster.” They were inducted by Ringo Starr.

T. Rex, Houston, B. I. G. and the Doobie Brothers were inducted after being on the ballot for the first time.

Notorious B. I. G. Whitney Houston