Chapter 394

Photos from rockhall.com.

Bobby Karl took his act on the road this month, namely to Saturday’s 27^th annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, staged this year in Cleveland, Ohio (4/14).

The black-tie gala was held in the city’s historic Public Hall. That’s a cool, Art Deco venue about a block from the museum.

This year’s honorees were/are the Beastie Boys, Donovan, Guns N’ Roses, Laura Nyro, Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Small Faces/The Faces, plus Freddie King as an early influence and non performers Don Kirshner, Cosimo Matassa, Tom Dowd and Glyn Johns. Plus, there were the “make-up” inductions of the previously overlooked bands The Miracles, The Comets, The Blue Caps, The Famous Flames, The Midnighters and Music City’s own The Crickets – J.I./Jerry Allison, Joe B. Mauldin and Sonny Curtis, as well as the late Nikki Sullivan.

Following a fabulous cocktail dinner—more on this later—we took our assigned dessert tables upstairs for the ceremony. About 6,000 fans were in the two balconies above us, gazing down at our black-tie splendor. I thought about tossing desserts up to them. My guess is that there were 2,000 industry dignitaries on the floor. So that was a much, much bigger crowd than attends the event at the Waldorf Astoria in Manhattan, the gig’s usual home. It comes to Cleveland once every three years, and this was my first time to attend the gala in Ohio.

Musically, the highlights included Green Day kicking things off with an incendiary “Letter Bomb,” Darlene Love’s magnificently Spectorian rendition of “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” Donovan’s set and the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ finale all-star jam on “Higher Ground.”

Rock Hall president/CEO Terry Stewart welcomed everyone, noting that, “the entire city has been on fire for the past 11 days,” with the opening of the Hall’s Library & Archives, a new Grateful Dead exhibit and the first 17 plaques of a new Walk of Fame on downtown streets. Cleveland does make a big deal out of this, much more so than Nashville does with its awards events or New York and Los Angeles do with theirs. Here’s something you would never see in the South: When Stewart introduced Ohio Governor John Kasich, the whole room booed loudly.

Jann Wenner’s speech and the video clips of this year’s inductees were wildly cheered by the fans. Their enthusiasm made a real difference in the night’s vibe.

Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill of ZZ Top inducted the late bluesman Freddie King and played his songs. Dusty saluted his late brother Rocky Hill, as well as Freddie, saying, “Long live Freddie King and long live the blues.” Daughter Wanda King accepted.

John Mellencamp inducted Donovan, who sang “Catch the Wind,” “Sunshine Superman” and “Season of the Witch.”

Bette Midler became emotional inducting the late Laura Nyro, emphasizing her feminism as well as her awesome songwriting. Sara Bareilles sang “Stoney End” in salute. Laura’s son Gil Bianchini accepted.

Carole King inducted the late Don Kirshner. Widow Sheila Kirshner accepted. Bandleader Paul Shaffer did his famed Kirshner imitation, drawing laughs, and then Darlene brought down the house.

An “In Memoriam” video sequence was accompanied by Ledisi singing “At Last.” Our own late Steve Popovich was among those applauded.

Miami Steve Van Zandt inducted The Faces/Small Faces. Rod Stewart was absent due to the flu, but Mick Hucknall ably sang lead in his absence.

Next, Smokey Robinson did the honors for the six previously overlooked bands. “The bands don’t stand behind us; we stand together,” he said. “We play together.” The Crickets did not attend.

Chuck D of Public Enemy and LL Cool J inducted The Beastie Boys. Then Kid Rock, The Roots and Travie McCoy of Gym Class Heroes performed the salute.

Robbie Robertson inducted Casimo Matassa, Glyn Johns and the late Tom Dowd. By now it was one o’clock in the morning, and we’d been there since the 5 PM dinner.

Chris Rock inducted Guns N’ Roses. His remarks included a jab at the band’s boycotting lead singer Axl Rose.

Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day did the talking for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and their performance brought the ceremony to its end at around 1:30.

Among those who endured were Holly Gleason, Holly George and Robert Burke Warren, George Clinton, Lance Freed, Berry Gordy Jr., Terry Likona, Andy Schwartz, Parke Puterbaugh, Brad Tolinski and his rock-musician girlfriend Izzy Lay, Harry Weinger, Jim Brickman and Rob Bowman. Ted Drozdowski of The Scissormen was representing Music City, as was Hall of Fame member Felix Cavalieri, who produced one of inductee Nyro’s LPs.

Now about that cocktail dinner: Beneath the Public Hall is a massive space. One ballroom was sparkling in silver and white with beads and feathers. Another was lit in red with black-and-crimson gothic décor. Black tablecloths were splashed with red rose petals. The “pastel” room was lit in lavender. Lime green orchids decorated aqua tablecloths. The most intimate room was lit in orange and was decorated with dozens of Moroccan lamps.

Throughout these spaces stood robot-like statuesque women and bare-chested men wearing quasi-military white attire featuring lighted epaulettes with floor-length fringe and captain’s hats fronted with silver CDs. They held scepters whose globed tops constantly shifted colors. The women had silver designs painted around their eyes. The men’s bodies were shaved and spray tanned.

All the rooms had tables of giant prawns, seared tuna, encrusted salmon, beef tenderloin, pasta stations, boxed Napa cabbage salads and veggies including marinated mushrooms and steamed carrots, asparagus and green beans. Desserts in the induction hall included chocolate-covered Pringles, shortbread cookies, strawberries, brie-and-crackers, grapes, tasty dough balls, a whole tray of chocolates and another tray of cupcakes.

An edited version of this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame celebration will air HBO on May 5. Tune in.

“To know where you’re going, you have to know where you’ve been,” said The Band Perry’s Kimberly Perry last night (4/11) at the 2012 All For The Hall benefit concert.

Which pretty succinctly sums up an excellent musical evening. It was “group night” at the annual Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum fundraiser, with duos and groups comprising the vast majority of performers. It was a multi-generational affair—hot new artists playing the same stage as beloved veterans.

But first, co-host Keith Urban and band had to warm us up. After a quick four count from the drummer, guitars strummed the opening riff to “You Gonna Fly” as the silver curtain hiding the stage dropped and we were off.

“Third time’s a charm,” said a smiling Urban as he greeted the crowd. He wasted no time before launching into “Sweet Thing,” accompanied by a cluster of waving cell phone lights from the floor. When the house lights came up, Bridgestone Arena appeared to be at capacity—a good sign for the Hall of Fame.

Keith introduced his “spiritual brother” and co-host Vince Gill during the mid-song breakdown, and the two engaged in some impressive Allman-esque dueling guitars.

“You’re gonna get to see a lot of great bands tonight,” said Vince. “Thirty-three years ago I got to be in a great band.” He elaborated by singing the Pure Prairie League classic “Amie.”

Vince also nodded at the Hall of Fame’s brand spankin’ new Bakersfield Sound exhibit by playing Buck Owens’ “Together Again,” complete with a breathtaking steel solo from Paul Franklin.

The first duo or group to take the stage was Thompson Square, fresh from a huge ACM Award win for Duo of the Year. T2 offered up “I Got You” and the No. 1 smash “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not.”

The Grand Ole Opry’s Eddie Stubbs was on deck to assist with master of ceremonies duties between performers.

“How about having Vince and Keith as the backup band?” asked Stubbs. Yeah, you could do a lot worse.

Singer/songwriters Kenny Loggins, Gary Burr, and Georgia Middleman—collectively known as Blue Sky Riders—took the stage next, and performed the uptempo road song “I’m A Rider (Finally Home)” and “Dream.” According to Stubbs, the Riders have an album and single on the way.

“We’re Blue Sky Riders and you’ve never heard of us. Admit it,” quipped Burr.

The Pistol Annies (Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe, Angaleena Presley) strutted onstage to thunderous applause. The girls swayed over the swampy intro to “Hell On Hells,” their harmonies haunting on the hypnotic blues number. “Thanks to Vince and Keith for being our backup band,” said ringleader Miranda Lambert. “That’s hot!” The Annies finished with a sassy, tough-as-nails run through “Takin’ Pills.”

Diamond Rio followed, tearing into “Unbelievable.” Rio singer Marty Roe told the audience about Keith Urban standing in for guitarist Jimmy Olander at an ACM Awards years back when Jimmy’s son was born. “Do you know how to play any Diamond Rio songs?” he had asked Urban. “Where do you want to start?” was the reply. The band closed up with its hit “Meet In The Middle,” with Vince, Keith and Olander trading flashy six string licks.

Keith introduced Little Big Town by saying he stole half of the group to sing on “You Gonna Fly.” The full LBT was present last night, starting off with the funky, mid-tempo Adam Hood song “Front Porch Thing.” Someone’s going to have a hit with that cut. Speaking of hits, LBT also played “Boondocks,” its intricate four-part vocal coda still impressive.

Four-part harmony continued with the Oak Ridge Boys, who sang the beloved hit “Elvira” right off the bat. The group then took it back to the beginning of their country radio career with “Bobby Sue.”

Attendees also got to see a video about the Hall of Fame’s partnership with Ford, the Ford Community Day and more. Featured were the Oaks, Jim “Moose” Brown, Erin Enderlin, Hunter Hayes, and Dwight Yoakam.

Lady Antebellum was the next group, and lead the crowd in singing Happy Birthday to Vince. “72 years old,” joked Charles Kelley. The superstar vocal group performed its recent hit “We Owned the Night” and Need You Now smash “American Honey.”

One of only two solo performers to play the event, the Gentle Giant of country music Don Williams joined the stage. Williams’ selections included “Imagine That,” from his upcoming Sugar Hill album And So It Goes, and his classic “Tulsa Time.”

Country Music Hall of Famers Alabama eschewed the backing band for a stripped down approach that included “Feels So Right” and “She’s A Lady Down On Love.”

“There’s nothing like the sound of those voices,” commented Urban. “And there’s nothing like sibling harmony.” That was Band Perry’s cue.

The Perry clan delivered current single “Postcard From Paris” with frontwoman-extraordinaire Kimberly showing off her soulful pipes, accented by some tasty B3 organ fills. The group wrapped up with “You Lie.”

Newest Grand Ole Opry members (at least until 10 minutes later in the show) Rascal Flatts stopped by to perform “Changed,” the title track from the group’s new album. “It’s the most handsome band I’ve ever seen in my life,” joked Gary LeVox while gesturing to Vince and Keith. The group brought the crowd to its feet with a cover of the Tom Cochrane hit “Life is a Highway.”

The breaking news moment of the night happened when Vince, the Oaks, Rio, and Flatts came together to surprise Keith Urban with an invitation to become the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry.

“I’m shocked,” said a tearful Urban. “It’s a huge honor and how beautiful to have this happen tonight of all nights.” His induction ceremony is set for April 21, so mark those calendars.

The other solo performer on the bill was the legendary Merle Haggard, who is playing at the Ryman tonight (4/11). The outlaw country star, apparently feeling pretty good after a health scare earlier in the year, received a standing ovation after “Today I Started Loving You Again,” “Working Man Blues,” and “Silver Wings.”

Keith gratefully thanked everyone one more time, before bringing the entire cast back to the stage for an ensemble performance of “I Saw Her Standing There.”

Dolly Parton just released her two-disc DVD/CD collection An Evening With…Dolly exclusively to Cracker Barrel Old Country Store locations, and it features performances from Dolly’s sold-out O2 Arena concert in London. The two-disc DVD and CD set also includes personal stories and backstage footage showing the inner workings of her show. Included are performances of her hits including “Coat of Many Colors,” “9 to 5,”  “Jolene,” “Here You Come Again,” and “I Will Always Love You,” along with live bonus tracks “Shattered Image” and “My Tennessee Mountain Home.”

The iconic country performer also has several upcoming media appearances to promote the release. Today (4/11), Dolly will appear on the syndicated mid-day program The Better Show. This  Saturday (4/14), she will appear on CMT Insider as well as Fox News Channel’s Huckabee. Both shows re-air Sunday (4/15).

Next week, Dolly will join GAC’s On The Streets on Tuesday (4/17). She will also spend time with ABC’s The Revolution with Tim Gunn for a two-part piece scheduled to air 4/26 and 4/27. Other upcoming appearances include The Dr. Steve Show and The Balancing Act.

MusicRow recently sat down with Dolly to discuss An Evening with… Dolly, how Whitney Houston affected her life, the new Water and Snow Park venture in Nashville, her future plans and more. Part one of the chat appears below.

Given the number of songs you’ve written, how did you go about choosing the ones you put on this compilation?

It’s not an easy job. You just figure out what you think they’ll enjoy the most and what you can entertain them with the most, what your best stories would be about this song, or how that song came to be. You have to leave out so much stuff, it breaks your heart! I think this album has something for everybody, all the hits with stories about them. People like to hear me talk and I never know when to hush! I think the eleven songs and the two bonus tracks are a good showing. Plus, what was great about this DVD, is that we did a lot of behind the scenes footage. People like that too.

How are your fans different in the United States compared to Europe?

We have wonderful fans and I appreciate them all. But here, they know they can see you the next time you perform. You’re not out of reach. Since I don’t get there that often, when I go overseas, they’re glad to get to see you. And they want to be over excited because they want you to come back. Sometimes they get a little rowdier, only because they’re excited and they want you to know they love you so.

How did your partnership with Cracker Barrel come about?

Cracker Barrel’s a country store; I’m a country girl. We worked with them before on “Backwoods Barbie.” They do great selling gospel, bluegrass, and country. We’re a perfect team. For me to sit on the front porch and rock is nothing unusual for me! The fact that we did the show overseas is kind of a plus ‘cause it’s like country people getting to go on a trip.

On the DVD, you talk about a song you wrote in New York, called “Only Dreamin’.” I love the unique arrangement. Could you comment on what influenced that particular arrangement?

That song influenced that arrangement. I was in New York and we were doing rehearsals for the Broadway musical 9 to 5. It was my birthday. I usually try to write something on my birthday every year. So I was just riding in the limousine looking out at the skyline and thinking, “Lord, here I am in New York City all the way from the Smoky Mountains.” And I was just singing in the back of the car, “Oh, I know I’m only dreaming…”  just to take myself back home. I thought, “Wow! This is kinda an usual feeling being in the big city writing something that mountain-ish!” I got out of the car and was writing it on the back of my 9 to 5 script because I didn’t have paper. A woman said, “Do you need anything?” I said, “No, I am writing a song and I need to get somewhere I can…”  She said, “Do you need a piano?” I said, “No, you don’t have a dulcimer, do you?” After I got back from New York, I went into the studio with Kent Wells and said, “Kent, I wrote a song that I really think is good but I didn’t put it down with any music. So I was standing in the studio and I just starting singing the whole song a cappella. Kent said, “God, I love that!” So he just started putting instruments on it. He started adding what he felt was that old-timey sound and tuned his guitar down into that old mountain sound. So it was all based on my original emotion singing it a cappella. And that’s one of my favorites too, by the way. I love to sing it cause I love those honking, pitiful sounds.

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Visit here for Part 2 of MusicRow’s chat with Dolly Parton.