CLEVELAND, Ohio – When you have the biggest pop star in the world, you use her. The 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony opened with Taylor Swift singing Carole King’s “Will You Love Me Tomorrow.” It was one of the most stunning openings to any Induction Ceremony in recent memory.
Swift earned a standing ovation for her performance (Her blissful rendition could have fit perfectly on one of Swift’s recent albums). More importantly, Swift brought the song’s writer Carole King to tears.
King’s induction was the first of the night. Her video tribute told the story of King going from writing hits for the likes of Aretha Franklin and The Shirelles to becoming one of the quintessential singer-songwriters of her era with “Tapestry.” The video featured a variety of stars, including Alicia Keys, Olivia Rodrigo, Tom Hanks and James Taylor, among others.
“Thank God for Carole King,” Hanks said, summing up the way everyone inside Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse was feeling on Saturday night.
Swift then returned to the stage to induct King. Not surprisingly, she nailed the speech.
“I cannot remember a time when I did not know Carole King’s music,” Swift said when she returned to the stage to induct King. “I grew up dancing around the living room in socked feet to the sounds of Carole’s soulful voice. Her songs speak to the true and honest feelings that everyone has felt, is currently feeling or hopes to feel someday.”
King made her way to the stage to a standing ovation, thanking Taylor for her performance.
“I want to thank all of tonight’s inductees for carrying the torch from rhythm and blues to rock and roll to the music that inspires us today,” King said, before thanking Gerry Goffin, Lou Adler, Toni Stern and other collaborators. She even responded to a fan at the top of the arena yelling out “We love you, Carole!”
“I want to say you know I’m kind of a hermit and to come out tonight and see old friends and new, and all of you tonight...It’s unbelievable,” King said.
She then demanded a standing ovation for the artist she wrote “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” for.
“I am told that today’s female singers and songwriters stand on my shoulders,” King said. “Let it not be forgotten that they also stand on the shoulders of the first woman to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. May she rest in power, Miss Aretha Franklin!”
It was the perfect transition into a performance by Jennifer Hudson, who King worked with on the song “Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)” for the film “Respect.” Hudson delivered an old-school gospel-style version of “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” that seemed to take the volume in the arena up to 10.
Carole King speaks after being inducted at the 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum Induction ceremony in Cleveland. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
At any other ceremony, it would have been a showstopping moment. But we were clearly in for an epic night. Swift and Hudson were merely warmups for King’s own performance of “You’ve Got a Friend.” What King lacked in vocal perfection (some moments were pretty rough), she made up for with warmth, inviting the crowd to sing along with her.
Production-wise, the Rock Hall had clearly stepped up its game. King’s induction was a new standard for seamlessly weaving in and out of speeches and performances. More importantly, it was a fitting tribute for one of the greatest singers and songwriters of all time.
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Taylor Swift presents the Induction award to Carole King at the 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum Induction ceremony in Cleveland. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com