Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2025: Brian Wilson, Sly Stone remembered with musical tributes

We lost a lot of great musicians in the past year, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame opened Saturday’s induction ceremony with a tribute to one of them, Sly Stone, who passed away in June at the age of 82.

The Sly tribute kicked off with Stevie Wonder performing “Dance to the Music.” He was backed by The Roots’ Questlove, who directed the doc Sly Lives! (aka the Burden of Black Genius), on drums and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea on bass, with Beck on guitar and backing vocals.

The all-star tribute also featured R&B stars Leon Thomas and Maxwell performing “Everyday People” and “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin),” with Jennifer Hudson joining the lineup for the “Higher” finale.

But Sly wasn’t the only one remembered. Ahead of the in memoriam segment, the Rock Hall remembered the late Ozzy Osbourne, a two-time Hall of Fame inductee, with a montage of clips, including footage of his 2024 induction as a solo artist.

The in memoriam ended with footage of the late Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson, followed by a performance of “God Only Knows” by Elton John, who inducted The Beach Boys into the Rock Hall in 1988.

Elton recalled meeting Wilson for the first time, noting he was scared because Wilson was his idol.

“He was the one who influenced me more than anyone else when it came to writing songs on the piano,” Elton said. “Meeting someone who’s a true genius doesn’t happen very often.”

Highlights from the 2025 Rock Hall induction ceremony will air Jan. 1 on ABC.

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