For the first time ever, viewers will be able to watch a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony live without being there in the flesh. On Thursday (Sept. 28) morning, the Rock Hall announced that the 2023 ceremony will be streaming live on Disney+ at 8 p.m. ET when it takes over Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on Nov. 3. In past years, an edited version of each Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony aired on HBO several weeks following the in-person event; now, that edited broadcast of highlights will air on ABC come Jan. 1, 2024, from 8-11 p.m. ET.
That news also came with the first announcement of who we can expect to take the stage at the Class of 2023 induction. Of the new inductees, Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, Chaka Khan and Willie Nelson have been revealed as performers at the Nov. 3 event. Additionally, special guests Brandi Carlile, Dave Matthews, H.E.R., Chris Stapleton, St. Vincent and New Edition will also take the stage.
The Class of 2023 also includes Kate Bush, the late George Michael, Rage Against the Machine and The Spinners in the performers category. Additionally, DJ Kool Herc, Link Wray, Al Kooper, Bernie Taupin and Don Cornelius will be inducted.
“This historic live stream on Disney+ and special on ABC is a testament to the diverse sounds and enduring power of rock and roll,” said John Sykes, chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, in a press release. “Over the last three decades, the annual live Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction has become music’s highest honor, celebrating the artists who’ve defined generations and changed music forever.”
This year will mark the first induction ceremony since Rock Hall co-founder Jann Wenner was removed from the foundation’s board of directors by a near-unanimous vote. The Rolling Stone founder was widely lambasted following an interview with The New York Times about his book The Masters, which didn’t include interviews with women or Black artists. When pressed on this by the Times, he replied that women were not “as articulate enough on this intellectual level” about rock music and added that Black artists “just didn’t articulate at that level.” Since then, Wenner apologized in a statement, saying, “In my interview with The New York Times, I made comments that diminished the contributions, genius, and impact of Black and women artists and I apologize wholeheartedly for those remarks.”
