Roxy Music Inducted Into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
All eyes turned to Barclays Center in Brooklyn tonight as Roxy Music accepted enshrinement in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during a celebratory ceremony.
The band was inducted by Duran Duran members Simon Le Bon and John Taylor. Both musicians have long cited Roxy Music as one of their influences.
Bryan Ferry spoke for the band onstage, giving thanks to the group's various members over the years, as well as the "great team behind the scene" as he named producers and engineers the band had worked with over the years. "We'd like to thank everybody for this unexpected honor," he said, singling out the band's fans before he exited and the group performed for the first time in eight years.
Original keyboardist Brian Eno and drummer Paul Thompson weren't there -- Eno is refusing to fly for environmental reasons; Thompson is suffering from arthritis -- but Ferry led a band including Roxy guitarist Phil Manzanera, saxophonist Andy Mackay and keyboardist Eddie Jobson. They were rounded out by other musicians who've performed with the band throughout the years.
They started their set with "In Every Dream Home a Heartache," from 1973's For Your Pleasure before moving onto "Out of the Blue" (from Country Life), "Love Is the Drug" (their only U.S. Top 40 hit), an abbreviated "More Than This" and the title track from their final album, 1982's Avalon, and "Editions of You" from For Your Pleasure.
Roxy Music rose to prominence in the ‘70s thanks to their innovative fusion of glam rock, punk and New Wave influences. The group was also at the forefront of weaving electronic elements into its sound. Though their biggest commercial success was achieved in the U.K. and throughout Europe, the singles “Love Is the Drug” and “Dance Away” received modest radio airplay in the States.
While a full-fledged Roxy Music reunion remains unlikely, fans will have the opportunity to celebrate one of their classic albums. Ferry, the group's singer and songwriter, is set to tour this summer with a show based around the band’s platinum-selling 1982 release, Avalon.
As for Duran Duran, now that their induction duties are done, they’ll turn their attention to festival performances, including the recently announced Kaboo Del Mar. The English New Wave rockers have been eligible for Hall of Fame induction for several years now, but are still awaiting the call.
The 2019 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will air April 27 on HBO.