Jerry Lee Lewis 1st Rock Hall Induction Purple Tux w/ Sam Phillips
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Someone had to be first.
There are several things that cement Chuck Berry's status as a founding father of rock 'n' roll as we know it today. One of them is the fact that he was the first musician ever inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame back in 1986.
To be fair, the inaugural class was presented in alphabetical order, putting Berry ahead of classmates James Brown, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Fats Domino, The Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard and Elvis Presley.
Also inducted in specialty categories were Cleveland disc jockey Alan Freed, Columbia Records' John Hammond and influencers Robert Johnson, Jimmie Rogers, Sam Phillips and Jimmy Yancey.
Still, it's hard to imagine the Rock Hall choosing a better legend as its first inductee. Berry was the archetype for the music that would define the 20th century, influencing everyone from The Beatles and Rolling Stones to Jimi Hendrix and Prince.
Rolling Stones' guitarist Keith Richards inducted Berry with what is still one of the more memorable speeches in Rock Hall Ceremony history: "It's very difficult for me to talk about Chuck Berry, because I lifted every lick he ever played."
That first ceremony was a star-studded affair unlike anything the Rock Hall will be able to put together again, considering several of the honorees are dead.
Julian and Sean Lennon inducted Elvis Presley. Other presenters included Billy Joel (Fats Domino), Steve Winwood (James Brown), Neil Young (The Everly Brothers), Roberta Flack (Little Richard), Hank Williams Jr. (Jerry Lee Lewis), Quincy Jones (Ray Charles), Ahmet Ertegun (John Hammond) and others.
Perhaps the biggest moment of the night was the first all-star jam, which would become an annual fixture at the induction ceremony. Just about everyone capable hit the stage for performances of classics like "Roll Over Beethoven," "Johnny B. Goode," "Great Balls of Fire" and "The Twist."
Berry's death leaves Fats Domino as the oldest living member of that first class. Thankfully, the Rock Hall has done a great job pulling together video from every ceremony, including that 1986 landmark event.
