Chris Stapleton on Defining Rock: “Music is Music”
Chris Stapleton appeared multiple times throughout this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. He played with honoree Willie Nelson, and he was part of an ensemble that performed a beautiful rendition of “The Weight” during the In Memoriam segment, which was all streamed live on Disney+.
The significance of the moment was not lost on Stapleton, who was in awe of the star power that filled the room for “Music’s Biggest Night”. Speaking with the press during the ceremony, he said: “I’m here because Willie Nelson asked me to be here. I get to play with Elton (John) tonight, that kinda came up last minute, and Sheryl (Crow) and Brittany (Howard) as well. I’m looking out in the audience and Jimmy Page is sitting there. You can’t help but be inspired by these things. This is legendary stuff, and it’s rare, just walking up and down the hallways with the people that you pass – Flavor Flav was behind me in the hallway! It’s a very unique thing to get to come to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.”
This year’s Rock Hall class was one of the most diverse ever, honoring artists with roots in hip-hop like Missy Elliott to the country legend himself, Shotgun Willie. When asked about the blurred genre lines of rock music, Stapleton commented: “My perspective is music is music and there’s two kinds, there’s good and bad, and if we all realize that we’ll be in a lot better shape.”
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony is available on demand via Disney+. This year’s inductees in the performer category included Kate Bush, Rage Against the Machine, Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, George Michael, Willie Nelson and the Spinners.
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