David Byrne, Kimbra, and the Roots opened last night’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony with a tribute that needed no introduction: David Bowie’s “Fame.” The annual induction always includes an “in memoriam” segment to remember recently deceased icons — Merle Haggard and the Eagles’ Glenn Frey were also honored this year — but Bowie, who died January 10, received special consideration.
It was Byrne, the former Talking Heads frontman, who inducted Bowie into the Rock Hall in 1996. “Fame” was a make-up performance for the Roots and Kimbra, who backed out of two all-star Bowie tribute concerts last week following an equipment-sharing dispute and alleged “bitchassness.”
Watch a clip of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tribute performance posted by Cheap Trick drummer Daxx Nielsen and footage of Byrne’s 1996 induction of Bowie below. The full 2016 ceremony will air on HBO at 8 p.m. EST on Saturday, April 30.
