Kate Bush was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Friday.
Outkast rapper Big Boi, who describes himself as Bush’s “biggest fan,” had the honor of introducing her into Hall of Fame. “On the surface, our music is obviously very different,” Big Boi noted. “But in important ways, it’s exactly the same. What I love about Kate’s music is that I never know what sound I’m going to hear next. She ignores everything that sounds like a formula and instead does whatever she wants to — like me. She challenges me as a listener and expands my ears and my mind.”
“[She] fills my heads with idea and expand my ambitions for what music can achieve,” Big Boi continued. “As a singer, Kate’s voice is incredibly inventive. Who sounds like Kate Bush? On stage, she’s a miracle. Her songs sound theatrical on their own, but in performance they sound like theater.”
A video montage paying tribute to Bush featured testimonials from Elton John, David Gilmour, Peter Gabriel, St. Vincent, and Lauren Mayberry of CHVRCHES.
St. Vincent then took the stage to perform Bush’s seminal song “Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God).”
Bush chose not to attend the ceremony. In a statement released earlier on Friday, she said, “I’m afraid I won’t be able to attend the ceremony tonight, but for me the real honour is knowing that you felt I deserved it.”
“Music is at the core of who I am and, like all musicians, being on the journey of trying to create something musically interesting is rife with feelings of doubt and insecurity,” Bush added. “I’m only five foot three, but today I feel a little taller.”
The 2023 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class also includes Rage Against the Machine, Willie Nelson, Missy Elliott, Sheryl Crow, George Michael, DJ Kool Herc, and The Spinners.
It was an honor and a privilege to induct Kate Bush into the Rock n Roll hall of Fame ! pic.twitter.com/E4J26upwGr
— Big Boi (@BigBoi) November 4, 2023
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