Cher and Dua Lipa Perform Duet at 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony
Last night, Dua Lipa teamed up with Cher for a performance of ‘Believe’. Opening the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame ceremony in Cleveland on 19th October, Lipa—backed by the house band The Roots—started the 1998 hit solo before being joined by the pop legend on stage. The pair held hands as they sang the chorus together. Cher’s appearance was a surprise, marking her long-awaited induction after expressing frustration over her previous exclusion last year.
Cher voiced her frustrations to Kelly Clarkson, noting that despite being one of only two musical acts—alongside The Rolling Stones—to achieve a No. 1 hit across seven decades, she has repeatedly been overlooked for induction. The Rolling Stones were inducted back in 2010.
“And I’m not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! You know what, I wouldn’t be in it now if they gave me a million dollars. I’m not kidding you,” she said at the time, adding: “I’m never going to change my mind,” and that they could “just you-know-what themselves”.
Despite her previous frustrations, Cher’s induction yesterday was a joyous occasion. Zendaya, dressed in a Bob Mackie gown as a tribute to the ‘I Got You Babe’ icon, delivered the introduction speech. She praised Cher, saying that she does it all, and she does it really, really well.
“Where do I even begin? Cher is not one person. Her name is just as legendary as her legacy,” she said. “Her voice is so singular that any song she sings becomes a Cher song. She’s navigated a multitude of musical genres, defined new ones and reinvented others.”
Following her induction into the Rock Hall by Euphoria star Zendaya, Cher celebrated the milestone by performing her hit song ‘If I Could Turn Back Time’ from her 19th studio album, Heart of Stone.
In her speech, the musician said “the one thing I got from my mom is that I never gave up”, and claimed she had “changed the sound of music” forever. “I’m lucky, I’ve had really bad things happen – I was dropped by four labels,” she said.
“When it was completely over, I did ‘Believe’ and it was like, “yes!” I’ve just been really lucky, and I have had number ones for seven decades, which surprises me, because I’m a good singer [but] I’m not a great singer. You know what? I’ll take it. And also, I changed the sound of music forever, all right? And and ‘Believe’ really changed the sound of music.”
Cher’s induction comes shortly after the release of her album ‘Forever in September’ and just before the launch of her upcoming two-part memoir. The first part of the iconic singer’s memoir will be released on November 19 through HarperCollins, with the second part scheduled for release sometime next year.
–Silviya.Y
