NASHVILLE, TN (March 23, 2005) — When Elvis first swayed onstage and Jerry Lee Lewis pounded out
Great Balls of Fire on the piano, the world took notice and Rock n' Roll was born. Now, Rock n' Roll is firmly embedded in the history of music and the hits keep on coming as does the list of Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame inductees.
This year, the Hall of Fame announced five new inductees including U2, The Pretenders, The O'Jays, Percy Sledge and Buddy Guy. Among the inductees was Yamaha drummer, Larry Mullen, Jr, who also had a great month in February 2005 when his band U2 picked up a Grammy. Mullen plays a set of Yamaha
Absolute Beech Nouveau drums. U2 has played for over 30 years from Dublin (where the band formed) to every other spot around the world.
U2 performed live during the induction ceremony after being presented their award by another legend, Bruce Springsteen. Mullen and the band along with Bruce Springsteen rocked the crowd with some of their hits and the popular song, "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For." Other Yamaha artists making appearances during the induction ceremony were Justin Timberlake and Rod Stewart.
Also performing during the telecast featured on VH1 was rock icon, Jerry Lee Lewis. Lewis performed "A Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" with a Yamaha
C7. The song was loud and vintage Lewis. By the end of the performance, Lewis sat on top of the Yamaha piano keys and had the audience on their feet cheering for the raucous performance.
The genre of Rock n' Roll constantly evolves and new artists are always developing their own sounds from what the legends have already molded. This year's 2005 inductees have sealed their place in history and kept Rock n' Roll high in the charts and ready for the next crop of legendary rockers.
For more information on Yamaha Corporation of America's Artist Affairs division, please contact Tiffany Napper at
tnapper@yamaha.com or 615-599-0800. Yamaha's ever-growing list of artists can be viewed by going to
www.yamahaartists.com.
