On Saturday (November 5), the 2022 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony took place, playing host to an evening of long-awaited reunions, surprising team-ups and all-round stellar six-string action.
One performance that comfortably fitted into that second category came courtesy of Motown legend and new inductee Lionel Richie, who tapped Dave Grohl for a rendition of the Commodores' timeless 1977 single, Easy.
Following the structure of the original track – which was written by Commodores member Richie – the performance remained mostly guitar-less for the opening exchanges, before the vocalist called upon Grohl “to play the ukulele” in the lead-up to the solo.
Once again proving himself to be one of the music world’s most flexible, prolific and energetic multi-instrumentalists, Grohl nails a like-for-like cover of the Easy solo, using his Gibson Trini Lopez electric guitar to channel those pinpoint post-phrase fretboard slides and razor-like bends.
The crowd, of course, went nuts, and continued their enthusiastic cheering by the time the grand finale came around, which saw Richie egg on a slightly bemused Grohl with some finger-pointing and air guitar.
Once he understood the assignment, Grohl duly delivered, trading off with Richie for some vocal riffs and a flurry of low-end bends.
On Instagram after the show, Richie wrote, “My brother Dave Grohl you brought the heat.”
It’s not the first time the two legends of their respective genres have teamed up. Earlier this year, Richie featured in Foo Fighters’ comedy horror film, Studio 666.
Of the cameo, Grohl told ET, “"He was written into the script. [The] screenwriters didn't know that I actually know him, so when I read the script I was like, 'Oh my god, let’s just text him!' So I texted him and I'm like, 'Dude we're making a horror film. You want to be in it?' And he was like, 'Absolutely.' And that was it.”
The 2022 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony played host to a handful of standout six-string-fueled performances. Judas Priest were responsible for arguably the most notable, with the band reuniting with former guitarist K.K. Downing to perform a three-song medley.
