Now that the sense of wonder has subsided for Hall and Oates, who waited through more than 15 years of eligibility, new questions arise for their belated Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. Namely, what they will play — and who will induct them?
As for the first question, John Oates says the ceremony’s typically brief setlist is still being worked out. Even so, he has at least one song in mind that appears to be a sure thing for their big night.
“It’s probably the usual suspects,” Oates tells Bob Rivers. “I guarantee you ‘She’s Gone’ will be one of them. It would not surprise me if ‘I Can’t Go For That,’ ‘Sara Smile,’ ‘Maneater,’ ‘Out of Touch’ — I mean, it would be any of those songs. … Whatever we do will be fun, and I can’t wait to hear other people’s interpretations of what we do. I’m just there for the party!”
Meanwhile, Oates says he’s still unsure of who will introduce the record-smashing duo, adding that those decisions are made from officials with the Rock Hall. A similar process led to Hall and Oates inducting their childhood hero Smokey Robinson during the 1987 ceremonies.
“I thought that was a great honor, just for us to do that for him,” Oates says. “That was thrilling, and a really cool thing to do — because you really get to think about why the person you are inducting was important to the world, and to you. You get to say something important, and hopefully you give this person the honor that they are due. So, it will be really interesting to see who they choose for us.”
Hall and Oates, who first met the hall’s requirements for induction all the way back in 1997, join a class that includes Kiss, Nirvana and Peter Gabriel. They’ll be honored on April 10, 2014, at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
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