Kate Bush confirmed that she will not attend her Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF) induction ceremony at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on Friday (November 3). Bush shared the news of her absence just hours before the ceremony, along with a lengthy statement on her website.
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“I’m afraid I won’t be able to attend the ceremony tonight,” wrote Bush, “but for me, the real honor is knowing that you felt I deserved it.”
Bush went on to thank everyone who voted her into the Rock Hall. “I am completely blown away by this huge honor, an award that sits in the big beating heart of the American music industry,” said Bush. “Thank you so much to everyone who voted for me. I never imagined I would be given this wonderful accolade.”
She also reflected on the resurgence of her 1985 song “Running Up That Hill” in 2022, originally released in 1985 on her Hounds of Love album. The song started entering the charts again following its feature in an episode of the Netflix sci-fi series Stranger Things.
“Last year was such a surprisingly successful time for my track ‘Running Up That Hill,'” said Bush, “and I’m sure that a lot of you who’ve voted me into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame also drove that track up the charts. Thank you!”
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Joining Bush this year, other Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees include Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, Rage Against the Machine, The Spinners, and the late George Michael. Additionally, several artists will win honorary awards: Chaka Khan, Bernie Taupin, and Al Kooper will receive the Musical Excellence Award, and DJ Kool Herc and Link Wray will receive the Musical Influence Award.
“The RRHOF has welcomed me into the most extraordinary rostrum of overwhelming talent,” added Bush in her statement. “When I was growing up my hero was Elton John. I poured over his music, longed to be able to play piano like him, and longed to write songs that could move people in the way his work moved me.”
She continued, “That little girl in South East London could never have dreamed she’d be sharing the event tonight with Bernie Taupin, Elton’s writing partner, an incredible lyricist who inspired me to keep writing songs—to keep trying. Congratulations Bernie. Congratulations to everyone who is being inducted tonight.”
Prior to her induction, Bush revealed the forthcoming reissue of her album Hounds of Love in a number of formats on December 1. The Hounds of Love reissues include an “illustrated vinyl” version called the Baskerville Edition along with two box sets, The Boxes of Lost at Sea.
“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,” concluded Bush. “I’m only five foot three, but today I feel a little taller.”
Photo: Lichfield Archive via Getty Images / Courtesy of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
