On This Day in 1987, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inducted Its First Ever Woman—Followed by a Chaotic, Haphazard Speech Weeks Later

On January 3, 1987, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, announced that it would be inducting its first female honoree: soul icon Aretha Franklin. As the Hall of Fame was established the year prior, Franklin was part of the second wave of inductees, alongside Marvin Gaye, Bo Diddley, Carl Perkins, Muddy Waters, and B.B. King.

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Franklin’s induction was significantly huge, but, as time would tell, a small step in an inclusive direction. Franklin was the only woman in her inductee class, a trend that would continue for years to come. It was a moment in pop culture history that was exciting for women but inevitably came with a follow-up thought: Really? Just one for every 10-15 men? And somehow, Franklin’s acceptance speech highlighted this strange, paradoxical moment of progress.

The soul icon didn’t attend the induction ceremony in late January 1987, with the most accepted theory being her fear of flying, even though she technically didn’t have to fly to New York. Record executive Clive Davis made a punny joke about her pink Cadillac stalling out on the “Freeway of Love” during part of the acceptance speech.

But before Davis spoke, it was Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards’ job to introduce Franklin—though it wasn’t clear he was up to the task.

The Strange Acceptance Speech for Aretha Franklin’s Induction to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Keith Richards was the first to speak on behalf of Aretha Franklin, and it got off to a rocky start. “The dictionary has been used up. There’s no superlatives left. And there’s nothing to read anyway,” Richards began, ending with a laugh. “What can I say about Aretha? You’re in, baby! My turn next?” He continued, before clocking the audience’s divisive reaction. Making a face, he added, “Oh, God forbid. Come on. A little levity doesn’t go down bad, right?”

Eventually, Richards hands off the mic to record exec Clive Davis, who said some words on behalf of Franklin. Through Davis, Franklin thanked the Hall of Fame and apologized for not being there. She thanked her record label team and the “esteemed committee,” saying how proud she was to accept the induction.

After Davis, Franklin’s older brother, Reverend Cecil Franklin. This speech was more evocative of Richards’ comments than Davis’, but it was still a heartfelt tribute to his sister. Cecil called that night “the greatest night of them all because tonight, Aretha has been written into history.” Davis grabbed the podium mic and asked for cheers “from the ladies.” Calling her the “Queen of Soul” in his final remarks, “Respect” played off the men accepting the award on her behalf.

To be fair, one can’t necessarily blame the attendees of the Hall of Fame ceremony for celebrating—if that’s the reason for the somewhat shaky, slurred comments from Richards and Franklin. Nevertheless, the entire five minutes feel like a strangely chaotic display of irreverent masculinity for a moment that should have been celebrating the achievements of women in music history.

Photo by Val Wilmer/Redferns