3 big names skip Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony

A variety of music legends were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Saturday night, but three big names skipped the ceremony.

Joe Cocker, Cyndi Lauper, Chubby Checker, Bad Company, Outkast, Soundgarden and the White Stripes were honored by the Rock Hall in Cleveland Saturday night. However, Checker, Bad Company singer Paul Rodgers, and White Stripes drummer Meg White did not make appearances.

Checker, best known for songs like “The Twist,” complained for decades about not being enshrined at the hall of fame. But when he was finally honored, he said he booked a concert for the same night — on purpose — and received his induction trophy from the organization in July.

“We’re not coming. We have a gig,” Checker said. “I told my manager, ‘Make sure when we go to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the induction that I’m doing what I love doing the most, being in front of an audience. A live audience, not a television audience’… This shows that I’m alive and well and the audience is wonderful and my dream is still being fulfilled, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is happening all at the same time.”

Rodgers, also known for his work with Free and The Firm, canceled plans for a Bad Company reunion due to health issues. Bandmate Simon Kirke, the only other living member from the original lineup, attended and performed with Black Crowes singer Chris Robinson and Heart guitarist Nancy Wilson.

“My hope was to be at the Rock & Rock Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and to perform for the fans, but at this time I have to prioritize my health,” the 75-year-old Rodgers said. “I have no problem singing, it’s the stress of everything else. Thanks for understanding.”

White also did not attend, dashing fans’ hopes of a White Stripes reunion. Meg White has stayed out of the public eye since the rock band broke up nearly 15 years ago, so singer-guitarist Jack White accepted on their behalf.

“I spoke with Meg White the other day, and she said that she’s very sorry she couldn’t make it here tonight, but she wanted me to tell you that she’s very grateful. And to all of the folks who supported her in all the years, it really means a lot to her,” Jack said at the induction ceremony. “She said, ‘Do you remember, Jack? We used to walk around and animals, for some reason, would stare at us. They would stop and stare at us for some reason. Even at the Detroit Zoo, an elephant did the exact same thing one time.’ She just wanted me to tell you that,” he added with a laugh.

A fourth 2025 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame honoree, Carol Kaye, also did not attend. Kaye was slated to receive the Musical Excellence Award for her work as a bassist in the recording session group known as the Wrecking Crew, but declined “because it wasn’t something that reflects the work that Studio Musicians do and did in the golden era of the 1960s Recording Hits.”

Checker and Kaye still received video tributes, along with session pianist Nicky Hopkins and record producer and executive Lenny Waronker.

The Rock Hall induction ceremony still featured all-star performances, including Lauper collaboration with Raye on “Time After Time” and Avril Lavigne on “Girls Just Want to Have Fun”; a medley of Salt-N-Pepa hits; Olivia Rodrigo singing the White Stripes’ “We’re Gonna Be Friends” with Feist; and posthumous tributes to Cocker, Sly Stone, Warren Zevon, and Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell. Outkast’s Big Boi and Andre 3000 also reunited on stage, but did not perform together.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony is currently available for streaming on Disney+. An edited version will air on ABC on Jan. 1.