Editor’s note: While we normally print transcripts of our Rock and Roll Foyer of Fame induction ceremony speeches after they’ve been delivered, this year, Paul Rodgers‘ management gave us a copy of Paul’s Seger induction speech before it was taped. Our intention in printing these notes is not to reveal any secrets or cast Mr. Rodgers in a negative light; rather, we do so to show you a side of the typical rock and roll honorific not often seen in public. We thank Paul Rodgers and his management for allowing us this glimpse “behind the scenes.”
WIPE NOSE!
RUN TONGUE OVER TEETH — TWICE!
REMOVE SUNGLASSES!
WAIT FOR APPLAUSE
GOO…I CAN’T BELIEVE…
HELLO, MY NAME IS PAUL RODGERS, AND I USED TO BE IN A LITTLE BAND CALLED BAD COMPANY. (WAIT FOR LAUGH!)
NOW I’M IN A LITTLE BAND CALLED QUEEN. (WAIT FOR LAUGH)
AND I’M HERE TO TELL YOU WHY BOB SEGER IS THE FIRST ROCK STAR TO BE INDUCTED IN TO THE RTH FOYER OF FAME.
I’VE BEEN IN A BUNCH OF BANDS WITH GREAT GUITARISTS (WAIT FOR LAUGH) — FROM PAUL KOSSOFF (PAUSE, REMEMBER TO LOOK UP TOWARDS “HEAVEN”) TO MICK RALPHS, AND, NOW, TO BRIAN MAY. AND (PAUSE) THEY ALL THINK THEY’RE THE REASON WHY FOLKS BUY RECORDS, SWITCH ON THE RADIO — I GUESS I SHOULD SAY VIDEO… OR IS THAT YOUTUBE THESE DAYS? (LAUGH) — AND COME OUT TO SEE THE SHOW.
(PAUSE)
BUT THEY’RE WRONG. I’VE ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT THE ONLY THING THAT REALLY GETS PEOPLE GROOVING… THE ONLY THING THAT REALLY GETS FOLKS TO SIT UP AND PAY ATTENTION… QUITE FRANKLY, THE ONLY THING THAT CAN SAVE A MEDIOCRE SONG, IF NECESSARY… IS A DYNAMITE VOCAL.
I DON’T MIND SAYING: I SHOULD KNOW. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CUED UP YOUR COPY OF “RUN WITH THE PACK,” OR “BURNIN’ SKY”? SURE, WE HAD A GREAT BAND, BUT — THERE’S MORE THAN JUST A SPOONFUL OF PAUL RODGERS IN THERE, PEOPLE.
BOB SEGER KNOWS WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT. IT’S TRUE, HIS EARLY, OUT-OF-PRINT ALBUMS HAVE AN INTENSITY, A RAW POWER— NOT TO MENTION A HUGE SOUND — THAT HIS LATER MATERIAL WAS NEVER ABLE TO CAPTURE. (WAIT FOR APPLAUSE)
AM I RIGHT? (WAIT FOR APPLAUSE) HOW ABOUT THOSE EARLY RECORDS? (PAUSE) HEY, CAPITOL, WHEN ARE YOU GONNA RE-ISSUE THOSE ALBUMS, GUYS? (WAIT FOR APPLAUSE)
BUT I’M HERE TO TELL YOU THAT MOST OF THE REASON BEHIND THOSE EARLY RECORDS’ HUGENESS WAS BOB HIMSELF. IMAGINE “RAMBLIN’ GAMBLIN’ MAN” WITH JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE BEHIND THE MIC, AND YOU’LL KNOW WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT. (WAIT FOR LAUGHTER/APPLAUSE)
SURE, THE GUY IS A SONGWRITER. YOU KNOW THAT. I KNOW THAT. GENERAL MOTORS KNOWS THAT. (WAIT FOR LAUGHTER) AND HIS SONGS — “MAIN STREET,” “TURN THE PAGE,” “AGAINST THE WIND,” AND MANY, MANY MORE — HAVE WHAT WE CALL ‘STAYING POWER’ IN THE BIZ. BUT THE MAIN REASON BOB IS HERE IS BECAUSE HE’S FOR REAL. HE BELIEVES. AND HE’S CONSISTENT. THESE DAYS, HE MAY TAKE SEVEN YEARS BETWEEN ALBUMS, BUT YOU CAN COUNT ON THAT NEXT ALBUM TO DELIVER THE SOLID-ROCKIN’, STRAIGHT-TALKIN’, STEADY-WALKIN’, GUITAR-SQUAWKIN’ GROOVES YOU’VE COME TO EXPECT FROM BOB FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS.
LET’S FACE IT: AS “GROWN-UP” AS HIS ALBUMS HAVE BECOME OVER THE YEARS, ONE THING HAS NEVER CHANGED — AND THAT’S BOB SEGER’S BELIEF IN THE TRANSFORMATIVE, HEALING POWER OF ROCK AND ROLL. YOU CAN HEAR IT IN HIS VOICE. HE MEANS IT. HE LOVES IT. HE’S THE DOCTOR, PEOPLE. HE’S HERE TO HELP. HE’S HERE TO MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER. SO ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVES, PEOPLE. ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVES AND GET YOURSELF A SHOT OF RHYTHM AND BLUES. THE BOB SEGER TOUR BUS HAS JUST ROLLED IN FROM DETROIT CITY (APPLAUSE)… THE *MOTOR* CITY (APPLAUSE)… AND IT IS MY HIGH HONOR THIS EVENING, HERE IN FRANKFORT, KENTUCKY, TO INDUCT HIM INTO THE RTH ROCK AND ROLL FOYER OF FAME!
(WAIT FOR BOB, REMEMBER TO SHAKE HAND AND PRESENT TROPHY. NO SMALL TALK! STEP TO THE *LEFT*)
…
Rodgers’ induction speech was truly moving.