Keith Urban Became a Last-Minute Hero for Tina Turner at Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction
Country star Keith Urban was a last-minute addition to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's Class of 2021 induction ceremony on Saturday night. Urban performed "It's Only Love" with H.E.R. to celebrate Tina Turner's induction into the hall since Bryan Adams was unable to travel to Cleveland after he tested positive for the coronavirus. Adams and Turner originally recorded "It's Only Love" as a duet for his 1984 album Reckless. Since Turner now lives in Switzerland, she missed out on the ceremony as well.
Adams tested positive for the virus before he left for Cleveland, reports Variety. All participants in the ceremony had to test negative for COVID-19, even if they were vaccinated. A representative for the "Summer of '69" singer said he is fully vaccinated and did not show symptoms. Urban was then called in to join H.E.R., who told SiriusXM's Volume the two rehearsed "It's Only Love" for the first time on Friday. The "God Whispered Your Name" singer was called in to replace Adams on Thursday, he told Volume.
Turner was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist by Angela Bassett, who earned an Oscar nomination for playing Turner in the 1993 biopic What's Love Got to Do With It. Christina Aguilera performed "River Deep, Mountain High," while Mickey Guyton sang "What's Love Got to Do with It?" Turner was previously inducted into the Rock Hall in 1991 alongside her ex-husband Ike Turner.
"It's Only Love" was first released on Adams' hit album Reckless, then as a single in October 1985. It earned a Grammy nomination for best rock performance by a duo or group with vocal and the music video won an MTV Video Music Award. Turner also included a live version on her 1988 album Tina Live in Europe. Adams and Turner worked on several songs together after "It's Only Love," including her Grammy-winning song "Back Where You Started" and "Why Must We Wait Until Tonight," which was featured in What's Love Got to Do With It.
The 2021 Rock Hall induction ceremony also featured Paul McCartney inducting Foo Fighters, Drew Barrymore inducing The Go-Go's, Taylor Swift inducting Carole King as a solo artist, Dave Chappelle inducting Jay-Z, and Patti Smith inducting Todd Rundgren. LL Cool J, Billy Preston, and Randy Rhoads were honored with the Award for Musical Excellence. Executive Clarence Avant received the Ahmet Ertegun Award, while Kraftwerk, Charley Patton, and Gil Scott-Heron were inducted as "early influences." The ceremony was filmed for an HBO and HBO Max special, which will air at a later date.