Rock Hall’s opening concert: 30 years later, Cleveland still remembers a night of legends

It has been 30 years since the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame opened its doors with a star-studded concert that put Cleveland on the music map. On Sept. 2, 1995, “The Concert for the Hall of Fame” drew more than 60,000 fans to Cleveland Municipal Stadium and aired live on HBO. The concert had two goals. First, it was a chance to prove Cleveland could deliver a world-class event. The city’s claim as the birthplace of rock and roll was disputed, with many critics arguing the Hall should have been built in Memphis. The concert was designed to silence the skeptics and show that artists and fans would come to Cleveland. The other purpose was financial. The Rock Hall had just been built at a cost of about $100 million, and ticket sales provided a critical infusion of cash for the fledgling museum. The show opened with Chuck Berry performing “Johnny B. Goode” alongside Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. Nearly seven hours and 68 songs later, Berry closed the night with “Rock and Roll Music.” Organizers had planned to end with an all-star version of Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone,” but after Berry stumbled through the lyrics in a different key, the jam session was scrapped. The final note came at 2:10 a.m., nearly two hours later than planned. Over the course of the night, 41 combinations of artists took the stage. Some were already Hall of Famers, including Berry, Aretha Franklin, Johnny Cash, James Brown, Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard. Others would be inducted later, among them Sheryl Crow, Bon Jovi, Slash and Springsteen, who entered the Hall in 1999. -- At 3News, we’re not here to tell you the news, we’re here to share the stories that you say matter most to you. Share your ideas, thoughts, concerns and engage in conversations about the communities in which we all call home. Follow 3News on Social: Facebook:   / wkyc.channel3   Twitter:   / wkyc   Instagram:   / wkyc3   Visit our site: https://www.wkyc.com/ And be sure to download our app here: https://wkyc.com/app