Prince & the Dells inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Jet, April 5, 2004

Prince Rogers Nelson, known to fans reply as Prince and legendary singing group the Dells were among those recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during the 19th annual black-tie dinner and presentation ceremony at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City.

Prince and an eight-piece band kicked off the ceremony with his hits Let's Go Crazy, Sign 'O' the Times and Kiss. Grammy Award-winners Alicia Keys and Atlanta hip-hop duo OutKast, who both cited Prince as "one of our greatest inspirations," presented the royal one with his award.

"There are many kings," said Keys during the ceremony. "King Henry VIII, King Solomon, King Tut, King James, King Kong and the three kings. But there is only one Prince.... only one man who has defied restriction, defied the obvious and all the rules of the game."

When he made his acceptance speech, Prince admitted that he was preoccupied in the early days of his career with maintaining his creative freedom.

"I embarked on a journey more fascinating than I could ever imagine, but a word to the wise to the young artists--without real spiritual mentoring, too much freedom can lead to the soul's decay," he said.

The Minneapolis native offered more words of advice to the up-and-coming artists of today. He warned, "A real friend and mentor is not on your payroll, I wish all of you the best on this fascinating journey. It ain't over."

To become eligible for the Hall of Fame, musicians must wait 25 years after the release of their first recording. Prince was awarded the honor the first year of his eligibility.

Prince has been labeled as mysterious and controversial since he first hit the music scene in 1978. The use of racy lyrics on such songs as Soft and Wet and Darling Nikki has helped make him famous. To date 18 Prince albums have been certified gold or platinum. The Grammy Award-winning album Purple Rain, which topped the charts for nearly half a year, alone has sold 13 million copies.

The five-part harmony vocal group the Dells was inducted by actor/movie maker Robert Townsend, who based his 1991 acclaimed film The Five Heartbeats on the lives and career of the group.

Before the group performed its 1956 classic Oh What A Night, the Harvey, IL, natives dedicated their honor to fellow male groups such as the O'Jays, the Whispers, the Manhattans and the Chi-Lites. "This is not just about the Dells tonight," said group member Charles Barksdale, commenting on the lack of R&B groups in the Hall of Fame.

Having been inducted into the Hall of Fame this year makes the group's 51st anniversary even more special.

"This is the highlight of an entertainer's life from a musical standpoint," Barksdale told JET.

"There is a time for everything and this feels magnificent. For us to go into the Hall of Fame representing the Black vocal groups of our era and beyond is a great tribute."

In 1952 five high school buddies, who initially called themselves the El-Rays, got together to form the Dells. Today the group is considered to be one of the pioneers of boy groups such as New Edition, Boyz II Men and N' Sync.

Four of the current Dells, Chuck Barksdale, Verne Allison, Michael McGill and Marvin Junior, are original members. The newest singer, Johnny Carter, a former Flamingos member, replaced the late Johnny Funches in 1960. Carter was also inducted into the Hall with the original Flamingos.

The Dells' classic hits include Stay In My Corner, Open Up My Heart and A Heart Is A House For Love.

Among the other 2004 inductees were Bob Seger, ZZ Top, Jackson Browne, Jann Wenner, and the late George Harrison.