Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp Deliver a Powerful Jerry Lee Lewis Tribute at the Rock Hall
The 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony ended on a high-energy note as Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp came together to honor the late Jerry Lee Lewis, one of rock ’n’ roll’s earliest and most influential pioneers.
The two legendary performers closed the ceremony with spirited renditions of Lewis’ “High School Confidential” and “Great Balls of Fire,” backed by Zac Brown Band.
They were also joined by Roy Bittan, the longtime E Street Band keyboardist. His presence was especially fitting given Lewis’ reputation for his explosive, unmistakable piano performances.
“One last one for the Killer”
Photos from the 2022 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.
Before launching into the tribute, Springsteen addressed the audience with a simple dedication.
“One last one for the Killer,” he said, before asking whether anyone knew the lyrics and jokingly asking if they could be put up on the screen.
The performance then erupted into a lively celebration of Lewis’ music, bringing the ceremony to a fitting conclusion.
Lewis had died on October 28 at the age of 87. His passing marked the loss of the final surviving member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s inaugural 1986 class.
That historic group also included some of the defining names of early rock and R&B, including Chuck Berry, James Brown, Fats Domino, the Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley.
At the time of Lewis’ death, his publicist captured the enduring nature of his music in a statement: somewhere in the world, someone would always be playing a Jerry Lee Lewis song — whether in a small honky-tonk, a major music hall or a church basement rec room.
Springsteen and Mellencamp had already played a major role that night
The Lewis tribute was not the first appearance by either rock icon during the ceremony.
Earlier in the evening, Springsteen inducted record executive Jimmy Iovine, while Mellencamp inducted entertainment lawyer Allen Grubman into the Rock Hall.
Both Iovine and Grubman received the Ahmet Ertegun Award, an honor recognizing non-performing music-industry professionals who have made a major contribution to the creative development and growth of rock ’n’ roll and music that has influenced youth culture.
Springsteen used his induction speech to recall Iovine’s role in his career, particularly a moment when Iovine persuaded him to give an unfinished demo to Patti Smith.
That material eventually became “Here Comes the Night,” Smith’s biggest chart hit.
Springsteen credited Iovine with helping transform the song into a major Top 5 record, joking that he himself would not have had the courage to reshape it into a love song in the same way.
Mellencamp’s tribute to Allen Grubman
Mellencamp also shared a memorable story about his longtime friend Grubman.
He recalled Grubman once comparing the music business to a “great big motherfucking tree” — something massive and unbending, with countless apples hanging from its branches.
Some remain attached, Grubman had explained, while many eventually shrivel and fall away, forgotten.
Mellencamp thanked Grubman for helping ensure that he remained firmly attached to that proverbial tree.
But it was the final performance of the night that provided the ceremony with its most poignant closing moment: Springsteen, Mellencamp, Zac Brown Band and Roy Bittan coming together to celebrate the legacy of Jerry Lee Lewis through the songs that helped define his place in rock ’n’ roll history.