Whether dressed as a mermaid or a disco diva, Cher’s wardrobe is full of iconic outfits. Two of them are now at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to kick off the museum’s induction week. This year’s slate of 16 inductees is as diverse as Cher’s closet, and that’s on display in the 2024 inductee exhibit, opening Friday.
“I am obsessed with Cher's 'Take Me Home' outfit,” said Amanda Pecsenye, director of curatorial affairs. “It's a beautiful Bob Mackie creation... which she has continued to wear variations of to the present day. It's a real showstopper.”
During a 2023 interview, Cher expressed displeasure at not being inducted. That soon changed and she’s slated to perform at the ceremony on Oct. 19 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
“Perhaps all was forgiven once the announcement was made, but I don't blame her,” Pecsenye said. “She's been around for almost six decades, having hits in every one of those decades. She's an icon. She's a goddess. So, she deserves the induction, and I'm really glad that we're honoring her.”
In the Performer category, she’s joined by Mary J. Blige, Dave Mattews Band, Foreigner, Peter Frampton, Kool & the Gang, A Tribe Called Quest and Ozzy Osbourne. Pecsenye said they were able to get artifacts from all of the acts.
“One thing that's challenging, almost without fail, is how petite a lot of these artists are,” she said. “So, we need to use special mannequins in a lot of cases. One of the Ozzy Osbourne stage costumes - I think the fabric has changed texture over the years, making it smaller than it was even when he wore it. We had a very hard time fitting it on a mannequin because we want everything to not only look great, but it has to be displayed in a way that's not going to cause any damage to the piece.”
In the Musical Excellence category, Dionne Warwick and psychedelic soul producer Norman Whitfield are being inducted along with the MC5 and Jimmy Buffet.
“We have the ‘painted lady' guitar that Jimmy Buffett actually wrote 'Margaritaville' on,” she said. “So, that's really cool and really bittersweet since his passing.”
The exhibit also includes instruments from Dave Matthews Band, Kool & the Gang and Foreigner. Rounding out this year’s class are Motown executive Suzanne de Passe, R&B singer/songwriter Big Mama Thornton and British blues pioneers Alexis Korner and John Mayall.
Ways to engage
Ahead of the inductions at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse Oct. 19, Ohio residents can visit the museum for free on Sunday. There will be live bands performing, trivia challenges and gallery tours.
The week’s public events also include an outdoor, ticketed show by Speedy Ortiz on Wednesday night and the dedication of the inductees' signature plaque on Oct. 18 at 3 p.m. The museum's VP of Education, Jason Hanley, interviews 2024 inductee Robert “Kool” Bell Oct. 17 at another ticketed event. The Youngstown native is the only living founder of Kool & the Gang, who notched more than four dozen R&B, funk and disco hits.
“I think that people are sensing the excitement in the air that happens when the induction ceremonies in Cleveland,” Pecsenye said.
The induction ceremony was last held in Cleveland in 2021 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, followed by events in Los Angeles and New York City.
