Whether dressed as a mermaid or a disco diva, Cher鈥檚 wardrobe is full of iconic outfits. Two of them are now at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to kick off the museum鈥檚 induction week. This year鈥檚 slate of 16 inductees is as diverse as Cher鈥檚 closet, and that鈥檚 on display in the 2024 inductee exhibit, opening Friday.
鈥淚 am obsessed with Cher's 'Take Me Home' outfit,鈥� said Amanda Pecsenye, director of curatorial affairs. 鈥淚t's a beautiful Bob Mackie creation... which she has continued to wear variations of to the present day. It's a real showstopper.鈥�
During a , Cher expressed displeasure at not being inducted. That soon changed and she鈥檚 slated to perform at the ceremony on Oct. 19 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
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鈥淧erhaps all was forgiven once the announcement was made, but I don't blame her,鈥� Pecsenye said. 鈥淪he'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.鈥�
, she鈥檚 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.
鈥淥ne thing that's challenging, almost without fail, is how petite a lot of these artists are,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o, 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.鈥�
In the Musical Excellence category, Dionne Warwick and psychedelic soul producer Norman Whitfield are being inducted along with the MC5 and Jimmy Buffet.
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鈥淲e have the 鈥榩ainted lady' guitar that Jimmy Buffett actually wrote 'Margaritaville' on,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o, that's really cool and really bittersweet since his passing.鈥�
The exhibit also includes instruments from Dave Matthews Band, Kool & the Gang and Foreigner. Rounding out 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.
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 鈥淜ool鈥� 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.
鈥淚 think that people are sensing the excitement in the air that happens when the induction ceremonies in Cleveland,鈥� 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.
