Phil Collins walked onstage on two canes at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, cried at the ovation, then said ‘you haven’t heard the last of me’

Phil Collins cried at a huge ovation as he accepted his solo honor at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Saturday night. Collins has been dealing with mobility issues and other health problems, and he slowly made his way to the stage using a pair of canes, as reported by the Associated Press. The crowd that cheered him included his daughter, actor Lily Collins.

Collins was already in the hall as a member of Genesis, and this was his solo honor. He hasn’t been able to perform since 2022, but he promised the crowd that “you haven’t heard the last of me.” He also said, “I grew up just wanting to play the drums. Everything else has been a really happy accident. I can’t believe, when I look back, how life has gone.”

Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker inducted Collins and praised him as both a standout drummer and a hit-making pop singer in the 1980s. Barker called the drum fill in “In the Air Tonight” “arguably the most ******* drum fill of all time.” Minutes later, Barker played that fill himself while Cynthia Erivo sang a slowed-down version of the song, and the crowd rose to its feet.

Hip-hop had a big night too

Wu-Tang Clan filled the stage with all 10 current members for their acceptance speech and performance. Backed by a big jazz band, they played a medley that included “C.R.E.A.M.,” “Method Man,” and late member Ol’ Dirty *******’s “Shimmy Shimmy Ya.”

Comedian Chris Rock inducted the Staten Island collective and said that “Wu-Tang rewrote the rules of hip-hop and did it without a big machine behind them.” The group’s leader, RZA, said, “We took Staten Island to the world. We had a desire to conquer. We wanted to make a mark. We made our mark.”

MC Lyte was the first artist inducted that night. Rapper Remy Ma, who presented the honor, called her “one of the first women in hip-hop to make sure there was room for the rest of us.” MC Lyte described herself as a “B-girl from Brooklyn just looking for my chance to inspire and motivate.”

Megan Thee Stallion later inducted Queen Latifah and said Latifah “taught us to recognize royalty within ourselves.” Latifah, who wore a leather crown that matched her leather trench coat and tie, said, “It’s difficult enough being a woman in hip-hop, let alone being a hip-hopper in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.”

Latifah and MC Lyte then performed a medley that included “U.N.I.T.Y.” and “Ruffneck,” while members of Wu-Tang and Chuck D of Public Enemy rapped along in the audience. Both entered the hall as recipients of the Early Influence Award, alongside Gram Parsons, Fela Kuti, and Celia Cruz, who were honored posthumously.

Oprah Winfrey made a surprise appearance to induct the late Luther Vandross, calling him “the maestro of the love song.” Vandross was one of the defining R&B singers of the 1980s and ’90s before he died in 2005. Winfrey said he “sang with such passion and soul it could reach something deep inside that you didn’t even know needed to be reached.” Usher then sang a medley of Vandross hits, including “Here and Now” and “So Amazing.”

U2 opened the show with a surprise performance of their new single “Silencio,” surrounded by dancers in riot squad gear, then played their 1984 song “Pride (In the Name of Love)” as Bono alternately raised a peace sign and a fist. The band has been in the hall since 2005, alongside fellow inductees like Michael Jackson, who once called Justin Timberlake about a song.

Oasis, the youngest inductees, did not attend. Guitarist Noel Gallagher was playing a gig in Britain, and his brother Liam Gallagher did not want to come. Actor Bob Odenkirk, who inducted the band, joked, “Anybody surprised they didn’t show up? It would’ve been out of character if they had.” Singer-songwriter Stephen Wilson Jr. then played an acoustic version of “Wonderwall.”

Sade also skipped the ceremony. Singer Andra Day inducted the group, and singer Sienna Spiro performed “Smooth Operator.” Iron Maiden was on tour in Australia, and key members of New Order, who were inducted jointly with Joy Division, were absent for health reasons.

The ceremony was held in Los Angeles for the second year in a row. Organizers have said it will be held there more often while still rotating to New York and Cleveland, where the hall is located. The Rock Hall did not stream the ceremony live this year, and an edited version will air on ABC and Disney+ in December.