Ann Wilson:

Not everyone gets a chance to embody a dream of a life in music. It’s a dream that’s not unique to just the young men — and the many old men (pause for effect/laugh) — who are on this stage tonight. It’s also a dream young women have — and it’s a dream shared by any musician who has a message, a voice, a muse inside them. It’s the same dream whoever you are, and wherever you are — even if you are a young woman growing up outside Seattle, Washington, back in an era when Seattle wasn’t the center of the rock ‘n’ roll universe — if you can believe that, particularly after you see all the talent up here tonight. And not every musician gets to feel what it’s like to climb onstage, open up, let your soul ring out like clear bells, send out your heart like a javelin, out to feel that love returned to you like a wild fire burning you all the way down, down, down to the ground.

We got the chance to be heard, or we made the chance when we didn’t get it. We were lucky enough to be heard, to be understood, and to connect with our audience, and to feel the love returned from our fans, our audience, and — not to be forgotten — from our band.

We grew up in a world, and a time, when music was full of laughter, dancing, harmony, and love. And maybe it still is. I had the wrong gender, looks, DNA, and hometown for music business success in the era we grew up in. But aren’t the sweetest parts about music always what’s wrong? But I got a chance to sing, to find my voice onstage, and I took it, and I still take it every night, in front of every audience.

 I never take it for granted... when I leave this Earth I will look back with great love cause I got the chance to sing.

 

Nancy Wilson:

It is tremendously beautiful to be included here in this eagles nest of incredible fellow muses. Our long and winding road has always been about the magical power of love and the enduring strength of family.

We came from an era when women normally did not rock and women were not expected to be leaders.

There were mainly 4 jobs for us to chose from then. Teachers - mothers -nurses or waitresses... And becoming mothers has been the greatest most unbelievable gift of all.  So it's the biggest of all thanks that we must give to our kids tonight... Our best beloved little road orphans who loved us and forgave us for most of our sacrilegious absences.  As working moms who have also seen a few parent-teacher conferences, I am EVEN MORE SURE that we deserve this Medal of Honor! These days our modern women are becoming strong and ferocious leaders from the boardrooms -to the bedrooms. Equality is coming right along.

For us music is the real church. Its a life calling. It’s bigger than men and women put together. Music makes us all equal and perfectly human. Lost angels maybe - but lifted up by the absolute million soul thrills of music.

We're here to celebrate our lucky and perilous past. There were countless times in insanely extenuating situations where Ann and I just stopped and looked at each other and said - well- you WANTED this...

But we're not finished rocking just yet. We are looking straight into the face of the future and we say- TURN IT UP!

 

 "We hope you watch our induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Saturday 5/18 on HBO.  We'd like to take this time to thank all the people whose contributions to HEART helped bring us to this place."

MUSICIANS

 

Mark Andes / Kristian Attard / Craig Bartock / John Bayless / Tessie Bensussan / Denny Carmassi

Gilby Clarke / Frank Cox / Schuyler Deale / Lisa Delbello / Michael Derosier / Sue Ennis / Roger Fisher

Geoff Fobert / Denny Fongheiser / Steve Fossen / Kit Hain / John Hannah / Jim Hill / Mike Inez

Herbie Johnson / Brian Johnstone / Howard Leese / Tom Kellock / Ric Markmann / Duris Maxwell

Scott Olson / Bob Ombreck / Dan Rothschild / Darian Sahanaja / Fernando Saunders / Debbie Shair

Ben Smith / Tom Wendt / Dave Wilson

PRODUCERS AND RECORDING

Peter Asher / Duane Baron / Dave Dysart / Brett Eliason / Mike Flicker / Brian Foraker / Rolf Henneman

Jimmy Iovine / John Paul Jones / John Kalodner / David Leonard / Patrick McDougal

Daniel Mendez / Ben Mink / Ron Nevison / Keith Olsen / Rob Perkins / John Purdell / Jason Shavey

Dave Thoener / Vaughn Verdi / Shelly Yakus / Richie Zito

MANAGEMENT AND SUPPORT

Chris Adams / Dick Adams / Pat Adams / Jamie Alagnia / Paul Allen / Sherri Anderson / Joel Bennett

Julie Bergman / Adam Block / Brenda Boe / Gary Borman / Gretchen Brennison / Megan Brody

Geoff Bywater / Kevin Chang / Mary Sue Corrado / Bill Cracknell / Cameron Crowe / Jessica Curtis

Kelly Curtis / Jeff Diffner / Monica DiMeo / Dale Doucette / Mandy Eidgah / Maat Elman

Richard Feldstein / Michael Fisher / Carolyn Ford / Christian Fresco / Anna Knowlden-Friel / Paul Glass

Gretchen Gove / Trudy Green / Sacha Guzy / Don Grierson / Lori Gustafsen / Larry Harris / Roxanne Harris

Lee Johnson / Howard Kaufman / Ken Kinnear / Matt Lavoice / Rob Light / Debby Lyons / Linda Lyons

Kelly Macleod / Carol McClellan / Christine McDowall / Jeff Ousley / Becci Parsons / Don Passman

Carol Peters / Marcene Peterson / Rony Pineda / Catherine "Cat" Ratliff / Matt Sabin / Chip Schutzman

Shelly Siegal / Darbury Stenderu / Jason Stockwell / Catherine Suko / Mabel Tash / Bill Tannenbaum

Wally Verson / Barb Wallace / Lynn Wilson / Christian Walsh / Gary Welsh / Keith "Meaux" Windhorst

Sue Wood / Don Zimmerman