Musical icon Prince died today at the age of 57. In the wake of his tragic passing, fans are diving into his discography and unearthing musical treasures (and comedic tidbits) from his long career. One such piece that has resurfaced is the performance Prince gave when he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004 by Alicia Keys.
Organizers wanted the Purple One to join Tom Petty, Steve Winwood, Jeff Lynne and George Harrison’s son, Dhani, on a version of The Beatles’ “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” to honor Harrison, who was also being inducted that year. The resulting performance was an incredible showcase of guitar talent. Watch the video all the way through to hear his two-minute guitar solo at the end of the Beatles song—it’s worth the wait and may be one of the greatest musical moments from the Rock Hall’s induction ceremonies.
See Prince’s Life in Photos
Prince performs at the Bottom Line on Feb. 15, 1980 in New York City. Waring Abbott—Getty ImagesPrince performs on Saturday Night Live on Feb. 21, 1981.Alan Singer—Getty ImagesPrince performs onstage at the Palladium on Dec. 2, 1981 in New York City.Waring Abbott—Getty ImagesPrince in 1982.ullstein bild/Getty ImagesPrince attends the premiere of Purple Rain on July 26, 1984 in Hollywood, Calif.Ron Galella—Getty ImagesPromotional still for Purple Rain, 1984.Warner Bros. Pictures
Prince in Under the Cherry Moon, 1986.Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett CollectionPrince and the Revolution perform on Aug. 17, 1986 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Rob Verhorst—Getty ImagesPrince performs at the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards on Sept. 5, 1991 in Los Angeles. Frank Micelotta Archive—Getty ImagesPrince Charles, right, talks with Prince, left, at the "Diamonds are Forever" celebration on June 9, 1999 in London. Dave Hogan—APBeyoncé, right, and Prince perform at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 8, 2004 in Los Angeles.Frank Micelotta—Getty ImagesFrom left: Tom Petty, Dhani Harrison and Prince perform during The 19th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in New York City on March 15, 2004. Prince was inducted into the Hall of Fame that evening.Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty ImagesPrince arrives with his former wife Manuela Testolini for the 77th Academy Awards on Feb. 27, 2005 in Los Angeles. Kevork Djansezian—APPrince performs during the American Idol Season 5 Finale on May 24, 2006 in Hollywood, Calif.Vince Bucci—Getty ImagesPrince performs during half-time at Super Bowl XLI on February 4, 2007 in Miami, Fla.Roberto Schmidt—AFP/Getty ImagesPrince performs during half-time at Super Bowl XLI on February 4, 2007 in Miami, Fla.Jonathan Daniel—Getty ImagesSheila E and Prince perform on June 1, 2007 in Pasadena, Calif.Kevin Winter—Getty ImagesPrince with comedian Dave Chappelle at the 2007 NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 18, 2007 in Las Vegas.Andrew D. Bernstein—Getty ImagesPrince during the 2015 American Music Awards on Nov. 22, 2015 in Los Angeles.Jeff Kravitz—Getty Images
The most stupefying part of the performance came later, when Prince later claimed that he never heard the song until he learned it for the performance. While it’s hard to believe that’s true, it’s equally hard to imagine Prince sitting down to listen to The White Album.
