Thirty years ago today, June 7th, 1993, Pete Townshend, Billy Joel, Chuck Berry, Sam Phillips, Sam Moore and others gathered in Cleveland to break ground for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, seven years after the first induction ceremony in 1986.
A little over a week later, Pete Townshend recounted to us his speech that day.
Townshend and The Who were inducted in 1990, and the museum opened on September 1st, 1995 followed by an all-star concert on the 2nd next door at Cleveland Municipal Stadium.
The show included performances by Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Aretha Franklin, John Fogerty, John Mellencamp, The Kinks, The Allman Brothers Band, The Pretenders, Jackson Browne, Robbie Robertson, Johnny Cash and many others.