April 16, 2021 • 9 mins
Elton John jumped at the chance to induct a fellow fashionable diva: blue-eyed soul icon Dusty Springfield. Elton describes the inspiration he drew from both Dusty’s inimitable, versatile voice as well as her trademark sartorial style. Sadly, Springfield passed away less than two weeks before the induction ceremony. Her dear friend and manager, Vicki Wickham, accepts on her behalf.
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
M H. Welcome to Induction Vault, a production of I
Heart Radio and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
M Please take your seats. We're gonna get started. Known
(00:30):
for his fabulously flamboyant persona both on stage and off,
Elton John jumped at the chance to induct a fellow
fashionable diva, blue eyed soul icon, Dusty Springfield. In Elton's
sincere and humorous speech, he describes the inspiration he drew
from both Dusty's inimitable versatile voice as well as her
trademark sartorial style. Sadly, Springfield passed away less than two
(00:54):
weeks before the induction ceremony. Her dear friend and manager
Vicky Wickham, excepting on behalf of Dusty's family Bander, is
a bit with Elton and shares how much the induction
and the recognition from her musical peers really meant to Dusty.
(01:19):
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. First of all, my congratulate
all the inductees tonight. It's been my pleasure to be
given the task of inducting Dusty Springfield. Um. In fact,
when I found out that she was going to be inducted,
(01:40):
I volunteered because when I first heard Dusty's voice, when
she recorded a record of Ireland of Dreams with the Springfields,
I fell in love with that voice. And then when
I saw her at the Harrow Granada in god knows
what year, m I fell in love with the way
she looked, the beehive hair, the mascara, the pain top,
(02:00):
and the purple skirt. It had no effect on me whatsoever.
When choosing my name, I considered Dusty, but you know
it had already gone. After the Springfields, Dusty decided to
(02:21):
go solo UM and I was a big, big fan.
I joined her fan club. I stuck pictures of her
on the walls from the newers expressed the melody maker
god knows what, which all peeled off when the damp
came in the wintertime. But I was so touched by
this fourth that I'd never heard a white woman sing
like this before. We'd always heard these kind of cheesy
(02:43):
pop records coming out of Britain and America UM sung
by white women. And then suddenly there was Dusty, and
this is a voice that is so far untouched. I think, Um,
you know, she came to America and she heard the
Springfields were kind of a country group, um, and she
came to American and she heard Mayde the Staples sing
and it changed her life. And it is ironic that
(03:07):
tonight we're inducting the Staples singers into the Hall of Fame.
I'm sure Dusty is very happy about that. She was
so influenced by American rhythm and blues music, like most
of us in the British Isles were, because it was
(03:27):
the only real decent music around. And Dusty had an
incredible career. She started off with a song called I
Only Want to Be with You and she blossomed. She
was a perfectionist. She had an incredible vocal technique. Her
interpretations of songs by back Rack, David jack Brell, Randy Newman,
Goff and King was some of the best there ever
(03:49):
have been. She was a songwriter's singer um. But more
than anything, she was the vulnerable that voice which is
so sweet and vulnerable and powerful, yet there is something
so gentle and melodic about it that moves me today.
When I lost my friend Journey Pasachi, there were four
(04:11):
of us sitting in the South of France and I
put a Dusty album on and going back came on
and we just all broke down and I went and
bought a dog and it led to but consequently at
my house guests. So it's all Dusty's fault. And I
just think, and I'm biased, but I think she's the
greatest white singer that there ever has been a part
(04:39):
of course from Tiffany. Oh, you know, before I came on,
I was really worried that I would say, I'm really
happy to induct Dusty Springsteen. I've got it in said yeah. Anyway,
she was kind enough to sing on my records. She
(05:02):
was kind enough to appear on my first Top of
the Pops program doing backing vocals. Even though we were
not close friends, we did spend some time together. There
was one occasion when we were in Los Angeles when
we wanted to go to a club, um and she said,
I don't think I can go to a club. I
don't look right, So I said no, no, She said,
my hair looks terrible. So there's a big rex Ol
drug store on Los Latianaga and it's big. We went
(05:26):
to the back of the store she bought a can
of hairspray. By the time we got to the register,
it had gone I swear to God, and then she said,
can you fix my hair? It was like Mount Rushmore,
I mean please. I love you, Dusty. You were enough
to turn a gay boy straight, but not quite enough.
(05:56):
As you know. She passed away twelve days ago after
a long and really horrible illness. And she was a
diva till the end, and she would get up and
say I'm not going to die today, you know, and
everyone would go. But in the end she did die,
and she left us a legacy of beautiful recordings, fabulous
memories and her funeral the other day. I've never heard
(06:19):
of this before. As the coffin came out of the church,
she had a standing ovation and a round of applause.
Not bad, the fabulous Dusty Springfield. After the break, we'll
hear from Dusty's friend and manager Vicky Wickham on the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction Vault. Dusty felt
(06:53):
it was very appropriate to be inducted by a diva.
Thank you, Alton. It's a shame about the Frocks, but
otherwise great. I've known Dusty since nine and have managed
her since, and it's always encouraging when an artist who
is the real thing is recognized the irony of the
(07:14):
of the situation didn't escape her. Um. She realized that
she probably wouldn't live to see either the OBI or
the whole of fame. Luckily she did get the O
b in time, and the Hall of Fame she certainly
knew about. Um. I just want to say thank you
to everybody who's given her this honor. It really mental lot.
She was never quite sure that people appreciated her or
(07:36):
knew about her, and it really meant a lot that
her peers people in the business really recognized her. So
on behalf of her brother Tom and all the O'Brien's.
Thanks very much. Thanks for joining us on this week's
(08:10):
episode of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Vault.
For more on your favorite inductees, to shop inductee merch
or to plan your trip to the Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame, visit rock hall dot com plus Rock
and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Special on demand on
HBO Max. Our executive producers are Noel Brown, Shelby Morrison,
(08:31):
and Lisa Gurkey. Supervising producer is Taylor Shakoin Research and
archival assistants from Isabelle Keeper and Shannon Herb, thanks again
for joining us on this week's episode of Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame Induction Vault. Induction Ball is a
production of I Heart Radio in the Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame. For more podcasts from I heart Radio,
(08:56):
visit the I heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever
you get your favorite podcasts.
M H. Welcome to Induction Vault, a production of I
Heart Radio and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
M Please take your seats. We're gonna get started. Known
(00:30):
for his fabulously flamboyant persona both on stage and off,
Elton John jumped at the chance to induct a fellow
fashionable diva, blue eyed soul icon, Dusty Springfield. In Elton's
sincere and humorous speech, he describes the inspiration he drew
from both Dusty's inimitable versatile voice as well as her
trademark sartorial style. Sadly, Springfield passed away less than two
(00:54):
weeks before the induction ceremony. Her dear friend and manager
Vicky Wickham, excepting on behalf of Dusty's family Bander, is
a bit with Elton and shares how much the induction
and the recognition from her musical peers really meant to Dusty.
(01:19):
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. First of all, my congratulate
all the inductees tonight. It's been my pleasure to be
given the task of inducting Dusty Springfield. Um. In fact,
when I found out that she was going to be inducted,
(01:40):
I volunteered because when I first heard Dusty's voice, when
she recorded a record of Ireland of Dreams with the Springfields,
I fell in love with that voice. And then when
I saw her at the Harrow Granada in god knows
what year, m I fell in love with the way
she looked, the beehive hair, the mascara, the pain top,
(02:00):
and the purple skirt. It had no effect on me whatsoever.
When choosing my name, I considered Dusty, but you know
it had already gone. After the Springfields, Dusty decided to
(02:21):
go solo UM and I was a big, big fan.
I joined her fan club. I stuck pictures of her
on the walls from the newers expressed the melody maker
god knows what, which all peeled off when the damp
came in the wintertime. But I was so touched by
this fourth that I'd never heard a white woman sing
like this before. We'd always heard these kind of cheesy
(02:43):
pop records coming out of Britain and America UM sung
by white women. And then suddenly there was Dusty, and
this is a voice that is so far untouched. I think, Um,
you know, she came to America and she heard the
Springfields were kind of a country group, um, and she
came to American and she heard Mayde the Staples sing
and it changed her life. And it is ironic that
(03:07):
tonight we're inducting the Staples singers into the Hall of Fame.
I'm sure Dusty is very happy about that. She was
so influenced by American rhythm and blues music, like most
of us in the British Isles were, because it was
(03:27):
the only real decent music around. And Dusty had an
incredible career. She started off with a song called I
Only Want to Be with You and she blossomed. She
was a perfectionist. She had an incredible vocal technique. Her
interpretations of songs by back Rack, David jack Brell, Randy Newman,
Goff and King was some of the best there ever
(03:49):
have been. She was a songwriter's singer um. But more
than anything, she was the vulnerable that voice which is
so sweet and vulnerable and powerful, yet there is something
so gentle and melodic about it that moves me today.
When I lost my friend Journey Pasachi, there were four
(04:11):
of us sitting in the South of France and I
put a Dusty album on and going back came on
and we just all broke down and I went and
bought a dog and it led to but consequently at
my house guests. So it's all Dusty's fault. And I
just think, and I'm biased, but I think she's the
greatest white singer that there ever has been a part
(04:39):
of course from Tiffany. Oh, you know, before I came on,
I was really worried that I would say, I'm really
happy to induct Dusty Springsteen. I've got it in said yeah. Anyway,
she was kind enough to sing on my records. She
(05:02):
was kind enough to appear on my first Top of
the Pops program doing backing vocals. Even though we were
not close friends, we did spend some time together. There
was one occasion when we were in Los Angeles when
we wanted to go to a club, um and she said,
I don't think I can go to a club. I
don't look right, So I said no, no, She said,
my hair looks terrible. So there's a big rex Ol
drug store on Los Latianaga and it's big. We went
(05:26):
to the back of the store she bought a can
of hairspray. By the time we got to the register,
it had gone I swear to God, and then she said,
can you fix my hair? It was like Mount Rushmore,
I mean please. I love you, Dusty. You were enough
to turn a gay boy straight, but not quite enough.
(05:56):
As you know. She passed away twelve days ago after
a long and really horrible illness. And she was a
diva till the end, and she would get up and
say I'm not going to die today, you know, and
everyone would go. But in the end she did die,
and she left us a legacy of beautiful recordings, fabulous
memories and her funeral the other day. I've never heard
(06:19):
of this before. As the coffin came out of the church,
she had a standing ovation and a round of applause.
Not bad, the fabulous Dusty Springfield. After the break, we'll
hear from Dusty's friend and manager Vicky Wickham on the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction Vault. Dusty felt
(06:53):
it was very appropriate to be inducted by a diva.
Thank you, Alton. It's a shame about the Frocks, but
otherwise great. I've known Dusty since nine and have managed
her since, and it's always encouraging when an artist who
is the real thing is recognized the irony of the
(07:14):
of the situation didn't escape her. Um. She realized that
she probably wouldn't live to see either the OBI or
the whole of fame. Luckily she did get the O
b in time, and the Hall of Fame she certainly
knew about. Um. I just want to say thank you
to everybody who's given her this honor. It really mental lot.
She was never quite sure that people appreciated her or
(07:36):
knew about her, and it really meant a lot that
her peers people in the business really recognized her. So
on behalf of her brother Tom and all the O'Brien's.
Thanks very much. Thanks for joining us on this week's
(08:10):
episode of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Vault.
For more on your favorite inductees, to shop inductee merch
or to plan your trip to the Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame, visit rock hall dot com plus Rock
and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Special on demand on
HBO Max. Our executive producers are Noel Brown, Shelby Morrison,
(08:31):
and Lisa Gurkey. Supervising producer is Taylor Shakoin Research and
archival assistants from Isabelle Keeper and Shannon Herb, thanks again
for joining us on this week's episode of Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame Induction Vault. Induction Ball is a
production of I Heart Radio in the Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame. For more podcasts from I heart Radio,
(08:56):
visit the I heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever
you get your favorite podcasts.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.