2025 American Music Honors recap: Springsteen, Smokey Robinson, John Fogerty, Emmylou Harris and more

JOHN CAVANAUGH

From left, Bruce Springsteen, Marc Ribler, Stevie Van Zandt and Smokey Robinson at the American Music Honors show at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, April 26.

“It is an honor to be here at the last big awards event before they throw us all in jail,” said Tom Morello at the third annual American Music Honors show, presented by The Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music, April 26 at The Pollak Theatre at Monmouth University in West Long Branch. There were, understandably, some occasional political comments such as that one throughout the course of the evening, but the show was mainly about celebrating five great artists — Smokey Robinson, John Fogerty, Emmylou Harris and Joe Ely, in addition to Morello — and music in general.

“It has been the passion of my life, once I discovered music: once I realized that I was one of the lucky ones, blessed to be able to sing and to make music,” said Harris.

“I didn’t choose music,” said Fogerty. “Music chose me. 
Before I could walk, before I could talk, I knew I wanted to make music.”

Participants include four of the five inductees (Ely couldn’t make it, due to illness) as well as four E Street Band members who served as presenters (Springsteen, Stevie Van Zandt, Patti Scialfa and Nils Lofgren), past inductees Jackson Browne and Darlene Love, Nora Guthrie (daughter of Woody Guthrie), Brian Williams (who served as MC), and Van Zandt’s Disciples of Soul band (who backed all of the artists, and also saluted the inductees with five songs by themselves, at the start of the evening). It was a smooth-running, action-packed 2½-hour evening.

JOHN CAVANAUGH

Bruce Springsteen and John Fogerty at the American Music Honors show at Monmouth University, April 26.

Here is the show’s setlist and, below it, a moment-by-moment recap, with videos. I have included excerpts from the speeches, though not necessarily every word. Below the recap is a gallery of photos taken by John Cavanaugh.

“Settle for Love,” Disciples of Soul
“Love Hurts,” Disciples of Soul
“Born on the Bayou,” Disciples of Soul
“Cochise,” Disciples of Soul
“I Second That Emotion,” Disciples of Soul
Speech by Patrick Leahy, president by Monmouth University
Speech by show’s MC, Brian Williams
Speech by New Jersey Lieutenant Gov. and Secretary of State Tahesha Way
Speech by Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music executive director Robert Santelli
Bruce Springsteen inducts Joe Ely
Message from Joe Ely
“All Just to Get to You,” Bruce Springsteen & the Disciples of Soul
Nils Lofgren inducts Tom Morello
Speech by Tom Morello
“The Ghost of Tom Joad,” Tom Morello, Bruce Springsteen & the Disciples of Soul
Patti Scialfa inducts Emmylou Harris
Speech by Emmylou Harris
“Red Dirt Girl,” Emmylou Harris, Patti Scialfa & the Disciples of Soul
Bruce Springsteen inducts John Fogerty
Speech by John Fogerty
“Bad Moon Rising,” John Fogerty, Bruce Springsteen & the Disciples of Soul
Stevie Van Zandt inducts Smokey Robinson
Speech by Smokey Robinson
“Tears of a Clown,” Smokey Robinson, Stevie Van Zandt & the Disciples of Soul
“Going to a Go-Go,” Smokey Robinson, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Van Zandt & the Disciples of Soul
“Take It Easy,” Jackson Browne, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Morello, Nils Lofgren & the Disciples of Soul
“Proud Mary,” John Fogerty, Bruce Springsteen, Nils Lofgren & the Disciples of Soul
“Fortunate Son,” John Fogerty, Bruce Springsteen & the Disciples of Soul
“Tenth Avenue Freeze-out,” Bruce Springsteen, Tom Morello, Nils Lofgren & the Disciples of Soul
“This Land Is Your Land,” all previous performers (except Smokey Robinson), Darlene Love, Nora Guthrie & the Disciples of Soul

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JOHN CAVANAUGH

Bruce Springsteen at the American Music Honors show.

“Settle for Love,” Disciples of Soul.

Song written by Joe Ely.

“Love Hurts,” Disciples of Soul

Song famously sung by Emmylou Harris and Gram Parsons

“Born on the Bayou,” Disciples of Soul

Song written by John Fogerty and performed by Creedence Clearwater Revival.

“Cochise,” Disciples of Soul

Song co-written by Tom Morello and recorded by Audioslave

“I Second That Emotion,” Disciples of Soul

Song co-written by Smokey Robinson and recorded by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles

Speech by Patrick Leahy, president by Monmouth University

Speech by show’s MC, Brian Williams

Speech by New Jersey Lieutenant Gov. and Secretary of State Tahesha Way

Speech by Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music executive director Robert Santelli

Excerpt: “At a time when the nation’s culture is under attack, and institutions that celebrate and preserve that culture are threatened with censorship, firings, forced resignations and financial starvation, the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music, though in its infancy — at the moment, small in stature — will not waver in its commitment to promote artistic freedom.”

Bruce Springsteen inducts Joe Ely

Excerpt: “If the world was a fairer place, Joe Ely would have been huge! I mean huge.

“He had, and has got it all. He’s a great songwriter. He looks dead cool. He’s a fabulous stage performer, always with a great band. He’s got that voice, the one I wished I had. 
It’s got that slight southern country twang, it’s got a hint of rockabilly. It’s got the depth and emotion of Johnny Cash and it’s as deeply authentic as his Texas roots. Now, from his early classic band The Flatlanders, with Jimmie Dale Gilmore (and) Butch Hancock, he made a music unique to Texas that touched folks all around the world. He had records like Musta Notta Gotta Lotta, Love and Danger, Letter to Laredo, Love and Freedom and a dozen top-shelf others that a lot more people should have heard and gotten to love. Joe left his mark, though, on the Texas and the world music scene. He opened for The Clash in 1978. That’s incredible! As they sang on Sandinista!, ‘There ain’t no better blend than Joe Ely and his Texas men.’ Now Joe Strummer, he knew greatness when he heard it.

“Joe is a member of the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame. 
He spent 2016 as the reigning Texas State Musician. He’s a writer, a poet, he’s an accomplished visual artist. He’s been my friend for 30-plus years and I take great pride to be able to call him so. He’s a sweet, sweet man. We’ve had some wonderful times together, including one post-show Irish night in the pubs and clubs of Dublin that I won’t soon forget. Nor will I say anything more about it! But I’ve been blessed to sing on his records and be onstage with Joe on occasion and the only thing I can say is: Thank God he wasn’t born in New Jersey! I would have had a lot more of my work cut out for me.

“
But anyway, be blessed and well, Joe. Joe couldn’t be here tonight. He’s struggling with his health, but we love him and we need him and all I can say is, welcome to the American Music Honors, buddy.”

Message from Joe Ely

Excerpt: “Joe wants you to know how grateful he is to be honored by the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music. 
There is a special lifetime friendship with Bruce and his band and also with many of Joe’s friends who are all committed to the healing power of music. ‘To be able to perform and to be in the presence of the energy of the people and the music is a gift. … To be included is an honor beyond what any words can express.’ Joe brings it full circle and says this: ‘In 1954, when I was 7,  my father took me to a local Pontiac dealership in Amarillo, Texas, to hear a piano-playing singer from Ferriday, Louisiana. 
He was set up on the back of a flatbed truck. His name was Jerry Lee Lewis. 
I’ll never forget that vision of my childhood. You could hardly see across the street with the dust blowing, and there’s this madman up there pounding on a piano. The wind was blowing so hard that it would blow the microphone over. Jerry Lee would be singing and the microphone would go thump. 
Somebody would run over and pick it up and it would fall over again. It was like a vision from hell, but it was so wonderful because it seemed like it fit with the wind and the static electricity. I always look back at that moment as the very beginning, the spark that made me consider doing this as my life, the spark that started it all.’ ”

“All Just to Get to You,” Bruce Springsteen & the Disciples of Soul

Nils Lofgren inducts Tom Morello

Excerpt: “Tom’s a visionary, a social justice warrior, and a fearless purveyor of truth. It’s simply who he is and what he has been called to do, share the truth through amazing music. Now, honoring Tom is even easier tonight, because he’s a good friend and bandmate who I love and admire. On top of that, (my wife) Amy and I have befriended of Tom and his wife Denise on tour, and we love and respect them and their family …

“
Tom thrives in a live band setting with Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, Prophets of Rage, The Nightwatchman, The E Street Band, his solo work. On and on. … Tom knows styles and genres like nobody else. Punk, funk, heavy metal, hip-hop, rap, rock, folk, R&B. He loves and combines them all in a soul soup that’s all his own.

“Now 
I love Tom’s Folk Music Fridays (on social media), where he’s out to ‘comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.’ To all this, you add the magic ingredient: hard truth and passion to provoke, inspire, educate and elevate, and with all that you’ve got the great Tom Morello.

“Now, we gathered here tonight all know that music is our planet’s sacred weapon: healing, inspiring and uniting billions of people every day. I don’t know anyone who works harder at touching our planet with his musical gifts than Tom, at the same time weaving that calling with being a great husband, father and friend. …

“Now, once we hit the stage, Tom’s a complete gamer, his soul immersed in the music. His ‘Ghost of Tom Joad’ solos are spectacular and emotional show-stoppers. 
I love playing my overdriven pedal steel while I watch Tom and Bruce trade licks in that profound song, until Tom took his ending solo to the heavens. Now Tom’s sense of melody and rhythm while creating his own universe of new sounds all speak to changing our world for the better with music that calls upon revolutionary rebellion and radical hope for a just and decent planet. With Woody Guthrie as a north star standing up for the oppressed, Tom says, ‘Lace your music with not just purpose but humanity,’ and Tom is stamping out fascism with every note he plays, whether raging with his Machine or singing his haunted, tender folk ballads soaked in truth.

“
On a last note before calling Tom up, here’s a snapshot of his musical essence. During an E Street show on audible steroids where the written setlist became useless and Bruce was changing songs as we walked to the stage, and throughout the show, I kept giving Tom the keys and chords — tips between songs — as best I could. None of us knew what was next. 
It was scary and exhilarating, with intense focus from us all. At one point, Tom taps me in the dark and with a childlike glee, he says, ‘Nils! Nils! I just want you to know, there is the first song I’ve recognized in an hour and 13 minutes.’ And we both laugh with joy, recognizing the mutual musical heaven we were all flying in, as Bruce shouted out, ‘One, two, three, four!’ ”

Speech by Tom Morello

“It is an honor to be here at the last big awards event before they throw us all in jail.

“Now, the No. 1 most common thing I’ve heard people say about my career is, ‘Tom, just shut up and play the guitar,’ to which I invariably reply, ‘Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me.’

“Music always has made me feel less alone in my world view. 
It made me suspect that there were actions I could take within and without the borders of my small hometown that could possibly affect the future. I was the only Black kid in an all-white town, the only anarchist in a conservative high school, the only heavy metal, shredding guitar player at Harvard University, and the only Ivy League, ‘Star Trek’- loving nerd in the world’s biggest political rock-rap band. It was music that made me feel I could have my hands on the steering wheel of history. 
All music, in my opinion, is political. … The right combination of rhythm and rhyme, when it washes over a huge throng or transmits through an earbud can feel like the truth, deep in our reptilian brain in a way that can provide a spark for action or a life raft for survival.

“It’s important to note, there’s never been a successful social movement in this country that has not had a great soundtrack. 
Joe Hill’s union anthems put wind in the sails of those fighting for the eight-hour (work) day. ‘We Shall Overcome’ steeled the resolve of Freedom Riders bring the Civil Rights Movement. Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ channeled with the moral cacophony of the Vietnam War through a Marshall stack. And one or two Rage Against the Machine songs were heard pumping in the streets at anti-Trump demonstrations last weekend.

“In this proud tradition, I’ve always endeavored to create songs to fan the flames of discontent. Harmonizing and hell-raising, rhythm and rebellion, poetry and politics. When protest music is done right, you can hear a new world emerging in the songs. Facts and feelings set to melody, skewering the oppressors of the day and hinting that there might be more to life than what was handed us.

“And so in 1986, I moved to L.A., wondering if it might be possible to make my guitar into a dividing rod of rebellion, an Excalibur of righteous fury. 
My ad in the paper read, ‘Lead guitarist seeks hard rock band with neo-Marxist politics into rap and Black Sabbath.’ My phone was not ringing off the wall. But for me, it was paramount to melt my convictions with my vocation in an uncompromising way in order to fulfill the one promise every artist and every musician should cross their heart to make, and that is to tell the truth. …

“Every single time I play, I see firsthand that contrary to received opinion, music can be an impulse for significant, tangible change in the world. Inspirational noise, when wedded to the organized forces of ordinary folks, becomes something more. By combining with political movements and union campaigns, strikes and protests, sound becomes more than just music. 
It becomes a binding force, an elevating power, an uplifting, unifying, transcendent thing, a defensive shield and a weapon for change. In these troubled times, joy and laughter have suddenly become acts of resistance. There may come a time in the not-so-distant future when the ideas expressed in our songs, and the people who write and play them, and maybe even those who sit in the audience, may find themselves censured, smothered, evicted, erased. Every act of art right now is an act of resistance. Every truth spoken is a beacon of light in this gathering darkness, and every song sung is a trumpet of hope to the future heroes who will undo this madness. …

“There is solidarity in song. 
If we can sing together, we can work together, fight together, win together. When we stand up for each other, we’ve got a shot to create the world we’d like to one day see. And so thank you, brothers and sisters, and I hope to see you at the barricades and in the mosh pit.”

“The Ghost of Tom Joad,” Tom Morello, Bruce Springsteen & the Disciples of Soul

Patti Scialfa inducts Emmylou Harris

Excerpt: “Tonight I have the great, great pleasure and honor to introduce one of my favorite artists in the world, Emmylou Harris. I am really honored and flattered to know her as a friend. Her voice, music, and her fierce authenticity has always stayed on course, which is really kind of amazing, especially for women artists who sometimes feel that they have to keep changing and changing, to hold their audiences’ interest, whether it be your clothes, your hair, your body or anything. 
And there’s Emmylou. She just comes out with her integrity intact, and her massive talent, and presents herself every night as Emmylou Harris, someone that you know. She has changed the landscape of American music and done so with grit and elegance, that only women like her can pull off.

“So here’s the thing about Emmylou. She’s got the talent, she’s got the voice, she’s got the songs, she’s got the legs, she’s got the looks, and … what the hell! 
She’s got it all. And she has that hair. So really, that’s a lot of stuff to have in one package. What makes her a legend, though, is that gorgeous heart of hers that keeps informing the trajectory of her career of just staying in that spot, making music that changes, but where it comes from and the meaning of it to her, stays locked in, which is quite a feat to do. In an industry that … some of the time … equates femininity with weakness, she’s been able to stay very strong, and again, just stay herself, stay on path, creating music that comes from deep inside her. You can always feel the connection to her music in her voice. And that’s pretty amazing. …

“She’s just brilliant. I love her, so dearly. She did one of the most profound things I’ll ever remember, actually, in my life, is when I put out my Rumble Doll record. And you know, some people really liked it, some didn’t, and I read some nasty things about myself. And she called up and she introduced herself and said, ‘I’d love you to come and sing on my record Red Dirt Girl.’ The song was ‘Tragedy,’ and it was quite a beautiful moment and then she ended up recording to my songs later on.

“She’s a brilliant role model for women, for any kind of music that you choose to do.”

JOHN CAVANAUGH

Emmylou Harris at the American Music Honors show.

Speech by Emmylou Harris

“This is really a sweet and a wonderful honor. This award actually means even more coming from Patti because she’s one of my favorite singers. When I did hear that album Rumble Doll, it just touched me so much. She really understands a woman’s heart. I love her singing and I love her lyrics and I found out last night that we make a G chord exactly the same way. 
So I think that we’re sisters under the skin. …

“It has been the passion of my life, once I discovered music: once I realized that I was one of the lucky ones, blessed to be able to sing and to make music …

“
I just feel almost unreal to be in this company. I just remember myself as a 16-year-old sitting in my room, listening to a radio show … from 7 to 12, the Dick Cerri show, playing all the folk music that was happening back then in 1964, 1965. … Music really did give me my heart and my life. 
And so much of the music that I’ve loved doing has been singing with other people. I think that I really found my voice when I first started singing harmony with Gram Parsons and then the road has just gone on and on, and so tonight, in order to sing my song representing me, I’ve asked Patti Scialfa to sing it with me.”

“Red Dirt Girl,” Emmylou Harris, Patti Scialfa & the Disciples of Soul

Bruce Springsteen inducts John Fogerty

Excerpt: “I get a chance to induct one of my great, great friends. When we lived in California, we had a lot of great times together.

“John Fogerty, in one of his greatest songs, sings, ‘If you get lost, come on home to Green River.’ 
Now the music of John Fogerty feels like our national home. John’s one of the inventors of Americana, popularized the flannel shirt, which I’ve gotten quite a bit of use out of myself! There is no music that speaks to the American spirit and heart with the passion and deep commitment of John Fogerty. Both solo and with his great band Creedence Clearwater Revival, John’s been able to condense everything good and painful, joyful and serious about this country we live in, in two minutes and 30 seconds. 
That’s hard to fucking do! The songs are so pure and universal I’ve always described John as the Hank Williams of our generation.

” ‘Proud Mary,’ ‘Green River,’ ‘Bad Moon Rising,’ ‘Down on the Corner,’ ‘Who’ll Stop the Rain,’ ‘Fortunate Son,’ ‘Up Around the Bend, ‘Born on the Bayou,’ ‘Have You Ever Seen the Rain,’ ‘Almost Saturday Night,’ ‘Travelin’ Band,’ ‘Hey Tonight,’ ‘Run Through the Jungle.’ These aren’t songs: This is American scripture. And they were hits. It’s hard to have fucking hits! I’ve never had a No. 1 hit. 
Jesus! But they were hits back when having hits was considered uncool by the rock intelligentsia. So the greatest band in the world,in 1969, unbelievably went underappreciated. But justice has prevailed, and John has had the last laugh because as long as there is radio, there’ll be a John Fogerty song being played somewhere.

“Now, I’m often asked if I’ve heard a song I’ve ever wished I’d written. Yeah. 
John Fogerty’s entire fucking catalog. Congratulations. Thank you, John, for the beautiful gifts your music has given the world and especially the American people. You constantly make us aware of who we were, are and who we could be. That’s something we need more than ever right now.”

Speech by John Fogerty

“You know, like many of you, I didn’t choose music. Music chose me. 
Before I could walk, before I could talk, I knew I wanted to make music. I started embarrassing everybody in my family, still in diapers, when in church I would start a little routine. There’s a song my mom would sing with me and so I got that whole congregation kind of singing along, and embarrassing my mom and dad. … My parents were embarrassed and shushing me, but little did they know I enjoyed all those other people laughing and clapping and and having a good time in church.

“Anyway, music was a joy to me, like so many. And that was the first thing I learned about music. I got better at it as I grew up, and loved playing little things on the piano. Finally decided maybe I’d like to have a band and, of course, that history got going. 
Had a pretty good career with my band Creedence … I feel very blessed. But there is an arc to this story, I guess. Things kind of went south. After all the big success, I was totally unready for … what do you call that? The greedy part. The selfish part. The Narcissus part. The jealous part. And, inside I knew I loved music, and the rest of it just kind of burned me out. 
The worst part about it was I didn’t own my own songs. So it became a lifetime battle — maybe you guys have heard about this. At some point, for a long time I didn’t even sing my own songs, because I was so angry or bitter about the whole thing. But I still loved music. Music is my best friend.

“But anyway, somewhere along the way I met a beautiful girl. Actually, the most beautiful girl in the whole world. 
Her name is Julie. And eventually, I got up the courage to ask her and we got married. … we’ve been married 34 years now. 
And several years ago, Julie decided that it just wasn’t right that I don’t own my own songs, and she kind of surprised me and started working on it, even though all the doors got slammed in her face and all the big shots said, ‘No, they’re not for sale.’ And she kept working on this thing and … finally, after many years of hearing ‘No,’ somehow the stars aligned, everyone believed, and that beautiful girl got my songs back! … You girls already know all this: behind every man there is a great woman! 
…

“Anyway, I still love music. I’m having the time of my life right now. My two sons are in my band with me, and my beautiful baby’s always right offstage, supporting me.”

“Bad Moon Rising,” John Fogerty, Bruce Springsteen & the Disciples of Soul

Stevie Van Zandt inducts Smokey Robinson

Excerpt: “I never wanted to meet my heroes. If you’re lucky enough to have them at all, you’re only allotted a limited amount. So if they disappoint you, it could seriously affect your quality of life. 
I have singer heroes, songwriter heroes, song arranger heroes and music producer heroes, and when you get all of them in the same guy, you get Smokey Robinson — and he never disappoints.

“One can obviously connect, easily, a dozen of my songs directly to his influence. From ‘I Played the Fool’ to ‘Forever,’ ‘Save Me,’ ‘Checkpoint Charlie,’ ‘Trail of Broken Treaties,’ ‘A World of Our Own,’ etc. etc. 
He continues to inspire and motivate me to this day. I keep climbing, knowing I will never get halfway to that mountaintop that is ‘Tracks of My Tears,’ ‘You Really Got a Hold on Me,’ ‘Ooh Baby Baby,’ ‘Going to a Go-Go,’ ‘I Second That Emotion,’ to the masterpiece that is ‘Tears of a Clown.’ And he was just getting started. 
After he and The Miracles helped establish Motown with its first million-seller, ‘Shop Around,’ he would become an essential part of Barry Gordy’s vision, a senior executive right through the ’80s, contributing classic songs that would make up the foundation of Motown’s early success, with material like ‘Two Lovers,’ ‘You Beat Me to the Punch’ and ‘My Guy’ for Mary Wells; ‘The Way You Do the Things You Do,’ ‘My Girl,’ ‘Since I Lost My Baby,’ ‘It’s Growing,’ ‘Get Ready’ … those songs would break The Temptations, introduce The Temptations to all of us; ‘Don’t Mess with Bill,’ ‘The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game,’ ‘My Baby Must Be a Magician’ by The Marvelettes; and ‘I’ll Be Doggone’ and ‘Ain’t That Peculiar’ for Marvin Gaye; and many others. Amazing. And then, there’s the last 50 years of his sole hits. …

“He’s got a brand new, wonderful album out right now: What the World Needs Now, which is a collection of some of Smokey’s favorite positive-vibe … songs, which I highly recommend. 
You will not believe the man’s singing on this stuff. It’s just extraordinary. …”

Speech by Smokey Robinson

“Thank you very much. I love you, man. I was so flattered and so honored when I found out I was getting this award, I can’t even tell you. … I’m really glad to have to follow you, Tom, because if you ever run for anything, I’m voting for you, man! … This is a great night, and I’m really flattered to be here. I don’t have a long speech written that I’m gonna say to you guys … but like I said, I have been looking forward to this and I’m honored to be a member of your American Music Honors. Bruce, I can’t even tell how much it means to me.”

“Tears of a Clown,” Smokey Robinson, Stevie Van Zandt & the Disciples of Soul

“Going to a Go-Go,” Smokey Robinson, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Van Zandt & the Disciples of Soul

“Take It Easy,” Jackson Browne, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Morello, Nils Lofgren & the Disciples of Soul

“Proud Mary,” John Fogerty, Bruce Springsteen, Nils Lofgren & the Disciples of Soul

“Fortunate Son,” John Fogerty, Bruce Springsteen & the Disciples of Soul

“Tenth Avenue Freeze-out,” Bruce Springsteen, Tom Morello, Nils Lofgren & the Disciples of Soul

“This Land Is Your Land,” all previous performers (except Smokey Robinson), Nora Guthrie & the Disciples of Soul

The first American Music Honors show, in 2023, honored Sam Moore, Darlene Love, Stevie Van Zandt and Steve Earle. Last year’s award recipients were John Mellencamp, Jackson Browne, Mavis Staples and Dion.

For more about the Archives, visit springsteenarchives.org.

Here is a gallery of photos from the event, taken by John Cavanaugh:

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