A documentary that might never see the light of day has offered fresh insights into Prince’s legendary guitar solo during the 2004 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. This iconic performance, long celebrated for its brilliance, was reportedly fueled by Prince’s frustration over being left off Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists.
Throughout his remarkable career, Prince delivered countless memorable guitar performances, but his Hall of Fame induction night stands out as particularly significant. In February 2004, Prince took the stage alongside Tom Petty, Steve Winwood, Jeff Lynne, and Dhani Harrison for a rendition of While My Guitar Gently Weeps. It was during this performance that Prince unleashed a fiery and emotional guitar solo that has since become one of his most famous.
While the solo has always been viewed as a testament to Prince’s exceptional guitar talent, a recent feature by The New York Times Magazine sheds new light on the deeper motivations behind it. The magazine’s coverage focuses on Ezra Edelman’s upcoming nine-hour Prince documentary, which suggests the solo was, in part, “an act of revenge” against Rolling Stone for omitting Prince from their 100 Greatest Guitar Players Of All Time list just one year before his Rock Hall induction.
In response to this perceived slight, Prince aimed to deliver a performance so unforgettable that it would leave an indelible mark on music history. His searing solo did just that, culminating in a dramatic moment when he launched his guitar into the air. That unforgettable moment would become one of Prince’s lasting legacies as a guitarist.
As the New York Times Magazine describes it, “On its face, it’s a supreme expression of Prince’s superiority and bravura. But the film gives it a new context.” Questlove, who appears in the documentary, expresses his disbelief that Rolling Stone had excluded Prince from their list. According to Questlove, Prince harbored a grudge over such snubs, and his dominant performance that night—on a stage tied to Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner—was a calculated response to the magazine’s oversight. There was a mixture of “spite, aggression, and pain” in Prince’s performance, as his facial expressions showed his inner turmoil.
Tom Petty, who shared the stage with Prince that night, recognized the historic nature of the performance. In a 2016 interview following Prince’s death, Petty recalled, “You see me nodding at him, to say, ‘Go on, go on.’ He just burned it up. You could feel the electricity of ‘something really big’s going down here.’”
The solo had such an impact that Rolling Stone made sure not to repeat its previous mistake. When the magazine published its updated list of the 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time last year, Prince was ranked 14th—an impressive leap from his previous omission. However, this new list wasn’t without its controversies, as it still excluded several major figures in the guitar world.
Despite the revelations brought forth by Edelman’s documentary, its release remains uncertain. According to The New York Times Magazine, Prince’s estate is working to block its release, concerned that it could harm the image of Paisley Park, Prince’s renowned estate and museum. Whether the public will ever get to see the full documentary remains to be seen, but the story behind Prince’s famous guitar solo adds yet another layer to the artist’s complex and enduring legacy.
