Sara Bareilles handled the expectations, the performance, and the press very well. She made me a fan in one song!

Sara's interpretation of this wonderful song seemed like it was breath of fresh air in that room.

Greatest choice possible, what a class act and so beautiful too. Thank you so much.

Sara Bareilles sang beautifully I just love Laura Nyro I miss her her songs will forever be in my heart

Beautiful tribute. There's no-one like Laura Nyro. In a league by herself.

Laura Nyro helped me thru all my life. A friend that was dying gave me her album

For anyone who wants to see more, a full clip has FINALLY been posted--yay! And having watched the entire performance now, I just had to come back and tell the first couple of mean-spirited Nyro fans who commented here that they need to get their ears checked--Sara sounds f*ckin' fantastic! She should release this as an official cover!

You did what you sought out to do. I have been a Laura fan for over 60 years! You gave her memory a great tribute.

I agree. Her performance of Stoney End was very rousing and great fun. For me it was THE highlight of the show.

Of all the female singer-songwriters working today I can't imagine a better choice. Sara's classical songwriting hearkens back to the 70s and she's often referred to as a latter-day Carole King--so not that far removed from Nyro at all.

This just brings tears to my eyes. I saw the induction back in 2012. I've never seen this clip until today. For Sara to say what she did, particularly, Laura's "Bravery," speaks volumes. I'm sure Laura would've given Sara a Standing Ovation if Laura had been alive for the induction. I'm sura Laura's son was standing and crying his eyes out.

Wow! I have to be honest and say I never heard of Laura Nyro. But when Bette Midler talked about her work, I was blown away becuase I know all those great songs, and Bettes tears became my tears also. Anyways...I thought Sara Bareilles (who I also never heard of) was tremendous! I'm no musician , but I've since heard Laura's & Bab's verions of Stoney End. Sara Bareilles seems to me a true talent.

I don't think I've ever heard Stony End so beautifully interpreted by any artist save Laura herself. Sara really honoured her and like so many was inspired and influenced by this true great.

I thought "tough nut to crack" was a perfect description of how the public has responded, or not responded, to Laura's music. And I have no idea why someone "ought not to admit" that. It's called humility.

p.s. She didn't mean Laura's music was a forerunner to punk, she meant her authenticity was.

I wish that song was buyable or downloadable it was such a great cover

Nyro had the muse. Any songwriter who has gone through the struggle of creating a song, as I have, appreciates her. Elton John did especially; he credits the style of his writing in Burn Down the Mission to Laura totally.

I LVOE YOU, Laura Nyro ! I'm so happy you have been inducted, finally, by your peers into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Stoney End is my favorite song written by Laura.

No thank you Sara, an absolutely spectacular performance by you & all the performers on stage, bravo !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You said it, Sara! Laura was a TRUE Punk Rock pioneer. Patti Smith told me herself that she loved Laura Nyro and so did her Keyboard player, Richard Sohl (RIP), which one can def here on the PSG's records. Especially "Horses"

I loved Laura Nyro. Super talented!!!

Actually, I've been a musician, keyboard player, producer my whole life and happen to sing pretty well. And my criticism has nothing to do with whether I can sing or not. I think the criticism right above yours by nashvillemamz pretty much nails it, as well as a few others here. Laura was a rare genius and an incredible talent and not many come along in a lifetime who are that passionate and instinctive and accomplished.

OMG what a great voice with a perfect song.

She is soooo cuuuute .....and so talented.

The lyric: Cradle me mama, Mama cradle me again... does anyone know the story of where that piece of lyric comes from? It is so evocative, so compelling, is there meaning at all? Knowing the history of her mom dying of uterine cancer and then the same thing happening to Laura, I know the lyrics to this song were written decades before those deaths happened but this is the center of this song...pleading to her mother for some sort of comfort that belongs to an infant but as the song suggests, "momma was a minor..." My grandmother was thirteen when she was married to a man ten years older than her. She miscarried at age 14 and I think of her sons and daughter (my uncles and mother) and the situation she and they were put into when her husband died of black lung disease in a Pennsylvania coal mining town and she moved into NYC and the Bowery..the story of children, girls getting married off and made pregnant. This song just resonates with me.

Sara does an excellent version of Stoney End - she clearly loves this wonderful song, enjoys it, and is able to sing it, which is not that easy. On another subject: it says a lot about the stunning lack of musicality and general integrity of the people who control who gets into the R&RHOF that Nyro wasn't inducted long, long before she died. But then she didn't play their corrupt game.

I would choose Sara singing Stoney End over Barbra Streisand any day!

When I saw Sara Bareilles sing Laura Nyro's Stoney End at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction ceremony I was sure she was channelling the great one herself. wow, Wow, WOW! And a big kudo to the board of directors who bowed to the public howl that Laura's son wasn't even invited and then turning around to let him accept the award for his beloved mother. Google for more information on how he has been cheated out of his rightful legacy due to greedy legal wrangling over his mother's estate.

This video unfortunately cuts off the whole performance.. it's available in other vids on KZfaq.. Meanwhile, though, this interview with Sara is great.. Long live Laura Nyro.. gone so young.. RIP...

Bravo.

I thought Sara did a wonderful job, she even did a bit of a wail. Sara reminds me a little of Laura,and her "hit songs", not so much her more experimental work. Noone is quite up to Laura in her New York Tendaberry/ Christmas and the Beads of Sweat period.

I agree with mysticsmb, Sara was a perfect choice! If you truly listen to what Sara says it was a genuine tribute to Laura Nyro. Too bad jimmytman and nashevillemamz are so full of themselves they can't see it. They seem like the types that live to be offended. Get a life...

Sara loves her new dentures

If you really like Laura Nyro, why not visit her house some day? She lived there for years till she died. The address is: 9 Zinn Road, Danbury, CT. Check it on google maps. It's near the high school. It was her big move to the country from the Bronx.

There was madness to her music. Some songs tip-toed gently as fairy’s feet on flower petals; others stomped like a ghetto gang charging down an alley-and any one of her song’s could do both. Her lyrics could be glints of sparkling sunlight bouncing off flowing melodies or heavy hail pounding a tin roof or mournful tears washing away dreams. Upbeat as a picnic in Central Park. Dark as Satan’s heart. Jazzy. Folksy. Broadway. Soul. Funk. Rock. Gospel. Soaring. Crashing. A poetic muse. A alluring siren. A gutter cussing waif. Her creations were the ultimate synthesis of mind-soul-hand. They should have named a new genre of music just for her: Stream of Consciousness music.

Laura Nyro was a lot of things, punk rocker was not one of them. For one thing she used jazz musicians on a lot of albums. It's a bit odd that Rolling Stone is now recognizing Laura Nyro as when she was alive the magazine shunned her.

"Punk rock pioneer"? Where'd that come from?!

I think Laura Nyro might question why her name was used in the same sentence as "punk rock", but from everything I've learned about her (and like her other die-hard fans, I read a lot), she probably wouldn't have said anything about it in an interview or anything like that. I never recall her bashing any other performer, especially those doing covers of her songs.

Then why dont you go sing Jim....oh wait you can't

I thought the Laura segment went really well. Bette Midler gave a Heartfelt speech, and shed some tears, as many Laura fans no doubt did(including myself.) It was great to see her Son Gil proudly accept for her. As for Sara, they had to get somebody, and she did ok. It would have been awesome if they'd been able to get Barbara Streisand, and Marilyn McCoo to do a medley of Laura songs, but overall, I think it went great. Laura SO deserves this Honor, she's a true Musical Legend for all Time!

I knew Laura Nyro. Laura Nyro was my friend. And Sara, you are no Laura Nyro! To call her a forerunner of "punk rock" shows absolutely no understanding of Laura's music, and to say that musically "she was a tough nut to crack" is also something another musician with any aspirations to occupy the same realm as Laura Nyro ought not admit. Jim Taylor

As a lifelong Laura Nyro fan, I am appalled at how terrible this Sarah woman sings! Laura was a BRILLIANT VOCALIST AND PIANIST! This Sarah chick can barely even sing! She has no range! God, she is just so one dimensional. It is an insult to Laura to have this chick representing her.

Sad that Sara was chosen to try to do justice to Laura Nyro's music. Felt she had no clue what Laura Nyro was about. I think it was sloppy work to choose someone so removed from the depth of Laura's soul and understanding. Interview shows how very out of touch she is. Her performance/ voice fell sadly sadly short as well. Just inept.