“WE’RE TAKING YOU HIGHER TONIGHT!” Stevie Wonder’s Jaw-Dropping 2025 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Opener Honors Sly Stone With Funk, Soul, And Jennifer Hudson’s Mind-Blowing Vocals

Stevie Wonder, 75 and unstoppable, tore through Sly and the Family Stone’s greatest hits, from “Dance to the Music” to “Thank You,” proving that decades in the game can’t touch his fire. Just when you thought it couldn’t get bigger, Jennifer Hudson stormed the stage with a powerhouse rendition of “I Want to Take You Higher,” sending the crowd into pure ecstasy.

Flea, Beck, Questlove, Maxwell, Leon Thomas—all stars joined in, but it was Stevie and J.Hud’s energy that electrified every corner of the room. Every note, every groove, every high note felt like Sly himself was there, smiling, celebrating the music he created.

Fans left speechless, hearts racing—this wasn’t just a tribute, it was history in motion, a reminder that true legends never fade.

When soul icon Sly Stone died recently, Stevie Wonder was determined to give his longtime friend the send-off he deserved. At 75 years young, Stevie blew everyone off the stage by opening the 2025 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with a tribute featuring all the greatest Sly and the Family Stone hits. Fans’ jaws dropped at Stevie’s funk power, as they were awed that 60 years after his industry debut, no one could do it like him on hits like “Dance to the Music,” “Everyday People,” and “Thank You.”

Stevie shared the spotlight towards the end of the medley when the one and only Jennifer Hudson hit the stage. The energy went through the roof when J.Hud went to town on “I Want to Take You Higher,” delivering her signature soul power vocals. You could definitely tell Stevie and Jennifer were working off each other to bring the vibes to the next level. Readers will definitely want to tune in to J.Hud’s air raid siren closing high note that totally brought the house down.

The lineup was rounded out by a who’s who of funk and soul stars, such as The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea, Beck, Questlove, Maxwell, and Leon Thomas. Fans were loving the all-star medley and added comments such as “Boy, Stevie is still as incredible at 75 as he was over 60 years ago when he debuted. He is music in every cell, every bit of his DNA” and “Stevie showing UP every time and paying homage to legends that have gone on to glory is beautiful and bittersweet, since he’s a legend too.”

Stevie certainly did justice to Sly and the Family Stone, who also dropped plenty of killer live performances in their day. One of their most memorable Sly and the Family Stone live cuts was “I Want To Take You Higher” on The Ed Sullivan Show on December 29, 1968. The groove of the band here is just phenomenal, and the performance shows what a powerhouse vocal line the group had.

Sly Stone passed at the age of 82 on June 9, 2025, at his home in Granada Hills, Los Angeles. His family issued a statement that he died of lung disease and “other underlying health issues.” Sly and the Family Stone dropped a run of timeless hit records in the late ‘60s and ‘70s that defined the soul of funk and soul. Readers might not be surprised to hear that Sly’s legacy continued into the ‘80s by influencing the next wave of hitmakers, such as Prince and Rick James. His music was also extensively sampled in hip hop and other genres from the ‘90s onwards, including by Public Enemy, Beastie Boys, Beck, and many more.