Julia Roberts inducts Dave Matthews Band into the Hall of Fame

When the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame released the names of the special guests coming to the ceremony this year, some people were surprised to see Julia Roberts alongside the likes of Questlove and Tom Morello. But Dave Matthews Band fans knew that Roberts had long been a big DMB fan and correctly guessed that she would be giving her induction speech.

Roberts is such a big fan of the group that she appeared in their 2005 video “Dreamgirl” as a woman having very disturbing dreams. “The idea originally was that there would be this dream and this woman stumbling through it and being chased by a group of people, which would be unusual for Julia,” Matthews told MTV in 2005. “We thought, 'We could be those dark ones,' 'scary people' and then, 'No, maybe we could split up and be the characters that help her through the dream.'” Check out Roberts' speech for the Dave Mathews Band on.

Hello, hello, hello. All right, the good news is that we're halfway there. When I was asked to come here tonight to undertake the heartbreaking task of inducting the Dave Matthews Band into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I asked what seemed an obvious and critical question: Is there something I shouldn't do? or say? Right?

Music people can be funny about things, and I just didn't want to get it wrong right away. A few days later I received a message with a reply saying: When it comes to talking about the band, you don't play favorites. I thought, ‘Don’t play favorites?’ I have three kids. I'm in show business, favorites? I don't play favorites.' Car – I wouldn’t do that. Fuhrman. So here we are. Carter, I said it, I spit out my cough drop when I said it, but I said it. So here we are on this magical night, and it is my great honor to be a part of these men: Dave Matthews, LeRoi Moore, Carter Beauford, Stefan Lessard and Boyd Tinsley. Cherish the Dave Matthews Band forever.

I would just like to briefly mention the beginning: 1991, Virginia, these young men were all just dreaming of their individual musical dreams. Some guy knows Dave, a bartender, and introduces him to Carter, who I think knew LeRoi. Then Stefan came and last but not least Boyd comes into play. This is only worth mentioning because it is so simple, so gentle, so unelectrifying. But then they somehow became a band that is commonly described as phenomenal, great, amazing and, for me personally, life-affirming.

No wonder they ended up here in the Hall of Fame. The musical talent, the originality, the sheer amount of genres they play, it's mind-blowing. And I've been fortunate enough to attend many Dave Matthews Band concerts, and I don't think I've ever heard any of their songs played the same way twice. Right? The songs, the stories of love and loss, of humanity and deep connections and resonating responsibilities, it's all there and more. The joyful, spontaneous abandon with which they play has helped make them one of the most enduring and popular bands of the last 30-plus years.

The first time I danced with my husband was almost 25 years ago to a Dave Matthews Band song. And that was a winning combination because I've been raving about my husband and this band ever since. You can clap for that – fainting – you can clap for fainting. Dave Matthews Band fans, we're not just fans. We are lifelong fans, enthusiastic, ardent fans, dedicated fans, fans who will travel heaven and earth to be there. This is intense. You are wild. Let's go!

Well, let it simmer for a bit, because now I'm going to tell a little story. As a friend and die-hard fan for many years, I was delighted to learn a few things while doing a little homework this evening. I thought I would ask a few questions and find out a bit more about the members of the band. I found out some interesting things.

Stefan Lessard, for example, dropped out of high school in his first year and apparently has several pseudonyms. I didn't see that coming. Then there's Carter, Carter, Carter, Carter. Everyone loves Carter. Carter is a fellow Scorpio – happy almost birthday. Now there seems to be constant debate on the internet about the question that is never answered, namely whether Carter is left-handed or not. There are pages dedicated to this reflection. There is an analysis. It's so funny, I'm left handed and I'll tell anyone who asks me. But Carter, it's a mystery.

And finally there is David Matthews. Don't google him. Not. Really. I did it and was immediately filled with regret. The first story that comes up about Dave Matthews is how he suffered a stroke and I was stunned. I called my best friend Paige, who's here tonight – also a die-hard fan. And I said, “Oh, sweet mother of God.” Dave Matthews had a stroke? Did you know that? I didn't know that.' And of course, as I kept counting, she wisely googled it and told me that if I had read on, I would have actually seen that it was a man named Dave Matthews in New Zealand in his sixties. He could be musical. We'll never know. He had suffered a stroke but made a wonderful recovery.

I was very relieved and googled some more and discovered – oh, friends of Adam Sandler didn't know it wasn't mentioned – anyway he and Ashley have a winery, a cool label and a good price. Didn't know. And then it says, “When did Dave Matthews come out?” But that refers to when the band was, you know, a band for the first time. So these are the things that happen when you name the band after yourself.

I'll also take a moment to say a big, hefty congratulations to four other incredible gentlemen: Tim Reynolds, Jeff Coffin, Rashawn Ross and Buddy Strong – who over the years have brought their incredible talents to We Are the Dave Matthew's band family very grateful for this. And finally, I would like to personally thank and praise a woman who, for me, is the central pillar, the tentpole that holds up this wild circus tent: the extraordinary Ashley Harper Matthews. Now I'll tell you the music and story of the band that changed my life.