The date was March 15, 2004. The setting was the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York City. The air in the room was thick with nostalgia, reverence, and a touch of sadness. It was the night George Harrison, the “quiet Beatle,” was being posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist.
To honor him, an supergroup had been assembled to play one of his greatest masterpieces, “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.”
On stage stood legends. Tom Petty, with his signature drawl, took the lead vocals. Next to him was Jeff Lynne of ELO, who had produced Harrison’s later work. On acoustic guitar was Dhani Harrison, George’s son, looking so much like his late father that it made hearts ache.
For the first three minutes, the performance was exactly what you’d expect: respectful, somber, and beautifully executed. Petty and Lynne harmonized perfectly. The rhythm was steady. It was a moving tribute to a fallen friend.
But lurking in the shadows at the far side of the stage, wearing a crimson fedora and a smirk that could stop traffic, Prince was waiting.
The Velvet Curtain Rises
Prince was also being inducted that night. But during rehearsals, there had been tension. According to later reports, Prince hadn’t even practiced the song with the rest of the band. He just showed up, plugged in, and waited for his moment.
As the song neared the bridge, where the guitar solo usually sits, Tom Petty stepped back from the microphone. The spotlight shifted.
Prince didn’t just step forward; he erupted onto the center stage.
What happened over the next two minutes and forty-five seconds wasn’t just music; it was an exorcism. Prince didn’t just play the notes George Harrison had written; he set them on fire.
He channeled a divine fury that left the other legends on stage staring in open-mouthed disbelief. Dhani Harrison, who had been looking somber, suddenly broke into a wide, joyous grin as Prince unleashed a flurry of blues licks, impossibly fast runs, and screaming bends that seemed to defy the physics of the instrument.
At one point, Prince turned his back to the audience and leaned backward over the edge of the stage, trusting the front row to hold him up while his fingers continued to fly across the fretboard. He was arrogant, flashy, and utterly brilliant. It was exactly the kind of rebellious spirit rock and roll was built on.
The Vanishing Act
As the song reached its thunderous climax, the band pounded the final chords. Prince, standing center stage, held his Hohner MadCat Telecaster guitar high above his head. He looked at the crowd with a final, triumphant sneer.
And then, he threw the guitar.
He didn’t smash it. He didn’t gently set it down. He tossed it straight up into the dark abyss above the stage lights.
The audience gasped. Everyone’s eyes instinctively looked up to see where it would land, anticipating the loud CRASH of expensive wood hitting the stage floor.
But the crash never came.
The guitar simply… vanished. It didn’t fall back down. Prince immediately turned on his heel, adjusted his cuffs like he had just finished a business meeting, and coolly walked off stage without looking back.
The Secret Revealed
For years, fans speculated about the “magic trick.” Did it get stuck in the lighting rig? Did it ascend to rock and roll heaven?
The truth, revealed years later by people present that night, is a testament to Prince’s meticulous dedication to showmanship.
There was no magic portal above the stage. There was, however, a very trusted guitar technician named Takumi Suetsugu.
Takumi was positioned in the dark rafters above the stage, hidden from view. He had practiced the catch with Prince relentlessly. Prince knew exactly how high and how hard to throw the instrument, and Takumi knew exactly where to be to catch it silently out of the air.
If Takumi had missed, the resulting crash would have ruined the entire mystique of the moment. But he didn’t miss.
That night, Prince didn’t just honor George Harrison. He reminded the world that while legends may pass on, the magic of rock and roll—the sheer audacity of it—was very much alive. He came, he conquered, and he made sure that even his exit was unforgettable.