Fans called this mind-bending Prince solo one of the greatest guitar solos of all time on legendary live George Harrison tribute

Prince initially held back during the 2004 performance of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” staged for George Harrison’s induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. His role changed just after the three-minute mark, when he walked to center stage and launched into the guitar solo that prompted fans to rank the appearance among the greatest displays of lead playing they had seen.

Before Prince took the spotlight, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne handled the principal vocal parts. Steve Winwood added guitar passages, while Harrison’s son Dhani played acoustic guitar and sang backup. Prince’s eventual solo brought together groove, technique and deliberate showmanship, making his contribution the performance’s most celebrated passage.

The reactions visible near the end became another notable part of the footage. At approximately 4:40, Petty and Dhani Harrison are shown smiling broadly as Prince completes the solo. Viewers later focused on those expressions, with one commenter suggesting that both men understood they were participating in a legendary moment. Prince’s own grin also drew attention in that response.

An HD edition of the tribute was posted by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in May 2021. It went on to receive 39 million views, accompanied by almost 36,000 comments. One fan emphatically described Prince’s performance as an all-time great solo and a master class by a legendary artist. The scale and tone of the response reflected how strongly the guitar feature continued to resonate with viewers.

Watch the full performance on page two