Notes From The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony

Posted by Mitch Michaels on 04.05.2009

What did everyone have to say and play?

Metallica, Run-D.M.C., Jeff Beck, Little Anthony & The Imperials, Wanda Jackson and Bobby Womack were inducted into Cleveland's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame last night.

The ceremony was historic from the start - it marked the first time seats were open to the public, with 5,000 snatched up almost immediately when they went on sale. VIP tables on the floor, meanwhile, went for $50,000 apiece.

Metallica reunited with ex-bassist Jason Newsted onstage for performances of "Master of Puppets" and "Enter Sandman."

"Whatever the intangibles elements are that make a band the best, Metallica has them," said Flea, who inducted the band. "[The first time I heard Metallica] My mind was blown. It wasn't punk rock. It wasn't heavy metal. It just stood by itself. I didn't know what it was, but I knew it was a mighty thing."

Ray Burton, the father of late bassist Cliff Burton, accepted the award with the band.

"Dream big and dare to fail, because this is living proof that it is possible to make a dream come true," said frontman James Hetfield, who then read off a list of other bands that need to be inducted (Deep Purple, Thin Lizzy, Rush, Kiss, Ted Nugent, Iron Maiden, Motorhead) before hugging Lars Ulrich.

Metallica, Beck, Jimmy Page, Aerosmith's Joe Perry and Flea jammed at the end of the night on the Yardbirds' "Train Kept A-Rollin'".

"Jeff's style is totally unorthodox to the way anyone was taught," said Jimmy Page, who inducted Beck. "He keeps getting better and better and better."

Beck and Page (on bass) shared the stage for a performance of Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song."

"[Run-D.M.C.] broke away from the pack by being the pack," said Eminem, who inducted the band in a black fedora and leather jacket. "They were the baddest of the bad and the coolest of the cool. Run-D.M.C. changed my life. There's three of them and if you grew up with hip hop like I did, they were the Beatles."

"We were young guys with a new music that people thought was a fad, but we knew the culture was a way of life and we just lived it," D.M.C. said. "The music that we made then didn't just impact friends, it impacted a generation. So I guess that's what rock and roll does."

D.M.C., Rev. Run and the late Jam Master Jay's mother, Connie Mizzell, accepted the award. "My baby is still doing it for me," she said.

Run thanked Mizzell for letting the trio set up shop in her living room in the early days. "She never told us to turn the music down once," he said. "I'd like to thank you for that."

Ron Wood introduced Bobby Womack as "the voice that has always killed me. He brings me to tears."

Little Anthony and the Imperials played a medley of hits "Tears on My Pillow," "Hurt So Bad," and "I'm Alright." They were inducted by Smokey Robinson, who called their night "long overdue."

"We've been in this now for 50 years, and when we were kids we never imagined in our wildest dreams we'd ever be here," said frontman Anthony Gourdine. "Now that it's here, the one thing we can look at and say is nobody can ever take this away from us."

Wanda Jackson was inducted by Roseanna Cash. "She could really rock and still kept her femininity intact," said Cash. "She's the prototype for so many of us."

Elvis Presley drummer DJ Fontana and bassist Bill Black, along with keyboardist Spooner Oldham made it in the sidemen category.

The night closed with an all-star jam on Elvis' "Jailhouse Rock", which featured all of the inductees.

Credit: AP