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Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inducts Its Latest Class

Last night at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame recognized its new inductees, R.E.M., Van Halen, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Patti Smith, and the Ronettes. The ceremony was aired on television for the first time on VH1 Classics.

Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder inducted R.E.M., who then performed a three-song set consisting of "Begin the Begin," "Gardening at Night," and "Man on the Moon." The band was joined by retired drummer Bill Berry.

Van Halen, which was represented only by Sammy Hagar and bassist Michael Anthony (Eddie Van Halen is currently in rehab), accepted their induction and then watched a set of Van Halen covers as performed by Velvet Revolver, a set including "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love," "Best of Both Worlds," and "Why Can't This Be Love," which featured vocal duties by Sammy Hagar. Incidentally, two of those songs were hits from the later Sammy Hagar era.

Jay-Z introduced Grandmaster Flash, and Zach De La Rocha presented Patti Smith. The New York punk queen then sang "Because the Night," "Gimme Shelter," and "Rock 'N Roll N***er." And finally, Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards mumbled his way through a Ronettes induction.

The night ended with R.E.M. backing Smith on the Stooges' classic, "I Wanna Be Your Dog" and Smith's own "People Have the Power," for which all the inductees were invited onstage to sing along.

--The ARTISTdirect Staff
03.13.07