Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducts Bill Withers, Ringo Starr, Green Day, Joan Jett
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducts Bill Withers, Ringo Starr, Green Day, Joan Jett The key to rock's longevity is it never defines itself into irrelevance. So while there were some loud, dirty guitars at the 2015 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Cleveland on Saturday night, there was as much recognition for rock's antecedents in soul and blues, speaking less to a particular taxonomy than a spirit that's beyond words. It's easy to talk of such spirit when Paul McCartney is there to honor Ringo Starr, and Yoko Ono is on hand as well. Speaking briefly backstage, Ono expressed feeling that it was wonderful for Starr to be honored, "just sad John and George aren't here," referring to her late husband John Lennon and Beatles guitarist and fellow songwriter George Harrison. Starr was certainly happy to be there — after a long wait, he's the final Beatle to be inducted as a solo act. "I've finally been invited, and ...