"I am overwhelmed,"
McKagan said of the honor. He also addressed singer
Axl Rose's absence during his acceptance speech, saying, "I don't know if it matters who's here tonight because it's about the music that band created."
Slash said, "We have new fans who have never seen the original lineup and they're pulling for us."
Adler quoted
QUEEN's
"We Are the Champions": "You brought me fame and fortune and everything that goes with it, and I thank you all."
GREEN DAY's
Billie Joe Armstrong delivered the induction speech for
GN'R, saying, "The first time I saw
GUNS N' ROSES on
MTV, I thought, 'One of these guys could end up dead or in jail,'" He raved about
"Appetite For Destruction", calling it "the best debut album in the history of rock and roll. Every song hits hard. It takes you a trip to the seedy world of Los Angeles. The thing that set them apart from everyone else was guts. They never lost their edge for one second." He also praised each of the
GN'R members, before saying, "Let's see, who am I missing?" to a round of boos. He then referred to
Rose as "one of the best frontmen to ever touch a microphone," and added, "And you're fucking crazy. Most singers in bands are, I can vouch for that."
Clarke played guitar with
GN'R in the 1990s but was not inducted.
Audio of
Billie Joe Armstrong's introduction speech and the
GN'R bandmembers' acceptance speeches can be heard in the
YouTube clips below.
As for the other inductees,
Chris Rock inducted the
RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS,
Chuck D did the honors for the
BEASTIE BOYS,
Bette Midler inducted
Laura Nyro,
ZZ TOP was on hand for
Freddie King,
Carole King inducted
Don Kirshner,
John Mellencamp paid tribute to
Donovan and
Steve Van Zandt handled duties for the
SMALL FACES/
FACES.
Some 7,000 fans packed Public Auditorium for the sold-out event.
Check out photos:
*
Wire Image - Inside*
Wire Image - Show*
Wire Image - Arrivals*
Wire Image – Press Room*
Film Magic - Show*
Film Magic - Press Room*
Getty Images - Show*
Getty Images - Press Room*
Getty Images - ArrivalsArtisan News video report:
Induction/acceptance speeches and performance:
