Spinner.com: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Recap & Photo Gallery

Madonna, Mellencamp Inducted Into Rock Hall of Fame
Posted Mar 11th 2008 12:00PM by Beville Darden
Filed under: News, Rock Hall

Madonna, John Mellencamp, Leonard Cohen, The Dave Clark Five and the Ventures are the newest inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The annual induction ceremony was held Monday night at New York's Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

Madonna accepted her honor with a curse-laden acceptance speech: "What's a record without the music? That's right, mother f---ers," she quipped. The Material Girl did not perform, however. Instead, rocker Iggy Pop serenaded her with covers of her hits 'Ray of Light' and 'Burning Up.'

Mellencamp dedicated his induction to a surgeon who saved his life as a baby. The singer was born with spina bifida, an often life-threatening birth defect. Mellencamp then rocked the house with 'Authority Song,' with his son Speck on guitar.
Lou Reed inducted legendary songwriter Leonard Cohen, who followed his acceptance speech by reading the lyrics to his song, 'Tower of Song.'

It was a bittersweet induction for the Dave Clark Five, as the band's lead singer Mike Smith died last week of pneumonia. Three surviving members of the group attended and paid tribute to 60s American rock.

The Ventures, inducted by John Fogerty, performed their first hit, 'Walk, Don't Run,' and 'Hawaii Five-O.'

To view the photo gallery click HERE!