Rock Hall ushers in new inductees in Cleveland homecoming

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame returned its induction ceremonies to its home in Cleveland Saturday night (4/4) for only the second time in 24 years.

The Hall ushered several new names into its pantheon during the evening, including Metallica, Run-DMC, Jeff Beck, Bobby Womack, and Little Anthony and the Imperials. According to reports, the ceremonies took place before a raucous crowd in Cleveland's Public Auditorium, not far from the Rock Hall of Fame's museum, which has stood in the city since 1995.

"Rock 'n' roll is about possibilities and about dreams," said Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich in accepting the band's award. "Anything is possible if you just have the guts to believe it." The group closed the show with a reunion of sorts, with former bassist Jason Newsted joining current bassist Robert Trujillo onstage for several of the band's classic songs.

Beck was inducted by Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, with whom he was also inducted in 1992 as members of The Yardbirds.

Run-DMC became just the second hip-hop act to gain admission to the Rock Hall. "Two turntables and a microphone," rapper Eminem said as he inducted the group's Joesph "Run" Simmons and Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels, the pair dressed in their trademark uniform of black leather jackets and Kangol hats. "That’s all it took to change the world."

The third member of the trio, Jason "Jam-Master Jay" Mizell, was murdered in 2002 in a recording studio in Jamaica, Queens, New York.

Other inductees present Saturday night included early rock-and-roll pioneer Wanda Jackson--a contemporary of Elvis Presley who briefly dated the legendary singer--and two of Presley's early bandmates, drummer DJ Fontana and bassist Bill Black, who were both inducted into the Hall's sideman wing.

In accepting her honor, Jackson thanked Elvis Costello, who had lobbied to have her included in the Hall. "Another Elvis in my life," she quipped.

The estimated audience of 5,800 in attendance reserved perhaps its biggest cheers for hometown hero Womack, the Cleveland-born singer and songwriter known for penning the Rolling Stones' first UK hit, "It's All Over Now," as well as his own hits as a singer, which include "Lookin' For a Love" and "Across 110th Street," among others.