Bon Jovi inducted into Hall of Fame; Tom Petty given tribute

Bon Jovi reunited with former members Richie Sambora and Alec John Such for a powerful performance on Saturday night, as the band earned a spot in the prestigious Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. They were joined by current bandmates David Bryan, Tico Torres and Hugh McDonald at the Public Auditorium in Cleveland, where the Rock Hall is based.

“Some days I write the ‘Thank you’ speech, sometimes I write the ‘F*** you’ speech,” he said. “In the end, it’s all about time. It took a lot of people to get us here tonight.”

The 33rd annual Rock Hall four-hour plus ceremony kicked off with a tribute to Tom Petty, who died in October at age 66. The Killers earned a loud applause from the audience when they started performing American Girl, then transitioning to Free Fallin.

“Pay some rock ‘n’ roll respect ... to the eternal Tom Petty,” frontman Brandon Flowers said, as photos of Petty were displayed in the background. The Cars and four first-time nominees, including Nina Simone, Dire Straits, The Moody Blues and Sister Rosetta Tharpe, make up the 2018 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame class.

Simone received a passionate tribute from singers who she has deeply inspired, from Lauryn Hill to Mary J Blige. English band Dire Straits were also inducted, but were without their leader, Mark Knopfler, or his brother David.

In an interview ahead of the event, co-founding member and bassist John Illsley said Mark “just didn’t feel like coming... It’s a personal thing. Let’s just leave it at that.