Beatles' Ringo Starr inducted to Hall of Fame

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Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo StarrImage source, Reuters
Image caption,
Sir Paul McCartney joined Ringo Starr on stage to perform With A Little Help From My Friends

Former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.

The 74-year-old was the last of the Fab Four to be inducted as a solo artist, where he was hailed as "one of the greatest and most creative drummers".

"Finally, I'm invited and I love it," he said at the ceremony.

He was introduced by fellow Beatle Sir Paul McCartney and together they performed their 1967 hit, With A Little Help From My Friends.

While inducting his former bandmate, Sir Paul said he could always rely on Starr to perform on every song.

"You don't have to look with Ringo - he's there," he said.

Starr was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a member of the Beatles in 1988.

Although he was the last band member to be recognised for his solo efforts, Starr was the first to establish a career following the band's split in 1970, releasing two albums and scoring two top five songs within a year.

He has released 18 solo studio albums, including his latest - Postcards From Paradise - released earlier this month.

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Stevie Wonder inducted Bill Withers and performed on stage
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Green Day were inducted in their first year of eligibility
Image source, Reuters
Image caption,
Patti Smith paid an emotional tribute to Lou Reed

Among the other honourees at the ceremony were singer Bill Withers, rock band Green Day, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts and Lou Reed - who died in 2013.

Green Day were inducted in their first year of eligibility - which rules state must be 25 years after the release of an artist's first record.

Withers was inducted by Stevie Wonder, who said he would often hear Withers' music and say: "I wish I could have written that song," before performing the singer's hit Ain't No Sunshine.

Jett - who was inducted by Miley Cyrus - opened the show with her rock hit Bad Reputation, and was joined by Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl for a performance of Cherry Bomb.

Musician Patti Smith inducted Reed and thanked him for "brutally and benevolently injecting poetry into your music".

The ceremony will be broadcast in the US on HBO on 30 May.

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