QUINCY JONES,RUSH AND HEART INTO THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME

For the first time, the ceremony was held in Los Angeles on Thursday night and featured performances by Usher, Christina Aguilera and Jennifer Hudson.

Rappers Public Enemy, singer-songwriter Randy Newman and late disco queen Donna Summer were also inducted at the event.

Heart's Nancy Wilson said: "I feel like I got into the cool ball team".

She added: "People who are already in the Hall of Fame are some of our biggest influences. Like Randy Newman, for instance, right over there, he's a beast."

Newman, nominated during his career for 20 Oscars - winning twice - is best known by younger audiences for his movie compositions in Disney/Pixar films like the Toy Story franchise.

"I didn't think it would happen until I died or something," the 69-year-old said backstage after his induction.

For Canadian prog-rockers, Rush, the honour was more important to their fans said drummer Neil Peart.

"It reflected back on them," he said. "We've always said it's not something that meant a lot to us, but we knew our fans cared so much to be validated like that - that their favourite band, like their favourite sports team, should be celebrated as champions."

"Heart persevered and just broke through a mould and it's the same thing with us in our genre," he said.Director Spike Lee and singer Harry Belafonte presented rap pioneers Public Enemy with their award. Frontman Chuck D paid tribute to fellow inductees, Heart.

He explained the band's three decades-long career, saying: "We worked very hard at it. It's no accident."

There were two posthumous inductions - Donna Summer, who died of lung cancer last year, and bluesman Albert King, who died in 1992.

Blues singer John Mayer sais: "Albert King is why guitar-face was invented."

The full ceremony will be broadcast in the US on 18 May on HBO.