"You've been so warm and courteous and kind", said Fletcher, known as keyboard player for the band.
The Moody Blues were ahead of their time, cutting edge.
Overall, the Dire Straits Rock Hall Induction experience will be remembered for not having a proper presenter, as well as a performance.
Simone has been a pioneer in pushing for civil rights influenced everyone from Aretha Franklin.
A classically-trained pianist, Simone is often referred to as "The High Priestess of Soul". "She influenced the influencers". He said he always protected Simone, and continues to do so. "This is really more about a group of people more than one person, it's a collective, a brotherhood and that's something that needs acknowledging tonight".
Simone died in 2003. Her brother, Sam Waymon, accepted the honor on his sister's behalf. Find other highlights from the rocking evening on the Rock Hall website.
"I know there's been a lot of speculation about the fact that Mark is not here, but I can assure you, it's just a personal thing".
The Cars frontman Ric Ocasek joked he was supposed to be the good looking guy in the band, not Orr.
So did the two talk about anything while she was on stage?
Dire Straits went into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame without its leader. Fans expecting something special were left disappointed.
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Illsley did compliment Knopfler for writing music that made the band "stand out from the crowd". TV and radio personality Howard Stern inducted Bon Jovi.
Howard Stern did the honors for the band, with one of the night's more entertaining speeches. Jon Bon Jovi gave a 20-minute-long speech onstage, which he said he had been writing for years. Out of your seats", before the group performed classic tracks including "You Give Love A Bad Name", "It's My Life", "Livin" On A Prayer', and relatively new track "When We Were Us'.
The 33rd annual Rock Hall ceremony kicked off with a tribute to Tom Petty, who died in October at age 66.
"Ladies and gentleman, get on you feet and pay some rock "n" roll respect to the masterful Tom Petty", said Flowers, before tagging the end of the song with a few lines of "Free Fallin'".
Flowers will deliver the induction speech to welcome The Cars into the Hall.
The 2017 induction ceremony will be broadcast on cable channel HBO on May 5.
Jon Bon Jovi, left, and Richie Sambora run through the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Saturday, April 14, 2018, at Cleveland.
Dire Straits lead singer Mark Knopfler isn't attending the event.
Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Nina Simone were inducted posthumously.
Instead, inductees the Moody Blues ended the night as the last act. Band members Jon Bon Jovi, David Bryan and Tico Torres reunited with former bandmates Richie Sambora and Alec John. Blige inducted Simone, calling the singer "bold, strong, feisty and fearless".
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