Ringo Starr gets 'help' from friends Paul McCartney, Green Day, Joan Jett for ex-Beatle's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame solo induction

CLEVELAND -- At the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions, sometimes even Beatles get the performance-anxiety blues.

"It's been a beautiful night," Ringo Starr said in the wee hours of Sunday morning, after he was inducted as a solo artist into the Rock Hall by Paul McCartney. "We've got to follow John Legend and Stevie Wonder for God's sake."

Of course, Starr had some help of his own. Green Day, also new Rock Hall inductees, backed him up on The Shirelles' "Boys." Then, Joe Walsh joined them for "It Don't Come Easy." And finally, McCartney rejoined him on the Cleveland Public Auditorium stage, where they had first played together as Beatles in 1964, for "With a Little Help from My Friends," backed by pretty much every star from the night. Long Beach's Joan Jett, also a new inductee with The Blackhearts, and Miley Cyrus, who inducted her, joined in. Also performing during that Beatles tune were Beck and Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Karen O and Nick Zinner, who paid tribute to Freeport native Lou Reed, the former Velvet Underground frontman who was inducted for a second time, on this occasion as a solo artist.

Laurie Anderson accepted the award for her late husband Reed, while often leading the crowd in chants of "Looooooou!"

"Lou really knew the difference between himself as a writer and himself as a person and as a rock and roll star," said Anderson, who revealed that Reed died in her arms in their Southampton home in October 2013. "He'd shift between his roles with such skill. He could take his fame off like one of his leather jackets, or he could just decide to use it. The fame, itself, was heavily important. Lou was genuinely proud of what he'd done and could really appreciate his own work. And, tonight, he would have been so immensely proud to be a part of this."