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Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame: Green Day, Lou Reed, Joan Jett Among 2015 Inductees

Green Day, Lou Reed, Joan Jett Joining Rock Hall Of Fame

The late Lou Reed, Green Day, Ringo Starr and Joan Jett are among the eight inductees into the 2015 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

According to the Hall of Fame's official site Bill Withers, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band and The "5" Royales round out the list. Ringo Starr also becomes the last member of The Beatles to be also inducted as a solo artist, joining Paul McCartney (1999), John Lennon (1994) and George Harrison (2004).

Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong told Rolling Stone he was shocked on hearing the news. "I had to go for a walk," he said. "I would up at this cafe and I sat down and my son met up with me. I told him and he was like, 'Oh my God. No way.' It just took some time to sink in. We're in incredible company and I'm still trying to make sense of this. It's just incredible."

Green Day is also one of the few artists to be inducted in their first year of eligibility.

Meanwhile, Jett was just as surprised by the news. "It's surreal," she also told Rolling Stone. "I'm sure a big smile came across my face. It's incredible. I'm very flabbergasted. It's going to take a few minutes to sink in before I see how I really feel about it."

Elsewhere, Reed joins Starr as being inducted as a solo artist following The Velvet Underground's induction back in 1996. "He consistently took an uncompromising stance in the service of his artistic vision -- often following commercial breakthroughs with daring, experimental projects that initially confounded both fans and critics only to gain recognition decades later," the Hall of Fame's official bio on Reed says. Dec. 16 also marks the second anniversary of a memorial concert in Reed's honor which took place at New York's Apollo Theater.

Stevie Ray Vaughan, the guitarist best known for his work with Double Trouble and songs such as "Couldn't Stand The Weather" and "Cold Shot," will also be inducted. The surviving members of Double Trouble have yet to comment on the honor. The guitarist died in a tragic plane crash in 1990.

Singer Bill Withers, known for signatures "Lean On Me" and "Ain't No Sunshine," told Rolling Stone he was honored but didn't think it was "some kind of entitlement" he was owed.

"If you think about it, it's an odd collection of people, from Elvis Presley to Miles Davis, in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame," he said. "I just never felt anyone owed me this. It's something that's nice that happened. I guess I'll have to go buy a suit."

Rounding out the list is Paul Butterfield Blues Band who made inroads with their first two albums, their self-titled debut in 1965 and the sophomore effort "East-West" in 1966. Butterfield died in 1987 at the age of 44. And The "5" Royales were a 1950s doo-wop group whose songs such as "Dedicated To The One I Love" and "Tell The Truth" were later covered by the Mamas and the Papas and Ray Charles, respectively.

The Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place in Cleveland on April 18.

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