Las Vegan Joe D’Ambrosio among rock Hall of Fame inductees

CLEVELAND -- The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony didn't miss Axl Rose at all.

The rowdy celebration, which in past years has included awkward moments, touching tributes and unforgettable performances, rocked on without Rose, the Guns N' Roses frontman who may one day regret skipping a night when 6,000 fans, 1,400 guests and many of music's biggest stars partied in Public Hall with the class of 2012.

Hard rockers Guns N' Roses -- minus Rose -- headlined this year's eclectic group of inductees.

Others being enshrined were the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Beastie Boys, folk icon Donovan, late singer-songwriter Laura Nyro and British bands the Small Faces and Faces.

Taking a back row to the more prominent inductees, but no less happy to be there, was 78-year-old Las Vegan Joe D'Ambrosio. When he retired from 25 years as a Caesars Palace casino employee, few of his co-workers knew D'Ambrosio was an original member of Bill Haley & The Comets, and that his saxophone is heard on the pioneering rock records "Rock Around the Clock" and "Shake, Rattle and Roll."

The Comets were among a group of inductions aiming to make amends for past errors of forgetting about the backing bands of previous inductees, including Buddy Holly's Crickets, Hank Ballard's Midnighters and James Brown's Famous Flames.

Before the ceremony started with a blistering performance by Green Day, Chili Peppers lead singer Anthony Kiedis said it was strange to be enshrined while on tour.

"We're going somewhere," Kiedis said. "How can we stop and take an award when really we're just halfway there? But it is nice to be together with people that we spent some incredible years along the way. "

Cleveland rocked without Rose. Green Day, which was scheduled to induct Guns N' Roses, got things started by tearing into "Letterbomb" with Billie Joe Armstrong leading the sold-out room of fans and celebrities in a singalong chorus.

The first mention of Rose's name drew a smattering of boos that were soon drowned out by the music.

Rose, the screeching frontman and ringmaster of the Guns N' Roses traveling circus of dysfunction for decades, said last week that he didn't want to be part of the ceremony because it "doesn't appear to be somewhere I'm actually wanted or respected."

He cited a continuing rift with his former bandmates as the main reason for not attending.

Alice Cooper was the fan favorite on the red carpet, waving in response to cheers of "Alice, Alice!"

Stevie Van Zandt, one of Bruce Springsteen's sidemen in the E Street Band, inducted the Small Faces and Faces, bands that included Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood, two rock superstars.

John Mellencamp inducted Donovan Leitch, a balladeer from the flower-power 1960s once labeled "the new Dylan."

Carole King inducted late rock promoter Don Kirchner, who helped launch the careers of Prince and the Eagles.

Smokey Robinson inducted the long-deserving backup bands for early rock artists .

Las Vegas Review-Journal writer Mike Weatherford contributed to this report.