Inductee Simon Refers to ‘Other Happy’ Pairs in Rock Hall of Fame

Paul Simon said he and Art Garfunkel would feel at home in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, noting that their relationship was rocky.

“We can join those other happy couples,” he said at Wednesday night’s induction ceremony. “Ike and Tina Turner, the Everly Brothers, Mick (Jagger) and Keith (Richards), Paul (McCartney) and all of the other Beatles.”

Despite their breakups, Simon called Garfunkel “my oldest and best friend” more than once during his speech at the annual black-tie dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria.

Hank Ballard, who wrote “The Twist,” cried as he accepted his award. He said his wife, who also served as his manager, was killed in a hit-and-run accident in New York three months ago.

“When she took me on four years ago, she swore she was going to take me back to the stars where I used to be,” he said. “It’s tragic she’s not here tonight with me.”

Besides Ballard and Simon and Garfunkel, the acts inducted were the Four Tops; the Who; Bobby Darin, who died in 1973; the Four Seasons; the Kinks, and the Platters.

The irreverent Kinks wore tuxedos to be inducted.

“Seeing everybody makes me realize rock ‘n’ roll has become respectable,” Ray Davies said. “What a bummer.”

After the ceremony, about 60 musicians, including Bruce Springsteen, Roger Daltry and Peter Townshend of the Who, hopped up on stage for a jam session.