Chicago bluesman Willie Dixon was inducted in the early influences (or pre-rock) category, and Johnny Otis, composer of the late 50's classic "Willie and the Hand Jive" was cited in the nonperformer category for his contributions to rhythm-and-blues. The Living and the Dead

About 1,200 music-business figures and performers paid $1,250 and $1,500 a ticket to attend the ceremony, a lavish black-tie dinner and closing jam session. They saw not only most of the living greats being honored -- Mr. Stewart who was still in Los Angeles because of Monday's earthquake -- but also Jeff Beck, Etta James, Chuck Berry, Bono, Axl Rose, Eric Clapton and others step up to the dais to present awards and pay tribute to fellow departed musicians. Even Paul McCartney appeared to present Mr. Lennon's award to his widow, Yoko Ono, and his sons, Julian and Sean. He was a no-show in 1988, when the Beatles were honored, at the time citing "business differences."

Mr. Beck, accepting for Mr. Stewart, said he had written notes for a speech about the artist on "a sick bag" and added: "You can have the schmaltzy speech if you like, or the truth about Rod Stewart." He said backstage later that it was the singer's "hairy throat" that caught his attention back in the late 60's, when Mr. Stewart became front man for Mr. Beck's band. Linking Jamaica and Ireland

In presenting Mr. Marley's award to his widow, Rita, and their son Ziggy, Bono gave a poetic speech comparing Jamaica to Ireland as islands that had both been under the colonial yoke. He described Mr. Marley's music a "sexy revolution and the artist as "Dr. King in dreads." He said he "wanted everything at the same time and he was everything at the same time."

Mr. Rose, of the group Guns n' Roses, introduced Elton John. Mr. Rose said: "For myself as well as many others, no one has been there more for inspiration than Elton John. When I first heard 'Bennie and the Jets' I knew at the time I had to be a performer."