A range of musicians from rockers Guns N’ Roses to R&B legends Smokey Robinson and the Miracles where inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in a night as notable for who was not there as to who was.

Axl Rose, frontman for 1990s band Guns N’ Roses, last week refused to be honoured by the Cleveland-based Rock Hall after years of bitter feuding with his former Appetite for Destruction band mates, and his name earned catcalls from the crowd when it was mentioned.

Boos rang out from some of the 6,000 in attendance early in the evening when Billie Joe Armstrong, lead singer of Green Day, asked the crowd “who was missing” as members of Guns N’ Roses were up on stage accepting their award.

“Most singers are crazy. I can vouch for that,” Mr Armstrong told the audience.

He praised Mr Rose: “He is one of the best front man to ever touch a microphone”.

Rod Stewart also a no-show due to ill health

Then he added: “Sometimes you haveto look back at chapters of your life to move forward”.

Mr Rose was the first artist to publicly snub the honour since surviving members of punk rockers the Sex Pistols, inducted in 2006, refused to attend the ceremony.

Earlier last week, Mr Rose issued open letter to the public saying he would “respectfully decline my induction as a member of Guns N’ Roses to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame” at Saturday’s 27th Annual ceremony in Cleveland.

Two other notable absences were Rod Stewart, inducted with other band members from the Faces/Small Faces and the Beastie Boys’ Adam Yauch, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2009 and couldn’t accept his award with band members, Mike D (Michael Diamond) and Ad-Rock (Adam Horovitz).

Mr Stewart, previously inducted as a solo performer, couldn’t attend because he was ill with the flu and had to stay away under doctor orders.