It was the singer's second Rock Hall honor: Reed and The Velvet Underground were inducted by Smith in 1996. Reed's widow, musician Laurie Anderson, was on hand to accept the award on behalf of her late husband.

"Lou understood pain and he understood beauty," said Anderson. "He knew these two were often intertwined. That was what energized him and made him vibrate.

"You change forever when you have the love of your life die in your arms. When Lou died in my arms, I watched as he did tai chi with his hands. I watched the joy and surprise that came over his face when he died."

The musical tribute to Reed saw the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Karen O and Nick Zinner deliver a version of "Vicious," followed by a Beck performance of "Satellite Of Love."