Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Alice Cooper, Neil Diamond Among 2011 Inductees

Alice Cooper performs on stage in Frankfurt, western Germany, on Nov. 11, 2010.

/ DANIEL ROLAND/AFP/Getty Images

NEW YORK (CBS/AP) The 2011 class of inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame were announced Tuesday, and Alice Cooper and Neil Diamond were among the rockers chosen.

Darlene Love also made the list, along with New Orleans musician Dr. John and singer-songwriter Tom Waits.

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Piano man Leon Russell was honored with a musical excellence award, previously the sideman category. Executives Jac Holzman and Art Rupe were given the Ahmet Ertegun Awards.

Others will have to try again next year. Bon Jovi, nominated for the first time, was turned away from music's prestigious club, as was LL Cool J, the J. Geils Band, the Beastie Boys, Donna Summer and more.

Diamond, whose hits include "Sweet Caroline," had been eligible for the Rock Hall for several years. But he was never really worried about getting an invitation.

"I thought about it occasionally, but I kind of figured they'd get around to me at some point," he said in a phone interview.

Like Diamond, Cooper said he hadn't been anxiously waiting for his Rock Hall invite, though his name has been mentioned in conjunction with the institution for years.

"You know it crosses your mind, but then you think of all the guys who aren't in there, some of them before you, and you go, 'Wow.' ... You realize that it's a waiting game," the heavy metal rocker, known for his dark eyeliner and shaggy hair, said in a phone interview. "I don't think you sit around holding your breath on it."

Love said she thought two of her biggest boosters for the hall - Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's Stevie Van Zandt - would likely do the honors at the March 14 induction ceremony in New York.

She was also happy for some of the other inductees, including Russell, who used to play on some of her sessions.

"This is going to be a helluva jam session," she remarked about the upcoming festivities.

The induction ceremony will be aired on the cable TV station Fuse.

[kaientai]

So many snubs.... so little time to fix it. www.notinhalloffame.com has a long list of those who never made the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It goes a lot deeper than just Rush, Chicago, Jethro Tull, Deep Purple and KISS.

[palmflood]

Where's Emerson Lake & Palmer? Best overall keyboard player. Best drummer. Best vocalist/bass player. Best cannon fire. 3 rockers who sounded like 33. Fave of Robert Moog, Aaron Copland, Alberto Ginastera, Dave Brubeck.

[andre villemaire]

Alice is quite a showman. He's been giving good shows for a few
decades...and he is still in top form from what ive seen from
a 2009 dvd of his show in Germany. Welcome to my Nightmare still rocks....

[Harden_Tar]

Dr. John and Tom Waits, although not the main point here, both deserve their nods.

[brian_norwood]

Congratulations Alice! Killer was the very first album I ever bought. Great stuff.

As for Neil Diamond, most people do not know what an exceptional classical guitarist he is. Get a copy of his song "Lament in D Minor" if you want proof.

[aquaman53]

Vincent...you made it in. Congrats to the guys in Alice Cooper. You took the dark side of our real world and put music to it.

[peacefulperson]

Alice Cooper and Neil Diamond? Couldn't find anyone more boring or less relevant?

[aquaman53]

you must be a Kiss fan.

[Randy Lane]

Another Tiny Tim fan LoL

[ppaulville]

Let's see, Jann Wenner got in (could it be because Rolling Stone basically runs the thing?) and Madonna's in. But Scorpions, Iron Maiden, Kiss, Heart and Rush are not? The R&RHOF should be called the music critics' hall of fame. It thinks of itself as a protector of cool music, but it's a self-serving schoolyard bully. If you didn't make "cool" music, you're not getting in. If only Iron Maiden had been an acoustic band...

[aquaman53]

Rush should be in...but Kiss...really.