Ne-Yo, Bob Seger and Bette Midler inducted into Songwriters Hall of Fame

R&B star Ne-Yo, rock and roll icon Bob Seger and Bette Midler were among those inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame during a ceremony in New York.

Producer and rapper Swizz Beatz presented Ne-Yo with the Hal David Starlight Award, given to young artists who have made a significant impact with their music, according to the BBC.

Ne-Yo joked about how music saved his life.

"I was a pretty riled up little kid," he said. "If not for my mom giving me the pad and the pen and telling me to take my emotions and put them there, there's no telling. I might I have been sticking you up or something."

Seger began the ceremony by performing his 1973 song “Turn the Page,” according to Billboard. He was inducted by Valerie Simpson, who performed “We’ve Got Tonight” in his honor.

Stevie Nicks presented Bette Midler with the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award. Nicks also performed “The Rose,” Midler’s song from the 1979 movie with the same title.

Other inductees included Canadian folk rock artist Gordon Lightfoot, “Bat Out of Hell” writer Jim Steinman and the writers of the long-running musical The Fantastick’s.

The Songwriters Hall of Fame was created in 1969 by Johnny Mercer and two music publishers. Almost 400 songwriters have been honored since the first inductees were announced in 1970.