Paul McCartney's surprise Rock Hall jam that almost didn't happen

• He agreed to attend but initially declined to perform.

Friction point: McCartney was a no-show at the Beatles' induction in 1988 due to an ongoing business dispute, but did induct John Lennon posthumously as a solo artist in 1994.

• McCartney did so under the promise he would be inducted the following year, according to Joe Hagan's book "Sticky Fingers: The Life and Times of Jann Wenner and Rolling Stone Magazine." That didn't happen.
• At the 1999 ceremony, McCartney's daughter, Stella, wore a shirt that read: "About F–cking Time."

What they said: "This is brilliant for me," McCartney said during his speech, before referencing his wife, Linda McCartney, who died in 1998.

• "But it's brilliant/sad, of course, 'cause I would have liked my baby to share this with me. She wanted this. But it's beautiful. She's beautiful. It's all beautiful. We're cool."

What happened next: McCartney's night seemed over until he shockingly appeared on stage during the night's final jam to perform Carl Perkins' "Blue Suede Shoes."

• He followed up with an emotional rendition of "Let It Be," alongside Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Bono and others in attendance.

The intrigue: McCartney wouldn't perform at a Rock Hall ceremony again until 2015, when he inducted Ringo Starr.

• The two living Beatles closed out the night by performing "With a Little Help From My Friends."

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