Laura Nyro Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

The late Laura Nyro, one of rock music's most influential singer-songwriters, is among the latest group of musicians to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Nyro began her career as a teenager, releasing her first album at 19. She was briefly married in 1971 but began a relationship with painter Maria Desiderio that would last until Nyro's death in 1997 at age 49.

Elton John spoke of Nyro's influence on him, saying “The soul, the passion, the out-and-out audacity of her rhythmic and melody changes was like nothing I’d ever heard before.”

Nyro wrote hit songs for bands such as The 5th Dimension, Blood, Sweat, and Tears and Three Dog Night. In an unlikely pairing, Nyro also wrote "Stony End," which would become one of Barbra Streisand's biggest-selling singles.

Other inductees include the Beastie Boys and Don Kirshner. The induction ceremony will take place April 14, 2012 at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame museum in Cleveland.

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