(Credit: Alamy)

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is the most prestigious institution in the music business. Once you’re inducted into the club, you’re a legitimate legendary figure and the first all-female group to achieve this feat was The Supremes in 1988.

The occasional artist has turned down an induction, but for the most part, almost everybody wants to be inaugurated one day. The Hall Of Fame opened its doors in 1986 and has since established itself as the most exclusive members club in rock ‘n’ roll, and the first year of inductees set a high benchmark.

Over the years, the annual event has witnessed a collection of historical moments, such as legendary bands reuniting and unlikely supergroups making one-off appearances. In the early days, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was more low-key, and in 1986, rather than taking place at a state-of-the-art arena, it was hosted inside a function room at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York.

Despite the humble surroundings, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame still managed to attract a series of rock ‘n’ roll’s most pioneering figures, who deserved a night of celebration in their name. Artists were eligible if they released their debut record 25 years before 1986 and were nominated by a series of industry figures.

For the first ceremony, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame paid tribute to the forefathers of the genre with James Brown, Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly, and The Everly Brothers being inducted.

In 1988, it started to become the lavish ceremony as we know it today, and for The Supremes, it was a big deal to have their career celebrated by the institution. Sadly, only Mary Wilson was in attendance as Diana Ross refused to turn up, and Florence Ballard tragically passed away in 1976.

In her acceptance speech, Wilson said: “First of all, I’d like to talk about the fact I was very privileged to have sung with two really wonderful people, Diana Ross and Florence Ballard. Florence could not live to be here to know what we, as three young girls, three insecure little girls that dreamt of could possibly come true. It saddens me to know that, but that’s life, and there’s nothing we can do about it. I’m very proud everyone has given us this honour so her daughters could be here to see how much we loved her.”

She added: “This is one of those rare moments that we all dream of, and like I wrote in my book, Dream Girl: My Life As A Supreme, dreams do come true. Sometimes, we just have to keep dreaming. We all hope the world is looking in when we receive awards, and the world can join in the moments of happiness that we each receive.”

Wilson also spoke candidly about Diana Ross, who wasn’t there on the evening, and said she understood why she didn’t want to attend the ceremony. Although it would have been easy for her to make a snide remark about her absent bandmate, Wilson rose above it and had nothing but kindness to offer.

She also thanked Barry Gordon from Motown Records for taking a chance on three young girls and allowing them to live out their wildest fantasies. It was a poignant speech which was a fitting way to round off a historic night for The Supremes as they became the first all-female group to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.