Reunion set to be electric as ELO go into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Organisers of the prestigious awards ceremony have announced that the Birmingham band will be inducted during a ceremony at the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn, New York, on April 7.

Jeff Lynne, Bev Bevan, Roy Wood and Richard Tandy have all been invited, meaning it would be the first time in years the group have been seen together.

In recent years, a series of arguments over rights to use the ELO brand have led to a stand-off between the members, although they appear to have buried the hatchet.

When singer Lynne, who this year toured the country with 'Jeff Lynne's ELO', including homecoming shows at the Barclaycard Arena, was inducted into Broad Street's Walk of Fame in 2014, he shared a drink with Wood.

Lynne released 'Alone In The Universe' in November 2015, marking an end to decades of silence from the 68 year old. It was met with critical acclaim, with the promotional tour still ongoing. Nina Simone, ELO and Sly Stone are among the artists who will receive lifetime honours from the Grammys and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017.

Six artists have been selected to enter the Rock Hall, including folk star Joan Baez and grunge act Pearl Jam. Tupac Shakur will be only the fifth hip-hop artist recognised, after the likes of Run DMC and Public Enemy.

The Grammys will honour art-rock band Velvet Underground and funk legend Sly Stone with their special merit awards.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is voted for by 900 historians, members of the music industry and artists, including every living Rock Hall inductee.

Artists become eligible 25 years after the release of their first album or single.

Next year is the first that Pearl Jam and Tupac Shakur were eligible. They are also the first artists to join the institution who started their careers in the 1990s.

Last year Lynne was given the 2,548th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles.

Lynne, who hails from Shard End, Birmingham, was joined at the ceremony by Travelling Wilburys bandmate Tom Petty and the Eagles' Joe Walsh. His friends were on hand to celebrate the star which was unveiled in front of the iconic Capitol Records Building on Hollywood Boulevard.

The musician was given a place on Birmingham's Broad Street Walk of Stars the previous year.