Carole King has praised Taylor Swift for being “real”.

The ‘Love Story’ hitmaker inducted the 79-year-old singer into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Cleveland, Ohio, on Saturday (30.10.21) and the veteran performer thinks Taylor – who also sang ‘Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?’ at the event – was the “perfect” choice to do so because they are so similar.

She told ‘Entertainment Tonight’: “Well, Taylor was perfect because, first of all, she’s a very talented songwriter and she writes her own music and lyrics. And she really speaks to things that are timeless.

“She speaks about some of the same things that I did, you know? And they are timeless [things]. People have these feelings, you know, marriages come together, they break up.

“She wants to be real, she wants to keep it real. We’ve talked about that, and she hears me about that and she’s real on her own, too. It’s very hard.”

In her induction speech, Taylor admitted she was “moved and honoured” to have been asked to pay tribute to Carole because she had been a fan for such a long time.

She said: “I grew up dancing around the living room in socked feet to the sounds of Carole’s soulful voice, her infectious melodies and lyrics that I, a seven year old, thought had been crafted for my exact, specific life experience.

“I listen to Carole’s music now and feel that same tingle of recognition.

“Her songs speak to the true and honest feelings that everyone has felt, is currently feeling, or hopes to feel one day. So it is only right for them to be passed down like precious heirlooms from parents to children, older siblings to younger, lovers to each other.

“She is an immensely generous artist in every sense of that term/ “She has given us all so much. And that’s why I’m moved and honoured to be here this evening to give something back to her. Carole, please accept your well-deserved place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.”