Slash, Ace Frehley, Linda Perry and More Honor Betty Ford in Los Angeles

Rockers and politicians are no strangers to each other of late, with top artists like Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam, R.E.M., Will.I.Am and more campaigning during the last two presidential elections. But punk and heavy metal icons like Slash, X's Exene Cervenka, Motorhead's Lemmy, Kiss' Ace Frehley, Nashville Pussy's Corey Parks, Billy Corgan and the Runaways' Cherie Curie appearing at a tribute to former First Lady Betty Ford is a different kind of event altogether.

The incredible lineup honored the wife of late President Gerald Ford at the Grammy Foundation's annual MAP/MusiCares concert, held at L.A.'s Club Nokia. Even Ford's daughter, Susan Ford Bales, the current Chairman of the famed Betty Ford Center, a home for drug and alcohol treatment, was in disbelief. "I'm really proud of that and the fact that she is being honored by this group even though she is 92 years of age," Ford told Spinner before the event. "It's a real honor for her that they acknowledge her and what she's done for women."

This year's event saw plenty of incredible teamings. Slash, Frehley, the Donnas' Allison Robertson, Parks, Lemmy and Matt Sorum formed a supergoup to cover Led Zeppelin songs; surprise guest Corgan joined the Go-Go's Kathy Valentine, Bow Wow Wow's Anabella Lwin and what looked like a dozen other musicians to perform 'I Want Candy'; and Linda Perry, in a rare live appearance, leading her band in songs like Radiohead's 'Creep.'

It was a very different format this year that led to a lot of the unusual pairings. Having traditionally celebrated individual artists, like James Hetfield, Slash, Jerry Cantrell, Dave Gahan, Chris Cornell and Anthony Kiedis for their sobriety, this year's showcase put the attention on women and their struggles with seeking treatment for sobriety. In a release by the Recording Academy initially announcing the show statistics claimed only eight percent of women seek help for addiction. Cervenka was not surprised by the stat. "That's the problem with the world right now is the way women are treated and they way they've treated themselves, their depression, their substance abuse, their being afraid, frankly, to speak up for themselves," she told Spinner. "It's really important women are empowered and that does start with responsible behavior, so I'm ecstatic to be here."

And it was Cervenka who pointed out just how much Ford fit in with the rock ethos. "Of all the first ladies or political figures I would name, because of what she has done in her life, I would think maybe we would cross paths because that's the right way of thinking," she said. "It's right in line with punk mentality: do it yourself and help other people."