Songwriters Hall Of Fame 41st Anniversary Awards Ceremony Celebrates Songwriting Legends
VIDEO of Short Interview with Leonard after Ceremony
Inductees included Leonard Cohen, Jackie DeShannon, David Foster, Johnny Mandel and Earth, Wind & Fire’s Maurice White, Philip Bailey, Verdine White, Larry Dunn and Al McKay, along with honorees Phil Collins, Taylor Swift, Phil Ramone, Paul Simon, Keith Mardak and this year’s post-humous inductees Tom Adair and Matt Dennis, Bob Marley, Laura Nyro, Sunny Skylar and Jesse Stone.
New York, N.Y.- June 18, 2010- The 2010 Songwriters Hall of Fame 41st Anniversary Awards show was a sparkling success, as SHOF Chairman/CEO Hal David and President Linda Moran recognized and celebrated some of the key songwriting legends of our time. Last night, icons such as Leonard Cohen, Jackie DeShannon, David Foster, Johnny Mandel and Earth, Wind & Fire’s Maurice White, Philip Bailey, Verdine White, Larry Dunn and Al McKay were inducted into the hall of fame. Honored with special awards were Phil Collins who was presented the Johnny Mercer Award; Taylor Swift, who received the Hal David Starlight Award; the legendary Phil Ramone received the Howie Richmond Hitmaker Award; Paul Simon who was presented the Towering Song Award for “Bridge Over Troubled Water;” and Keith Mardak received the Abe Olman Publisher Award. Also honored were posthumous inductees Tom Adair and Matt Dennis, Bob Marley, Laura Nyro, Sunny Skylar and Jesse Stone.
The Songwriters Hall of Fame, year after year, is a night full of remarkable memories with music’s greatest. Some of these not-to-be-missed moments included Judy Collins’ gorgeous solo performance of “Suzanne” followed by kd Lang’s moving rendition of “Hallelujah.” David Foster provided piano accompaniment for the young and incredibly talented Charice for his hit “I Have Nothing.” Phil Collins and Philip Bailey’s duet of “Easy Lover” brought the audience to its feet. Taylor Swift played acoustic guitar to “White Horse” after accepting the Hal David Starlight Award and capping off this memorable night was Earth, Wind & Fire’s performance of “September.”
The Johnny Mercer Award, which is the highest honor from the Songwriters Hall of Fame as only previous inductees can be eligible, was presented to Phil Collins. Best known for his work as drummer and vocalist for the British rock group Genesis and as a solo artist, Phil Collins has created some of popular music’s greatest hits, including “In the Air Tonight,” “Against All Odds” and “Another Day In Paradise,” and such energetic hits as “Sussudio,” “You Can’t Hurry Love” and “Two Hearts.” Phil Collins was presented his award by the wonderful Bruce Hornsby, who performed in his honor.
This year’s Hal David Starlight Award, given to gifted songwriters who are making significant impact in the music industry via their original songs, was presented to Taylor Swift by John Mayer, who previously won this award. Swift accepted the award by thanking those who have supported her since the young age of 14 and explaining that her songwriting capabilities come from her inability to speak her true feelings face-to-face. Swift joked that often people in her life don’t find out she loved them until months after when hearing one of her songs.
The legendary Phil Ramone was this year’s recipient of the Howie Richmond Hitmaker Award, which was presented by the renowned Billy Joel in a hilarious presentation speech at the paino. Joel eliquantly narrated stories about Ramone’s ability to hear the missing element in a song and to make them runaway hits. Ramone is one of music’s well-respected producers with 34 GRAMMY nominations, 14 GRAMMY Awards, an Emmy and numerous awards and honors to his credit. Working with a variety of musicians from country to pop stars, Ramone created some of today’s best hit songs, such as: Billy Joel’s “Tell Her About It,” “Uptown Girl” and “Modern Woman,” “Late In The Evening” (Paul Simon), “Too Late for Goodbyes” (Julian Lennon) and many more. He has worked with many notable artists including Bono, Ray Charles, Natalie Cole, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Quincy Jones, BB King, Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder, Madonna, Sting, Bruce Springsteen and James Taylor to name a few.
This year’s Towering Song Award for “Bridge Over Troubled Water” was presented to Paul Simon who wrote the song in 1969 and recorded it in 1970. “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” with a powerful performance by Broadway great Brian Stokes Mitchell last night, was honored as one of the most enduring songs from the past four decades. It won the GRAMMY Award for Record of the Year and Song of the Year in 1971. It also reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on February 28, 1970 and stayed at the top of the charts for six weeks. Following these prestigious awards, “Bridge Over Troubled Water” was re-recorded and performed by many iconic musicians such as Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, Johnny Cash and many more.
Keith Mardak, Chairman/CEO of the Hal Leonard Corporation, was the recipient of the Abe Olman Publisher’s Award. The Hal Leonard Corporation has experienced a dramatic annual expansion since its beginning, especially with the 1985 purchase Mardak headed by an internal management group. The Hal Leonard Corporation currently is the world’s largest music print publisher with a catalog consisting of over 200,000 publications, covering a broad spectrum of printed music. NMPA Chairman Erwin Robinson remarks, “Keith Mardak has long been immensely respected as an innovative publisher, keeping the important tradition and art of printed music alive, while making it sustainable and viable with today’s new technologies.”
At this year’s Songwriters Hall of Fame Awards Gala, Paul Shaffer and Elizabeth Withers remembered songwriters who have passed before us by performing a medley of songs. These legendary songwriters include Tom Adair and Matt Dennis, Bob Marley, Laura Nyro, Sunny Skylar and Jesse Stone.
The 41st Annual Songwriters Hall of Fame Awards Gala was truly a spectacular evening with incredible performances to remember to all celebrate outstanding songwriters in the music industry. For those lucky to attend, it was a night one will never forget.
Great Songwriters Receive Top Honors In Midtown
NY1, June 18, 2010 by George Whipple
The Songwriters Hall of Fame's recent ceremony in Midtown's Marriott Marquis proved that the song is the thing.
Phil Collins, who was inducted a few years back, received the Johnny Mercer Legend Award.
"I'm very, very proud of it. I've worked hard," said Collins. "You know, I've written some good songs and I've written some dogs, you know. And the good songs stick and the dogs go away."
Hipster-songwriter Leonard Cohen, who is enjoying his second act, was also inducted.
Judy Collins turned out to sing Cohen's praises.
"He writes things that are very essential for everybody's lives. I think there's nothing, nobody like him," said Judy Collins.
Love was in the air and on the arm of inductee David Foster.
"You know my sister e-mailed me, she said, 'Congratulations! You're going into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame!' Which I'm already in. And I had to correct her. I said, 'No, this is just the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Not just Canadian, American Hall of Fame. It's the world. And it's a pretty big deal," said Foster.
Billy Joel's longtime collaborator, Phil Ramone, received the Howie Richmond Hitmaker Award.
"He knows what makes a good song," said Joel. "He's worked in so many different musical genres: jazz, classical, standards, rock 'n' roll, pop, blues. I mean, you name it he's done it all."
"It's part of the make-up of myself, being associated with great songwriters, and I think that's probably the most exciting part of it," said Ramone.
It may be spring in New York but for Earth, Wind & Fire it was September. Overall, it was a night when the whole world sang along with the people who gave them the words and the melodies.
Leonard Cohen, Taylor Swift Join Songwriters Hall of Fame
Rolling Stone, June 18, 2010 by Patrick Doyle
On the scene as Phil Collins, Earth, Wind and Fire are honored in New York
A handful of the most gifted musicians of the past 50 years gathered at New York's Marriott Marquis last night as the Songwriters Hall of Fame celebrated its newest honorees, Leonard Cohen, Phil Collins, Earth, Wind and Fire and Taylor Swift. The caliber of talent milling around the reception hall impressed even Paul Shaffer, who told Rolling Stone he was star-struck. "I see people here I never thought I would get to meet. I'm with Earth, Wind and one of the members of the Strangeloves who recorded 'I Want Candy' in the Sixties," he said, adding he was especially looking forward to Leonard Cohen's acceptance speech. "He was the only guy who ever rehearsed for the Letterman show with a glass of red wine."
Cohen's induction began with a few words from Judy Collins, who sat at a grand piano in a silver gown and explained how Cohen had visited her as an admirer in the late Sixties. "He said, 'I can't sing and I can't play the guitar, and I don't know if this is a song' " before he played her his eerie classic "Suzanne," she recalled. Collins remembered her reply — "I said, 'Leonard, it's a song and I'm recording it tomorrow' " — and reached into her falsetto for a gorgeous version of the track. k.d. lang then belted an earthshaking version of "Hallelujah" that had Steven Van Zandt raving to RS, "That was one of the best performances I've seen in my entire life."
The always-dapper Cohen accepted his honor in a black suit and his trademark fedora. "Thank you friends," he rasped, and said Lang and Collins "brought my songs to life more than I ever could." The poet kept things brief and recited a single verse from "Hallelujah," tipped his hat and exited the stage.
The mood turned acidly humorous as John Mayer arrived to present Taylor Swift with the Hal David Starlight Award for emerging songwriters. Half-joking about how he'd repeatedly asked record biz insiders whether the country-pop songstress actually wrote her own material, Mayer said he didn't believe their answer until the two sat down and Swift did some on-the-spot composing. "Son of a bitch. She was writing her own songs," he marveled.
Swift, decked out in a pink dress, hugged Mayer at the podium and thanked the songwriters who hired her when she was 14. "Songwriting is an escape from the reality when you have to say the right thing at the right time," she said. "A lot of my songs are confessions of love… I'm more likely to say 'I miss you' or 'I love you' in a song rather than a text message, which is why there's always a delay when I tell people how I feel." Swift strapped on her acoustic guitar and played her cheating ballad "White Horse," backed by rich harmonies.
Billy Joel kept the crowd roaring with a hilarious speech honoring legendary producer Phil Ramone. Joel started by reading a Wikipedia-like rundown of Ramone's accomplishments, from producing John F. Kennedy's 45th birthday party to 14 Grammy awards, then laughed, "I didn't write this shit — they gave it to me!" Moving to the piano, Joel began demonstrating how Ramone's production skills had improved his own Seventies and Eighties hits. He told the house band to "play a shitty cha-cha" and started "Just the Way You Are" to indicate how his label wanted the track, then showed off his brilliant final version. Joel also gave Ramone credit for his opus "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant," saying every time he'd finish a section of the song, Ramone would reply, "And then what?" The crowd was nearly rolling out of their chairs when Joel launched into an anecdote about Ramone setting him up with Paul McCartney that included the bizarre punch line, "Paul McCartney's gonna think I'm Jeffery Dahmer!" A teary Ramone thanked the crowd profusely, saying, "Everything I care about is here tonight."
Just a few hours after postponing his summer tour with Art Garfunkel, Paul Simon received the Towering Song Award for his classic "Bridge Over Troubled Water." The singer said he wrote the track in New York when he was 28 after listening to the spiritual "Mary Don't You Weep" and the Everly Brothers album Songs Our Daddy Taught Us. "It all came at once and I thought, 'Jeez that's better than I usually write,' " he recalled. Simon said he composed the song in two verses as "a little hymn," only adding a third when his label prodded him. "I still think it works better as two verses," he laughed. Simon thanked Garfunkel, but took a minor shot at his partner, admitting he prefers Aretha Franklin's version of the track. "Art has a white choir boy voice," Simon said. "Aretha sang it from the black perspective."
Phil Collins, the recipient of the Johnny Mercer Award, said he had a lot to be thankful for: "My kids are stable adults — thanks to their wonderful mothers," he joked, adding the honor made him gratified that he doesn't make "polished BMW music." Collins then took the stage with Earth, Wind and Fire's Philip Bailey for a synth-drenched performance of their 1984 hit "Easy Lover."
David Foster and Johnny Mandel, who created the theme song from M.A.S.H., were also honored, as was Jackie DeShannon, who announced, "You've made a little girl from Hazel, Kentucky very proud" and performed her timeless Sixties R&B hit "Put a Little Love in Your Heart." Earth, Wind and Fire closed out the night with a heartfelt speech and had the crowd, including Leonard Cohen, dancing to their funky classic "September."
Outside the event, Billy Joel told RS it's harder to be a successful songwriter today than when he started his career, but he believes it's a still-vital craft. "I would encourage them not to give up if they're having a hard time getting their stuff programmed on the radio or even recorded by other artists," he said. "It's a lot tougher than when I was starting out, but we need good material. We need good songs."
Swift among diverse honorees at Songwriters Hall
The Associated Press, June 18, 2010 by Nekesa Mumbi Moody (Photo by David Goldman)
NEW YORK — The iconic ballad "Bridge Over Troubled Water" was so stirring that even a young Paul Simon knew he was onto something special when he composed it 40 years ago.
"I thought, 'Hmm. That's better than I usually write,'" Simon recalled. "I was completely surprised that I wrote it — it was completely unlike anything I had ever done before."
On Thursday, Simon's magical moment — one of several in his long career — was honored by the Songwriters Hall of Fame in a ceremony that featured Billy Joel, John Mayer, Judy Collins and more while honoring legends including Leonard Cohen as well as wunderkind Taylor Swift.
Swift was not among the inductees into the Songwriters Hall. But the 20-year-old Grammy winner was given the Hal David Starlight Award, which pays tribute to young songwriters with promise.
Mayer, a Swift friend and collaborator, presented her with her award, saying "she's no accident."
"You could put her in a time machine in any era and she would have a hit record," he said, adding this about her incredible success: "Don't confuse everybody loving one thing as hype. Sometimes that's everyone agreeing that it's fabulous."
When Cohen was young, he needed a little convincing of that. So the Canadian poet-turned-songwriter presented one of his works to Collins, the singer recalled, and asked her if it was a song. Her response? "It's a song, and I'm recording it tomorrow."
At the induction ceremony, she performed a pitch-perfect "Suzanne" and was then followed by k.d. lang's moving version of Cohen's "Hallelujah."
A soft-spoken Cohen quoted from his enduring song when he accepted his honor, saying, in part, "I'll stand before the lord of song with nothing on my tongue but hallelujah." He received a standing ovation.
It was one of several on the night, which featured powerful performances and touching tributes.
The other inductees were Jackie DeShannon, whose hits include Kim Carnes' "Bette Davis Eyes"; reggae great Bob Marley; the late singer-songwriter Laura Nyro; Johnny Mandel, creator of the theme for "M.A.S.H."; David Foster, the Grammy-winning producer and songwriter who's worked with top artists ranging from Michael Jackson to Barbra Streisand; the principal members of the legendary band Earth, Wind & Fire; the late jazz songwriter Jesse Stone; the late Sunny Skylar, whose hits included "Besame Mucho"; and the team of Tom Adair & Matt Dennis, now deceased, who wrote songs such as "Everything Happens to Me."
"Bridge Over Troubled Water" was given the Towering Song Award, while Phil Collins, a previous inductee, was honored with the Johnny Mercer Award.
Producer Phil Ramone received the Howie Richmond Hitmaker Award, and music publisher Keith Mardak received the Abe Olman Publisher Award.
Songwriters Hall of Fame highlights - Leonard Cohen honoured in Songwriters Hall of Fame
VIDEO
Canadian singer Leonard Cohen will be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame this year, it has been announced.
Famous for such songs as Chelsea Hotel and Hallelujah, the 75-year-old will receive his accolade at a ceremony in New York on 17 June.
Earth, Wind and Fire members Maurice White, Philip Bailey and Verdine White will be honoured at the same event.
Established in 1969, the Songwriters Hall of Fame celebrates composers and lyricists and has over 300 inductees.
The body "honours those whose work represents a spectrum of the most beloved songs from the world's popular music songbook".
Contribution
Producer and composer David Foster also joins the honour roll this year, as do composer Johnny Mandel and singer-songwriter Jackie DeShannon.
Former Earth, Wind and Fire guitarist Al McKay and their ex-keyboardist Larry Dunn will also be recognised.
Cohen's latest honour follows the lifetime achievement award he received at the Grammys last month.
The veteran performer recently announced he was postponing a scheduled tour of Europe for six months because of a back injury.
Cohen has given almost 200 concerts around the world since he returned to touring in 2008 after more than a decade's absence.
Tunesmiths celebrate their craft
Starry, starry night: The honorees at this year's Songwriters Hall of Fame Awards Gala Thursday night at the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel included noted tunesmiths/performers ranging from veterans Paul Simon, Leonard Cohen, Phil Collins, David Foster and Earth Wind & Fire to 20-year-old Taylor Swift.
Inspired: On the red carpet, Judy Collins recalled that she wasn't yet writing songs when she met inductee Cohen (elegant in black tie and a fedora), "and he asked me why. I started writing as a result. So he's not just someone whose work I've admired and recorded for years, but an inspiration to me as a songwriter."
What's luck got to do with it? Producer Phil Ramone figures "I've been lucky — like a director who gets great scripts."
Billy Joel begged to differ, calling Ramone "a great craftsman who's been integral to my career. Someone who really knows what he's doing."
Multitasking: Inductee David Foster enthused about the work, noting "when I go to the doctor's office and they ask me to fill in my occupation, I don't put record executive or producer — I put songwriter. Being a songwriter comes first."
Excused absence: Who went missing from inductees Earth Wind & Fire? Maurice White— because his son was graduating from high school.
Phil Collins' writing advice: "Always try to do something different. You can't be afraid to fail."
Hit man: Sometime Chicago frontman Peter Cetera helped induct another prolific Canadian, Foster, with a medley of Hard to Say I'm Sorry, You're the Inspiration and Glory of Love. Charice, a petite teen with 10-octave talent, applied her pipes to one of Foster's many contributions to diva-dom, Whitney Houston's I Have Nothing.
With love in their hearts: Inducting singer/songwriter Jackie DeShannon, Kim Carnes revisited her old smash single Bette Davis Eyes; DeShannon dipped further back with Put A Little Love in Your Heart.
He's their man: Before inducting Cohen, Collins re-created her sparkling version of Suzanne, accompanying herself on piano, while k.d. lang paid homage to her fellow Canadian with a rapturous reading of Hallelujah (of which Cohen himself offered a soft spoken-word performance). All got standing ovations.
She's got a way about her: Presenting Swift with the Hal David starlight award, John Mayer praised her as "not a product of the hype machine" but rather of "everyone agreeing that something is fabulous. I've never in my life seen a more fearless creator." With acoustic guitar in hand, Swift sang White Horse and described what she loved about songwriting: "For me, songwriting is an escape from reality, where you have to say exactly the right thing at exactly the right time."
Photos
Life, June 17, 2010
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 Leonard Cohen, Taylor Swift and Martin Bandier of the Song Writers Hall of Fame by Larry Busacca
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 Leonard Cohen and President of the Recording Academy, Neil Portnow by Larry Busacca
 Leonard Cohen and Scott Greenstein, President and Chief Content Officer of SIRIUS XM Radio by Larry Busacca
 (L-R) President of the Recording Academy Neil Portnow, David Foster, President of Songwriters Hall of Fame Linda Moran, Leonard Cohen and Taylor Swift by Larry Busacca
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SongHall Announces 2010 Inductees!
New York, NY – February 16, 2010 – Leonard Cohen, Jackie DeShannon, David Foster, Johnny Mandel and Earth, Wind & Fire’s Maurice White, Philip Bailey, Verdine White, Larry Dunn and Al McKay will be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame this year, SHOF Chairman/CEO Hal David announced today. The organization, which is dedicated to recognizing the work and lives of those composers and lyricists who create popular music around the world, returns for its highly anticipated 41st annual induction and awards dinner, scheduled for Thursday, June 17 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City. Special award honorees will be announced at a later date.
“Our 2010 inductees are truly representational of the heart and soul of the world’s Popular Music soundtrack,” commented Chairman/CEO Hal David. “We are looking forward to another memorable evening where we honor their extraordinary accomplishments.”
Leonard Cohen:
Leonard Cohen received the Grammy 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award in honor of his legendary career of artistic accomplishments in songwriting and performing. Over 2,000 covers of Cohen’s songs have been recorded by artists such as R.E.M., Bob Dylan, Elton John, Judy Collins, Willie Nelson and most recently, Justin Timberlake’s rendition of “Hallelujah” that appeared on Cohen’s 1984 Various Positions album. Cohen always had an interest in music, but it wasn’t until 1966 that his focus turned to songwriting after gaining international recognition for his poetry. Before he released a single song, Cohen sold the highly successful “Suzanne” to Judy Collins which later was included on his debut album, The Songs of Leonard Cohen in 1967 along with “Sisters of Mercy,” and “So Long, Marianne.” His next two albums, Songs from a Room and Songs of Love and Hate solidified Cohen’s iconic status with “Bird on a Wire” and “Famous Blue Raincoat.” His multidimensional lyrics have captured fans spanning generations and nationalities for decades. He was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (2006) and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2008) for his outstanding work. Cohen’s world tour, which inaugurated in May 2008, is still playing to sold-out crowds.
Jackie DeShannon:
Singer-songwriter Jackie DeShannon is best known as the soulful voice behind two of the 1960s most enduring, era-defining anthems – Burt Bacharach & Hal David’s “What The World Needs Now Is Love” and DeShannon’s own “Put A Little Love In Your Heart.” Her songs have been performed by such artists as Al Green, Annie Lennox, Van Morrison, Brenda Lee, The Carpenters, The Temptations, Marianne Faithfull, The Searchers, Ella Fitzgerald and Bruce Springsteen. In the early 1960s, Jackie partnered with Sharon Sheeley on dozens of songs (“Dum Dum,” “The Great Imposter,” “Breakaway,” “You Won’t Forget Me”). Collaborations followed with Randy Newman, Jack Nitzsche, Jimmy Page and John Bettis. In 1964, Jackie toured as an opening act for the Beatles. Writing solo, she composed the hits “When You Walk In The Room” and “Come And Stay With Me.” She earned a million-seller in 1969 with “Put A Little Love In Your Heart,” written with Randy Myers and Jimmy Holiday. DeShannon won a Grammy for Song of the Year in 1982 for “Bette Davis Eyes” with writing partner Donna Weiss.
David Foster:
To say that everything David Foster touches turns to gold—and usually platinum—would be an understatement. This stunningly talented songwriter is a 15-time Grammy Award winner with an unprecedented 46 nominations, a recipient of seven Juno Awards, an Emmy Award in 2004 and a three-time Oscar nominee, all over the course of four extraordinarily successful decades. Foster’s career path soared in the 1980’s as he produced and wrote an extraordinary lineup of No. 1 singles, including Chicago’s “Hard To Say I’m Sorry,” Peter Cetera’s “The Glory of Love,” and John Parr’s “Man in Motion” (St. Elmo’s Fire soundtrack). In 2007 he was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Foster has worked with the biggest and best talents in the music industry, including Celine Dion, Josh Groban, Andrea Bocelli, Barbra Streisand, Michael Buble’, Seal, Earth, Wind & Fire, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand, Whitney Houston and many more. Iconic songs in the Foster catalog include “After The Love Is Gone,” “I Have Nothing,” “Look What You’ve Done To Me,” “The Prayer” and “You’re The Inspiration.” Foster recently produced two top ten albums on the Billboard Top 200 Chart - Michael Buble’ (“Crazy Love”) and Andrea Bocelli (“My Christmas).
Johnny Mandel:
Johnny Mandel, the five-time Grammy recipient and Oscar and Emmy Award winner is a composer, arranger, instrumentalist and record producer living a life totally steeped in musical achievement. As a teenager, Mandel was a member of Joe Venuti’s orchestra, followed by employment as a player and/or arranger in bands led by Henry Jerome, Buddy Rich, Jimmy Dorsey, Woody Herman and Artie Shaw. In the late 1940s and early 50s, Mandel was an arranger and composer for radio and the new medium of TV. At the same time, he played trombone and wrote arrangements for the Count Basie Orchestra. The West Coast recording scene beckoned Johnny in 1954 where he began arranging sessions for stars like Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Mel Tormé, Jo Stafford, Tony Bennett, Chet Baker and Andy Williams. Hollywood film assignments began coming in for Mandel as well, beginning with the all-Jazz score he composed for I Want to Live in 1958. Many Mandel film scores have followed, among them The Americanization of Emily, The Sandpiper, M*A*S*H*, Being There and The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming. Mandel-composed standards include “The Shadow of Your Smile,” “Emily,” “Where Do You Start?” and “Close Enough for Love.” In recent years, Mandel’s career has continued to flourish as he has remained busy producing and arranging recordings for Natalie Cole, Diana Krall and, most recently, for Barbra Streisand and Willie Nelson, among many others.
Earth, Wind & Fire:
Earth, Wind & Fire is one of the most innovative and commercially invincible contemporary Pop / R&B music forces of the 20th century. Members Maurice White, Philip Bailey, Verdine White, Larry Dunn and Al McKay are known for their signature sound of fusing Pop, R&B, Rock, Latin, Funk, Jazz and African Music to win numerous awards. Earth, Wind & Fire has received 20 Grammy nominations; winning six as a group and its founding members, Maurice White and Philip Bailey, winning two awards each. The band was also awarded the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences Signature Governor’s Award. Earth, Wind & Fire have earned more than 50 Gold and Platinum albums and have sold over 90 million albums worldwide. They have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (2000) and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (1995). The music industry and fans have bestowed Lifetime Achievement honors from ASCAP (Rhythm & Soul Heritage Award - 2002), NAACP (Hall of Fame - 1994) and the BET Awards (Life Time Achievement Award 2002). Two Earth, Wind & Fire classic songs have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame: “That’s The Way of The World” (2004) and “Shining Star” (2007). Earth, Wind & Fire have 12 American Music Awards nominations and four awards. The band is also known as having been the first African-American performers to sell out Madison Square Garden and to receive the MSG Gold Ticket Award. President Obama invited the band to perform at the White House for the first social event of the new administration. Through the decades their songs have been covered by recording artists such as Jerry Garcia Band, D’Angelo, Patti LaBelle, Chaka Khan and many others.
About The Songwriters Hall of Fame:
The Songwriters Hall of Fame celebrates songwriters, educates the public with regard to their achievements, and produces a spectrum of professional programs devoted to the development of new songwriting talent through workshops, showcases and scholarships. Over the course of the past 41 years, some key Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees have included Desmond Child, Loretta Lynn, John Sebastian, John Fogerty, Isaac Hayes and David Porter, Steve Cropper, Dolly Parton, Richard and Robert Sherman, Bill Withers, Carole King, Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, Sir Elton John, Bernie Taupin, Brian Wilson, James Taylor, James Brown, Curtis Mayfield, Hal David and Burt Bacharach, Jim Croce, Phil Collins, Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Jimmy Webb, Paul Williams, Van Morrison, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Cy Coleman and many, many others. The Songwriters Hall of Fame was founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer and publishers Abe Olman and Howie Richmond.
Full biographies and a complete list of inductees are available at the Songwriters Hall of Fame’s Virtual Museum at songwritershalloffame.org.
The mission of the Songwriters Hall of Fame is to remember and honor our great songwriters while building our musical future through workshops, showcases and scholarships, along with giving members the opportunity to vote for the next slate of inductees. Joining online is quick and easy: songhall.org
Ticket Information:
Tickets for the Songwriters Hall of Fame event begin at $1000 each, and are available through Buckley Hall Events, (212) 573-6933. Net proceeds from the event will go towards the Songwriters Hall of Fame programs.
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