Leonard Cohen
Laura Nyro
Bob Marley
Jackie DeShannon
Earth, Wind & Fire
David Foster
Johnny Mandel
Tom Adair & Matt Dennis
Sunny Skylar
Jesse Stone
Special Awards
The Johnny Mercer Award
Phil Collins (Already inducted in 2003)
The Howie Richmond Hitmaker Award
Phil Ramone
The Hal David Starlight Award
Taylor Swift
The Abe Olman Publisher Award
Keith Mardak
The Towering Song Award
Bridge Over Troubled Water by Paul Simon (Already inducted in 1982)
Thursday, June 17, 2010 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City
FOR RESERVATIONS CALL
Marriott Marquis Hotel
1535 Broadway
New York, New York 10036-4098
Phone: 1-212-398-1900
Phone: 1-212-398-2250
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.
CONTACT:
Fran Curtis
Rogers & Cowan
212-445-8423
fcurtis@rogersandcowan.com
Lauren Wilsman
Rogers & Cowan
212-445-8486
lwilsman@rogersandcowan.com
Posted by April Anderson [SHOF] on 02/16 at 09:51 AM
General
http://www.songhall.org/news/entry/947
News
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
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, 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.
First Slate Of Posthumous Songwriters To Be Inducted
This year, in an effort to honor those songwriters who are deceased, the Songwriters Hall of Fame will induct Tom Adair & Matt Dennis, Bob Marley, Laura Nyro, Sunny Skylar and Jesse Stone.
Tom Adair & Matt Dennis
Lyricist Tom Adair (1913 – 1988) and composer Matt Dennis (1914 - 2004) teamed up to write “Let’s Get Away From It All,” “Everything Happens to Me” and “The Night We Called It a Day,” three of the most memorable songs recorded by Frank Sinatra during his stint as vocalist with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra in the early 1940s. Adair,a native of Kansas, was a frustrated songwriter in Los Angeles when he met Matt Dennis, a vocalist and composer, in 1940. On the recommendation of Jo Stafford, the young songwriting team hired by Tommy Dorsey’s publishing company. Adair later wrote songs and screenplays for many Walt Disney projects, including The Mickey Mouse Club and for such TV programs as My Three Sons, F Troop and The Munsters. Matt Dennis, who was born into a musical family in Seattle, joined the Horace Heidt Orchestra in the 1930s, later working with Dick Haymes, Martha Tilton and the Stafford Sisters. Following his success with Tom Adair, Dennis went on to military service in World War II. After his return, Dennis worked in radio and night clubs and achieved success as a jazz vocalist and pianist, recording a number of albums. His 1953 composition, “Angel Eyes” (with lyrics by Earl Brent) is a much performed standard.
Sunny Skylar
Sunny Skylar (1913 –2009), born Selig Shaftel in Brooklyn, New York, was a composer, singer, lyricist, and music publisher. Sunny Skylar wrote more than 300 songs, but will be best remembered for penning the English lyrics to “Besame Mucho.” The tune became one of the most recorded in history, covered by hundreds of artists, including the Beatles, and used in dozens of film soundtracks. Skylar enjoyed instant success when it was turned into a No 1 hit by Jimmy Dorsey in 1944, and it was said that he used the royalties to buy his first house and to put his children through college. He also wrote English lyrics for Gabriel Ruiz’s “Amor Amor Amor,” which gave Dorsey another big hit. Mining a lucrative international theme, the aria “Mattinata” by Leoncavallo was translated into the popular song “You’re Breaking My Heart,” and became a 1949 hit for Vic Damone. Skylar wrote music as well as lyrics, and among his other compositions, Frank Sinatra recorded his “Don’t Wait Too Long” and Ella Fitzgerald sang his “Gotta Be This or That” on her Ella Swings Lightly album. After the end of the big band era, further hits came with “And So To Sleep,” recorded by Patti Page, and yet another translation of Carlos and Mario Rigual’s “Cuando Calienta El Sol,” which, as “Love Me With All Your Heart” took the Ray Charles Singers to No 2 in the American charts in 1964. Skylar also wrote prolifically for films and television. Among Skylar’s other hits are “It Must Be Jelly (’Cause Jam Don’t Shake Like That),” “Be Mine Tonight,” “Hair of Gold, Eyes of Blue,” and “And So To Sleep Again.”
Bob Marley
Bob (Robert Nesta) Marley (1945 – 1981) was the most famous and influential Jamaican songwriter and performer of Reggae music. Bob Marley’s band, the Wailers, (founded in 1964 with Peter Tosh and Bunny Livingstone) recorded such albums as Catch a Fire, Natty Dread, Exodus and Uprising. Marley’s best-known songs include “I Shot the Sheriff,” “Could You Be Loved,” “Stir It Up,” “Redemption Song” and “One Love.” Eric Clapton and Johnny Nash scored international smash hits with Marley’s “I Shot the Sheriff” and “Stir It Up,” respectively. By the time of his death at 36 from cancer, Marley was a revered cultural and political figure worldwide.
Laura Nyro
Laura Nyro (1947-1997) was an enigmatic performer, garnering critical acclaim for her recordings but having her greatest success through covers of her original compositions. Her first album, More Than a New Discovery, yielded a wealth of material for artists including the Fifth Dimension ("Wedding Bell Blues,” “Blowin’ Away"), Barbra Streisand ("Stoney End") and Blood, Sweat & Tears ("And When I Die"), while her second effort, 1968’s Eli and the Thirteenth Confession, contained “Stoned Soul Picnic” and “Sweet Blindness,” both hits for the Fifth Dimension, and “Eli’s Comin’,” which was a major hit for Three Dog Night. 1969’s New York Tendaberry contained two of her most popular songs, “Time and Love” and “Save the Country.”
Jesse Stone
Jesse Stone, also known as Charles Calhoun (1901 – 1999), was a songwriter, musician and recording artist. Born in Atchison, Kansas into a family of performers, he made his first recording in 1926. His musical career took him from the jazz scene in Kansas City to New York, where he worked as an arranger and songwriter for bands led by Chick Webb and Jimmie Lunceford. Beginning in 1949, his association with Atlantic Records led to some of the most celebrated early rock & roll and R&B recordings. Among the classic songs written by Stone are “Shake, Rattle and Roll,” “Money Honey,” “Don’t Let Go,” “Flip, Flop and Fly” and “Your Cash Ain’t Nothin’ But Trash.”
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.
CONTACT:
Fran Curtis
Rogers & Cowan
212-445-8423
fcurtis@rogersandcowan.com
Lauren Wilsman
Rogers & Cowan
212-445-8486
lwilsman@rogersandcowan.com
Posted by April Anderson [SHOF] on 02/16 at 09:51 AM
General
THE LEONARD COHEN SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME BIOGRAPHIES:
THE LEONARD COHEN BIOGRAPHY WHEN HE WAS A NOMINEE FOR THE 2006 AND 2010 SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME:
Canadian singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen turned to songwriting after establishing himself as an acclaimed novelist and poet. His resultant songs have earned him an adoring following of music fans and fellow artists including Judy Collins, who expanded his audience in 1966 when she recorded his song “Suzanne” (actor/singer Noel Harrison also had a hit with it) and Jennifer Warnes, who had been a backup singer for Cohen before releasing her own acclaimed album of his material, “Famous Blue Raincoat,” in 1987. His uniquely intelligent output was celebrated earlier this year with the documentary “Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man.” Key songs in the Cohen catalog include “Bird On The Wire,” “Hallelujah,” “Hey, That’s No Way To Say Goodbye,” “So Long, Marianne” and “Suzanne.”
THE LEONARD COHEN BIOGRAPHY FROM THE PRESS RELEASE ANNOUNCING THE 2010 SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES:
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 the 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.
DON'T WORRY, THE BIOGRAPHY ISN'T DONE YET! THERE'S MORE TO COME IN JUNE!
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.
Not phrased correctly. I obviously will have this fixed and posted properly on the HALLS OF FAME site.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.”
EMAIL FROM JIM DEVLIN
jim devlin wrote:roy - i see 3 errors:
debut album in 1967 is 'Songs of Leonard Cohen', no 'The'.
i don't think they've reached 2000+ covers yet - tho' pretty close!
'Bird on the wire' is the SONG, 'Bird on a wire' is the 1972 tour doc. directed by Tony Palmer.
Jim