The Songwriters Hall of Fame has announced its 2020 induction class, including Steve Miller, the Isley Brothers, and Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart of Eurythmics. The 2020 Induction & Awards Gala will be hel on June 11 in New York City.
Also selected: Mariah Carey, Rick Nowels, William “Mickey” Stevenson, and Chad Hugo / Pharrell Williams p/k/a The Neptunes.
Classic rock songwriting legends who were nominated but not chosen include the Beach Boys’ Mike Love, Journey’s Jonathan Cain, Steve Perry and Neal Schon, Patti Smith, and the members of R.E.M. Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, who together penned such memorable hits for the Monkees, were also not selected.
The Songwriters Hall of Fame is dedicated to recognizing the work and lives of those composers and lyricists who create music around the world. A songwriter with a notable catalog of songs qualifies for induction 20 years after the first significant commercial release of a song.
The Isley Brothers started as a vocal trio consisting of brothers O’Kelly Isley Jr, Rudolph Isley and Ronald Isley. First formed in the early ’50s, the Isley Brothers have enjoyed one of the longest, most influential and most diverse careers in the pantheon of popular music. Over the course of more than a half-century of performing, the group’s distinguished history spans not only two generations of Isley siblings, but also massive cultural shifts which heralded their music’s transformation from gritty R & B to Motown soul to blistering fun. The Isley Brothers have had over 15 #1 singles in the United States Billboard charts.
Rick Nowels has co-written many big hits including Belinda Carlisle’s “Heaven is a Place on Earth,” and “Rooms on Fire,” with Stevie Nicks.
William “Mickey” Stevenson co-wrote such hits as “Devil With a Blue Dress On” (with Shorty Long) and “Dancing in the Street.”
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3 Comments
Pete Ham of Badfinger. Eric Carmen of Raspberries. Todd Rundgren
Hall of Fame Somgwriters and Todd Rundgren is not nominated, WTF. The nominees are writers for The Monkees, Belinda Carlisle & Tony Orlando and Dawn songwriter??? This as fucking bad as the RNRHOF. So here’s another Hall run by Corporate suits with poneytails & Lamborghinis…..Rundgren been writing songs for 55 years….what a shame & sham.
Todd Rungren ruined Grand Funk Railroad and for that he should not be nominated for anything.