THE 2010 SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME

[sturgess66]

http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news ... lick-refer

Tunesmiths celebrate their craft

By Elysa Gardner, USA TODAY



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 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? Uber-producer Phil Ramone, recipient of the Howie Richmond hitmaker award, figures, "I've been lucky — like a director who gets great scripts."

Phil Collins' writing advice: "Always try to do something different. You can't be afraid to fail."

Multitasking: Inductee David Foster noted that "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." Peter Cetera helped induct the prolific Canadian with a medley of Hard to Say I'm Sorry, You're the Inspiration and Glory of Love. Foster gave raves to Charice, a petite teen with 10-octave talent, as "the latest great voice to stumble into my world." She applied her pipes to one of Foster's many contributions to diva-dom, Whitney Houston's I Have Nothing.

Songs of love and loss: Inducting Jackie DeShannon, Kim Carnes revisited her old smash single Bette Davis Eyes; DeShannon dipped further back with Put A Little Love in Your Heart. Karrin Allyson and Joan Osborne welcomed composer Johnny Mandel with fittingly wistful renditions of, respectively, The Shadow of Your Smile and Suicide Is Painless (the theme from M*A*S*H).

He's their man: Before inducting Cohen, Judy Collins re-created her sparkling version of Suzanne, while k.d. lang paid homage to her fellow Canadian with a rapturous reading of Hallelujah. Both got standing ovations.

There in spirit: Paul Shaffer (on piano and backing vocals) and singer Elizabeth Withers remembered this year's posthumous inductees (a new category) — Tom Adair and Matt Dennis, Bob Marley, Laura Nyro, Sunny Skylar and Jesse Stone— who were recognized with a medley of songs including I Shot the Sheriff,Sweet BlindnessandShake Rattle & Roll.

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 — an escape from reality, where you have to say exactly the right thing at exactly the right time."

Towering Bridge: Broadway baritone Brian Stokes Mitchell belted out a fervid Bridge Over Troubled Water, this year's Towering Song. Simon recalled that the song was "quite a surprise" when he wrote it at 27. "It all came at once, and I thought, 'Ooh — that's better than I usually write.' "

Soft rock & soul: Bruce Hornsby paid tribute to Phil Collins, winner of the Johnny Mercer award, with an acoustic version of Another Day in Paradise. Collins joined Earth Wind & Fire's famed falsetto Philip Bailey for their '80s hit Easy Lover.

"Somebody who really knows what he's doing": To demonstrate Ramone's studio prowess, Billy Joel sat at the piano and, with generous comic license, charted the evolution of hits such as Just the Way You Are and Uptown Girl. Thanking Joel "for many years of fun," Ramone added, after a pretty serious and touching speech, "Everything I care about is here tonight."

Do you remember: After latter-day soul man Raphael Saadiq saluted Earth Wind & Fire with Can't Let Go, Bailey joined his bandmates (except for Maurice White, who skipped the festivities to attend his son's high school graduation) for a jubilant trip back to September.

[sturgess66]

[sturgess66]

Swift among diverse honorees at Songwriters Hall
June 18, 2010 - 4:24am


Leonard Cohen is inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame as Judy Collins, left, and k.d. lang, right,
look on in New York, Thursday, June 17, 2010. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY
AP Music Writer

NEW YORK (AP) - 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.

___

On the Net:

http://www.songwritershalloffame.com

[sturgess66]

Check out Leonard - Life Magazine


41st Annual Songwriters Hall of Fame Ceremony - Red Carpet
NEW YORK - JUNE 17: Leonard Cohen attends the 41st Annual Songwriters Hall of Fame Ceremony
at The New York Marriott Marquis on June 17, 2010 in New York City.


http://www.life.com/image/102181153
Wonderful picture!

http://www.life.com/image/102188389

http://www.life.com/image/102185247

[sturgess66]

VIDEO!

Well - a little bit of Leonard's portion of the ceremonies at the beginning of this video.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainmen ... 349593.stm


(I cannot believe that this event was not televised. Lame!! Every similar event is televised in the USA.)

[sue7]

Thanks, Linda, for researching and posting all of this. And thanks to you too, Roy.
Sue

[dick]

Many, many thanks Linda and Roy. Great job!

[Inna]

Thank you Linda and Roy for uncovering these things. Seeing and hearing Leonard is amazing time and again.

[Roy]

I will be posting all the photos soon in one post. Plus all the presenters/performers details. Does anyone know why Leonard has been wearing a hat on his head for the past 2 honors--the Grammys and the Song Hall? He didn't wear a hat for his 1991, 2003, 2006, or 2008 inductions. I'm still trying to decide which photo of Leonard from the Song Hall to post on the Halls of Fame site. I can only put one since his Song Hall biography was so short. The 2011 Hollywood Walk of Fame inductees have been announced. No Leonard Cohen!

The 2011 Hollywood Walk of Fame

MOTION PICTURES: Penelope Cruz, Bruce Dern, Laura Dern, Diane Ladd, Ed Harris, The Muppets, Kenny Ortega, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ridley Scott, Sissy Spacek, Donald Sutherland and Reese Witherspoon.

TELEVISION: Danny DeVito, Tina Fey, Simon Fuller, Neil Patrick Harris, John Langley, Ed O’Neill, John Wells, and Oprah Winfrey.

RECORDING: Melissa Etheridge, Los Tigres Del Norte, Rascal Flatts, Go-Go’s, Slash, Will i. Am, and Bebe & Cece Winans.
Posthumous: Buddy Holly and Louis Prima

LIVE PERFORMANCE/THEATRE: Joe Mantegna

[sturgess66]

Roy - Leonard does remove his hat when he makes his acceptance speech.



I don't know why he has been wearing the hat for the past two honors events - - but maybe it is just a phase that the crazy kid with a dream is going through.

But - you know - "It was the hat, afterall."

Linda

p.s. Roy - are you in touch with Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II - or Prime Minister David Cameron - about that Knighthood for Leonard Cohen?

[Roy]

The 2010 Songwriters Hall of Fame Presenters and Performers

Judy Collins gives the induction speech for Leonard Cohen
Judy Collins performs Suzanne, and kd lang performs Hallelujah

Peter Cetera gives the induction speech for David Foster
Peter Cetera performs Hard To Say I'm Sorry, You're the Inspiration and Glory of Love
Charice, a newcomer, produced by David Foster, performs Whitney Houston's I Have Nothing from The Bodyguard soundtrack.

Kim Carnes gives the induction speech for Jackie DeShannon
Kim Carnes performs Bette Davis Eyes; Jackie DeShannon performs Put A Little Love In Your Heart

Raphael Saadiq and L.A. Reid give the induction speeches for Earth, Wind & Fire
Raphael Saadiq performs Can't Let Go; Earth, Wind & Fire perform September

Karrin Allyson and Joan Osborne give the induction speeches for Johnny Mandel
Karrin Allyson and Joan Osborne perform The Shadow of Your Smile and Suicide Is Painless (the theme from M*A*S*H).

Paul Shaffer (on piano and backing vocals) and singer Elizabeth Withers remembered this year's posthumous inductees: Tom Adair and Matt Dennis, Bob Marley, Laura Nyro, Sunny Skylar and Jesse Stone— who were recognized with a medley of songs including I Shot the Sheriff, Sweet Blindness, and Shake Rattle & Roll.

Special Awards:

Bruce Hornsby presents and performs Another Day In Paradise for Phil Collins; Phil Collins performs Easy Lover with Philip Bailey of Earth, Wind & Fire
Brian Stokes Mitchell presents and performs Bridge Over Troubled Water for Paul Simon
Billy Joel presents Phil Ramone; Billy Joel performs Just The Way You Are and Uptown Girl, which were written by Joel, but produded by Phil Ramone
John Mayer presents Taylor Swift

[Paula]

Thanks for the video Sturgess - I think Judy Collins voice has got better with age it is so clear.

Roy all your hard work - what a result!

[Roy]

THE 2010 SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY PHOTOS

WIREIMAGE

http://wireimage.com/ItemListings.aspx? ... 509&nbc1=1

GETTYIMAGES

http://www.gettyimages.com/Search/Searc ... 0of%20Fame#

LIFE

http://www.life.com/search/?type=images ... hen&page=1

[sturgess66]

MORE VIDEO!

There is a bit more coverage of Leonard's portion of the ceremonies at the beginning of this AP video on YouTube -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmyYwuRj1Go

[sturgess66]

Read the whole article at the link -
http://www.showbiz411.com/2010/06/18/ri ... billy-joel

An article that starts out to be about Ricky Martin but goes on to offer some interesting details about other performances last night at the Songwriters Hall of Fame ceremonies.

And this about Leonard Cohen's portion -

There were so many great, great moments, I do wish the SHOF were televised. The show is long, but it’s fresher and more genuine and heartfelt than the Rock Hall. The great songwriter Leonard Cohen, for example got two extraordinary tributes–from Judy Collins, playing piano and singing, “Suzanne” in her crystal clear voice. Famed producer Russ Titelman convinced her to do it, and Collins proved once again that she’s gifted. And kd lang’s version of “Hallelujah” was like something from another planet. It turns out that she works on her voice for two hours each day, performs, and then retreats.

Collins said that when Cohen came to her with “Suzanne” in 1969, in Toronto, he said, “I don’t know if this is a song.” She listened to it, and said, “Oh yes, it is.”