Yahoo Lifestyle Songwriters Hall of Fame Class of 2025: George Clinton, Doobie Brothers, Ashley Gorley, More
The Songwriters Hall of Fame has unveiled its class of 2025: Parliament-Funkadelic founder George Clinton; Tom Johnston, Michael McDonald and Patrick Simmons of the Doobie Brothers; country hitmaker (and Variety‘s 2023 Hitmakers Songwriter of the Year) Ashley Gorley; veteran pop and R&B songwriter-producer Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins; the Beach Boys’ Mike Love; and ‘60s hitmaker Tony Macaulay.
The honorees will receive their awards at the organization’s 2025 Induction and Awards gala, taking place Thursday, June 12th at its longtime home of the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City. Additional special award honorees will be announced soon.
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SHOF Chairman Nile Rodgers said, “The foundation of the music industry exists because songwriters compose great songs. Without them, there is no recorded music, no concert business, no fans, or merchandizing; it all starts with the song and the songwriter. We are therefore very proud that we are continually recognizing some of the culturally most important writers of all time and that this year’s slate represents not just iconic songs, but also diversity and unity across genres, ethnicity, and gender. These songwriters have enriched the lives of billions of listeners the world over. It’s our honor to honor them.”
The induction ceremony is the music industry’s best-kept secret — an invite-only, insider combination of a superstar awards show and a family reunion for the tight-knit songwriting and music-publishing community that is in its 54th year and has never been televised or livestreamed.
Last year’s honorees were R.E.M. — who took the stage for their first performance together since 2008 — Steely Dan, hip-hop and R&B legend Timbaland and songwriters Hillary Lindsey (“Jesus Take The Wheel,” “Girl Crush,” “Million Reasons”), and Dean Pitchford (“Footloose,” “Fame,” “Let’s Hear It for the Boy”), with SZA receiving the Hal David Starlight Award for rising stars.
Key songs in each 2025 inductees catalog include:
George Clinton
* Atomic Dog * Flash Light * (Not Just) Knee Deep * I’d Rather Be With You * Give Up The Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker) *
Tom Johnston, Michael McDonald and Patrick Simmons p/k/a The Doobie Brothers
* Listen to the Music * Takin’ It to the Streets * Black Water * What a Fool Believes * Long Train Runnin’ *
Ashley Gorley
* I Had Some Help * Last Night * You Should Probably Leave * Play It Again * You’re Gonna Miss This *
Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins
* Say My Name * The Boy Is Mine * You Rock My World * Deja Vu * Telephone *
Mike Love
* California Girls * Good Vibrations * The Warmth of the Sun * I Get Around * Fun, Fun, Fun *
Tony Macaulay
* Baby Now That I’ve Found You * Build Me Up Buttercup * Don’t Give Up on Us * (Last Night) I Didn’t Get to Sleep at All * Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) *
Established in 1969, the Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) serves as a vital bridge between music’s past and future. In the Hall, musical pioneers are enshrined and celebrated, while the organization’s outreach to the music community grooms the next generation of troubadours. To qualify for induction, a songwriter with a notable catalog of songs qualifies for induction 20 years after the first commercial release of a song.
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