Missy Elliott first female rapper nominated for Hall of Fame
Voters in the American Songwriters Hall of Fame will have a chance to get their freak on next month, with Missy Elliott scoring an opportunity to join the 2019 class.
The organization announced its complete slate of nominees on Thursday, featuring a bevy of big names, including Mariah Carey, John Prine, Chrissie Hynde and Vince Gill. About 10 people per year are elected to the hall, which was founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer and music publishers Abe Olman and Howie Richmond.
Elliott, 47, who has written and produced songs for Whitney Houston, Aaliyah and Beyoncé Knowles, is the first female rapper to be nominated for the Songwriters Hall of Fame. If inducted, she will become just the third rapper — after Jay-Z and Jermaine Dupri in the hall.
“I am humbly grateful to be nominated with so many other AMAZING writers,” the “Work It” rapper tweeted on Wednesday, in advance of the official announcement.
To be considered for the honour, artists must have at least 20 years of experience as a published writer and a notable catalogue of hit songs. Voting members of the Hall of Fame will have until Dec. 17 to vote for three artists each in the songwriter and performing songwriter categories.
More than a dozen other songwriters are nominated, including writers of hits of the past such as Roger Nichols (“We’ve Only Just Begun,” “Rainy Days and Mondays”) made hits by The Carpenters, and Dean Pitchford and Michael Gore (“Fame,” “Footloose”).
Nominees garnering the most votes will be honoured at the Songwriters Hall of Fame’s induction gala on June 13, 2019, in New York City.
Here’s a list of most of 2019’s Hall of Fame nominees:
Songwriters:
Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (“Ragtime,” “My favourite Year”)
Dallas Austin (“Creep,” “Motownphilly”)
Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart (“Come A Little Bit Closer,” “Last Train To Clarksville”)
Irwin Levine and L. Russell Brown (“Tie A Yellow Ribbon,” “Knock Three Times”)
Dean Dillon (“The Chair,” “Easy Come Easy Go”)
Jerry Fuller (“Young Girl,” “Travelin’ Man”)
Tom T. Hall (“Harper Valley P.T.A.,” “Little Bitty”)
Roger Nichols (“We’ve Only Just Begun,” “Rainy Days and Mondays”)
Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham (“I’m Your Puppet,” “It Tears Me Up”)
Dean Pitchford and Michael Gore (“Fame,” “Footloose”)
P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri (“Secret Agent Man,” “Eve of Destruction”)
Jack Tempchin (“Peaceful
Easy Feeling,” “Already Gone”)
Performing Songwriters include:
Mariah Carey (“Vision Of Love,” “One Sweet Day”)
Jimmy Cliff (“The Harder
They Come,” “Many Rivers To Cross “)
Missy Elliott (“Get Ur Freak On,” “Work It”)
Vince Gill (“Don’t Let Our Love Start Slippin’ Away,” “I Still Believe In You”)
Chrissie Hynde (“Brass in Pocket,” “I’ll Stand By You”)
Tommy James (“Crimson And Clover,” “Crystal Blue Persuasion”)