New class to join songwriters hall
Steely Dan, R.E.M., Timbaland, Hillary Lindsey and Dean Pitchford will be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, an incoming class of musicians who have scaled the heights of country, classic rock, pop, hip-hop and alt-rock.
Co-founded by Donald Fagen and the late Walter Becker, Steely Dan are finally enterting the hall despite being a staple of classic rock with songs like “Reelin’ in the Years,” “Do It Again” and “Hey Nineteen.” They went into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.
R.E.M. — the inducted members are Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe — are behind such alt-rock hits as “Losing My Religion,” “Everybody Hurts” and “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I
Feel Fine).” And Nashville hitmaker Lindsey helped write “Girl Crush” for Little Big Town and “Jesus, Take the Wheel” for Carrie Underwood.
The class of 2024 also includes Pitchford, who helped Kenny Loggins with the megahit “Footloose” and also co-wrote “Fame” and “Holding Out For a Hero,” and producerwriter Timbaland, the mastermind behind Justin Timberlake’s “Sexyback” and Missy Elliot’s “Get Yer Freak On.”
On the ballot but unlucky this year were Public Enemy, Bryan Adams, George Clinton, Tracy Chapman, Blondie, Heart, the Doobie Brothers and David Gates.
Eligible voting members turned in ballots with their choices of three nominees from the songwriter category and three from the performing-songwriter category. The induction ceremony will be held
June 13 in New York City.
Last year’s inductees included Snoop Dogg, Gloria Estefan, Sade, Jeff Lynne, Glen Ballard and Teddy Riley. Some of those already in the hall include Carole King, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Elton John and Bernie Taupin, Brian Wilson, James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty.
Nelly joins Jackson tour: The Rhythm Nation will get “hot in here” this summer as Janet Jackson has announced new summer dates of her Together Again tour, with rapper Nelly opening all shows.
The five-time Grammy winner has extended her concert tour with a 35-date jaunt across the United States, kicking off June 4 in California. The tour then makes stops in cities such as Los Angeles, Denver, Chicago, Philadelphia, Hartford, Connecticut, and Buffalo, before making its way to the New York City area.
Promoter Live Nation described the tour as a celebration of 50 years of Jackson’s time in the spotlight and will specifically focus on three of her seminal albums — 1989’s “Rhythm Nation,” 1993’s “janet” and 1997’s “The Velvet Rope,” which features “Together Again.”
Grammy winner
Nelly, who collaborated with Jackson for 2004’s “Call On Me,” will also be performing hit songs and fan favorites from his two-decade career.
Jan. 18 birthdays: Actor Kevin Costner is 69. Singer Mark Collie is 68. Actor Mark Rylance is 64. Actor Alison Arngrim is 62. Actor Jane Horrocks is 60. Comedian Dave Attell is
59. Actor Jesse L. Martin is
55. Rapper DJ Quik is 54. Singer Jonathan Davis is
53. Actor Jason Segel is 44. Actor Ashleigh Murray is
36. Actor Zeeko Zaki is 34.