Mariah Carey, Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart of Eurythmics, The Isley Brothers, Steve Miller, Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo of The Neptunes, Rick Nowels and William “Mickey” Stevenson were the 2022 class of inductees into the Songwriters Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the Marriott Marquis in New York City on June 16.
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Special guests during the evening included Smokey Robinson, Leslie Odom Jr. Questlove, Jon Batiste, Usher, and St. Vincent, who kicked off the night covering Eurythmics’ 1983 hit “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” and later reminisced about her first glimpse of Annie Lennox on MTV, describing her as when a “beautiful, orange-haired androgynous creature appeared wearing a suit and tie.” She added, “They were scary. They were sexy. They were smart, and they were impossibly cool.”
The Eurythmics, who released eight albums together—from In the Garden in 1981 through their final 1999 release Peace—then took the stage to perform “Here Comes the Rain Again,” with Lennox adding, “I feel like it’s a miracle that we’re here tonight.” The Eurythmics are also being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame later this year.
Representing the Isley Brothers were Elaine Isley Goodstone, Ernie Isley, and Ronald Isley. Ronald and Ernie performed a medley of Isley hits, including “That Lady,” “It’s Your Thing,” and “Between the Sheets,” while Smokey Robinson honored 85-year-old Motown producer William “Mickey” Stevenson. Rick Nowels, who co-wrote more than 60 Top 20 singles worldwide, including Belinda Carlisle’s 1987 hit “Heaven is a Place on Earth,” was also honored.
Actor Bryan Cranston introduced his friend, Steve Miller, calling him “the space cowboy himself.” Miller, who was recognized for his catalog of songs spanning a six-decade career with hits like “Jet Airliner,” “Jungle Love,” “Take the Money and Run,” “Abracadabra,” and “The Joker,” performed a heavy-effects rendition of 1976 his hit “Fly Like an Eagle.” Cranston jokingly called Miller “the space cowboy himself.”
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis introduced the songwriting duo of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who as the Neptunes crafted hits for Usher, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé, and more throughout the 1990s and ’00s. “Life is like Legos,” said Williams on songwriting. “Songs, like life, are put together piece by piece. If you build a really strong foundation, you won’t fall.”
Lil Nas X, wearing a white tuxedo and blonde hair, was honored with the Hal David Starlight Award, which recognizes “gifted young songwriters who are making a significant impact in the music industry via their original songs” and said “Thank you to my imaginary husband and kids.”
Questlove introduced Mariah Carey, who has written 19 No. 1 hits, and says she was often overlooked as a songwriter. “Success at this level, especially for Black artists,” said Questlove, “is a real obstacle course.” Several artists performed a medley of Carey’s songs “Fantasy,” “Hero,” “Make It Happen” and “We Belong Together.”
“I need to check out this lighting,” said Carey joking about her diva personality. “My lighting guy… it’s a long story, he couldn’t get on the plane.” Carey said this was her first live appearance since the pandemic and was upset that her collaborator Jermaine Dupri, who was inducted in 2018, wasn’t present.
Carey added, “I constantly have to remind people I’m a songwriter.”
Previous inductees into the Songwriters Hall of Fame include Burt Bacharach, Missy Elliott, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, Billy Joel and Carly Simon, and more. Songwriters are eligible for induction after writing hit songs for at least 20 years and are then voted on by membership.
Photo: Mariah Carey (MasterClass); Eurythmics (Lewis Ziolek)
