Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Saturday 16 June 2018
Neil shines like a Diamond at Songwriters Hall of Fame gala

By MESFIN FEKADU Inductee and country
Associated Press songwriter Bill Anderson
NEW YORK (AP) — Neil Di- choked up at the end of
amond may have retired his speech, quoting lyr-
from touring due to Parkin- ics from his song when he
son’s disease, but the sing- spoke about God: “I held
er didn’t let that stop him the pencil but he wrote the
from giving a cheery and songs, and I firmly believe
memorable performance that.”
at the 2018 Songwriters Hall The members of Kool & the
of Fame ceremony. Gang — Robert “Kool” Bell,
Diamond, who was offi- Ronald Bell, George Brown
cially inducted into the Hall and James “JT” Taylor —
in 1984, earned the Johnny were also inducted and
Mercer Award on Thursday gave a memorable and
and closed the multi-hour upbeat performance with
event in New York City “Celebration,” which got
with a rousing rendition of audience members out of
“Sweet Caroline.” their seats.
He was happy and excited Lucian Grainge, the CEO
onstage, performing an ex- and chairman of Universal
tended version of the icon- Music Group, earned the
ic song, backed by a band Howie Richmond Hitmak-
and the audience of song- er Award and was hon-
writers and music industry ored by The Weeknd, who
players who sang along. Neil Diamond performs during the 49th annual Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards spoke, and Ariana Grande,
The 77-year-old, who an- gala at the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel on Thursday, June 14, 2018, in New York. who sang “Be Alright.”
Associated Press
nounced he was diag- Grammy and Tony nomi-
nosed with Parkinson’s in Allee Willis — who co-wrote frisky behavior helped her induction. nee Sara Bareilles received
January and canceled the Broadway musical “The connect her songs to sing- Usher was passionate when the Johnny Mercer Award
planned concerts, barely Color Purple” and Earth, ers. he inducted Dupri, who has and wowed with her per-
spoke at the event, where Wind & Fire’s “September” “Her sex life was unbeliev- co-written a number of the formance onstage.
John Mellencamp, Alan — was the first inductee of able for my career,” she R&B star’s hits, including Mellencamp sang “Jack
Jackson, Kool and the the night. She won over the said to laughs. “Nice & Slow,” ‘’U Got It and Diane” and “Lon-
Gang and Jermaine Dupri audience with stories about Willis, the only female to be Bad,” ‘’Burn” and “Confes- gest Days” after getting
were inducted as the Hall’s her father who told her to inducted this year, used sions Part II.” inducted; R&B singer Fan-
2018 class. “stay away from black cul- her speech to honor wom- “I love you J.D. You’re like tasia won over the crowd
ture” and her friend whose en who have not received the big brother I never had when she sang in honor of
their credit as songwriters and also the motivator who Dorff; and Broadway star
and producers. pushed me when I was at Brandon Victor Dixon was
“I really started thinking my lowest,” he said. impressive when he per-
about how, at the time, Mariah Carey, who has formed for Willis.
mentally painful it was collaborated on hits like Jackson, who has had
that the girls were not get- “We Belong Together” and 26 singles top Billboard’s
ting the chances the boys “Always Be My Baby” with country charts, said he ran
were. So I just want to say, Dupri, made a surprise ap- into Clive Davis backstage
‘We’re here. We’ve always pearance and received a at the event and recalled
been here. And we’re no warm applause from the a story about how he tried
longer the little wilting flow- crowd. The pop diva, who to pitch a song for Whitney
ers that we were when has co-written 17 of her 18 Houston.
it comes to equality.’ So No. 1 hits, was nominated “And I called Clive and
wipe off the seats because for the Songwriters Hall but said, ‘I wrote this song and I
here we come.” didn’t make the final cut. think ole Whitney could sing
Others speeches through- “Although I am not being this thing. And he listened
out the night struck with inducted this evening — I’ll to it and called me back
similar emotion. shed a tear and move on and said, ‘That’s a sweet
Inductee and Grammy- — honestly there’s no one song.’ And there was a line
nominated country song- I’d rather see this get acco- in there about doing some-
writer Steve Dorff wiped the lade than Jermaine Dupri,” thing with the washing ma-
tears from his eyes when he she said. chine, and (Clive) said, ‘I’ll
was onstage; his son, ac- Dupri is the second hip-hop be honest with you Alan — I
tor Stephen Dorff, was also act to be inducted into the don’t think Whitney’s seen
teary-eyed when he spoke organization following Jay- a washing machine in 15
about his father during the Z’s induction last year. years,’” Jackson said.q