There are relatively few recording artists with a legacy as powerful and influential as Marvin Gaye, so it comes as no surprise that he is among a number of artists selected to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Marvin will be posthumously inducted alongside Elvis Costello, Tom Petty, Nile Rodgers & Bernard Edwards and Chip Taylor. These legendary songwriters wrote such hits as “Alison,” “Let’s Get It On,” “Free Fallin’,” “Le Freak,” and “Wild Thing.”
Singer, songwriter and musician, Marvin Gaye, helped shape the sound of Motown when he burst onto the scene in the 1960’s. Often referred to as “the Prince of Motown” and “the Prince of Soul”, Marvin wrote and recorded major hits such as “What’s Going On,” which reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard number one and platinum single “Let’s Get It On.”
“The 2016 roster of Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees is a beautiful mosaic of the best of late 20th Century popular music. With creators of Rock & Roll, Soul/R&B, Country and Funk/Dance represented, we are looking forward to an unforgettable and extremely exciting event and evening at the Marriott Marquis on June 9th,” said co-chairs Kenneth Gamble & Leon Huff. Read more here.
This year’s class will be celebrated at the Songwriters Hall of Fame 47th annual induction ceremony, taking place at the Marriott Marquis in New York, June 9. Marvin will join over 400 artists and songwriters already enshrined; in addition to this year’s inductees, that list of nominees includes Madonna, John Mellencamp, Sly Stone, George Harrison, Jimi Hendrix and Blondie’s Deborah Harry to name just a few. Furthermore, Lionel Richie will receive the Johnny Mercer Award, the Songwriters Hall of Fame’s highest honor, at the induction ceremony in New York. This honor is reserved exclusively for past inductees – Richie has been a member since 1994.
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