Mariah Carey, Pharrell Williams and Steve Miller among new inductees to Songwriters Hall of Fame
NEW YORK – The Songwriters Hall of Fame has gotten Carey-ed away with this Long Island-born legend.
Mariah Carey is among the artists who will be inducted into the Hall on June 11 at Manhattan’s Marriott Marquis Hotel, it was announced Thursday.
Others who made the 2020 class include Steve Miller, The Neptunes – a production team of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo – and The Isley Brothers, along with their frequent collaborator, Chris Jasper. Rick Nowels, William (Mickey) Stevenson and the Eurythmics – the pop duo of Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart – round out this year’s inductees.
Songwriters become eligible for induction 20 years after their initial commercial release. The Hall says candidates must have “a notable catalog of songs” to be considered.
“I can’t believe it. The SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME!!!!” Carey tweeted after hearing the news. “This is truly one of the greatest honors of my career. I’m so proud and humbled to be in the company of such legendary songwriters – both previously inducted as well as the incredible class of 2020!”
Carey, 49, burst onto the music scene in 1989 with her debut single “Vision of Love.” It became the first of her 19 No. 1 hits, a record for solo artists and second-most all-time behind The Beatles’ 20 chart-toppers.
The five-time Grammy winner’s many hits include “We Belong Together,” “Fantasy,” “Always Be My Baby” and “Hero.” Last month, Carey’s wildly popular 1994 holiday anthem “All I Want for Christmas is You” reached the top of the Billboard chart for the first time – 25 years after it came out.
In a statement, the Hall’s chairman, Nile Rodgers, commemorated the latest inductees.
“I am very proud that we are recognizing some of the culturally most important songwriters of all time and that the 2020 slate of inductees represents diversity and unity across genres, ethnicity and gender, writers who have enriched our lives and in their time literally transformed music and helped make it what it is today,” Rodgers said in a statement.