ASCAP TO HONOR STEVE MILLER AND LIONEL RICHIE
Source: ASCAP
Mar 6, 2008 - 6:01:18 AM
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New York, NY, March 6, 2008: The American Society of Composers, Authors
and Publishers (ASCAP) will honor Lionel Richie and Steve Miller
at its 25th Annual Pop Music Awards on April 9th at the Kodak Theatre in
Los Angeles, California. Richie and Miller will be presented with
the prestigious ASCAP Golden Note Award, which is presented to
songwriters, composers, and artists who have achieved extraordinary career
milestones. The invitation-only gala will also honor the songwriters and
publishers of ASCAP's most performed pop songs of 2007.
Commenting on
the two Golden Note honorees, ASCAP President and Chairman Marilyn
Bergman said, "As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of our Pop Awards, we
are especially proud to spotlight the achievements of ASCAP members Steve Miller
and Lionel Richie. Both of them are iconic music creators whose enduring and
instantly recognizable songs say, 'America' around the world."
Previous
ASCAP Golden Note Award honorees include Tom Petty, Stevie Wonder, Jermaine
Dupri, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Jay-Z, Quincy Jones, LL Cool J and George
Michael, among others.
Steve Miller, born in Wisconsin and raised
in Texas, is one of the most beloved rock & roll stars of the past four
decades. He emerged out of the same mid-1960s Chicago music scene that produced
the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. Relocating to San Francisco at the beginning of
the psychedelic rock era, the Steve Miller Band became one of the most notable
Bay Area acts of the late 1960s and early 70s, with such FM Rock Radio staples
as "Living in the USA" and "Space Cowboy." In the mid-1970s the Steve Miller
Band broke through to worldwide success as an arena rock attraction with a
series of multi-Platinum selling albums (The Joker, Fly Like an Eagle, Book
of Dreams) and Top Ten hits written or co-written by Miller, including "The
Joker," "Fly Like an Eagle," "Take the Money and Run," "Rock'n Me," "Swingtown,"
and "Abracadabra." Miller, whose music enthusiast father introduced him as a
child to such musicians as Les Paul and Charles Mingus, is well known for his
guitar excellence, mastery of the studio and showmanship.
Lionel
Richie, a native of Tuskegee, Alabama, joined a rhythm & blues band
called the Commodores as a saxophonist. During the late 1970s and early 80s,
Richie's original songs would bring the Commodores success after success on both
the Pop and R&B charts with such hits as "Easy," "Still," "Three Times a
Lady" and "Sail On." After writing and recording (as a duet with Diana Ross) the
Oscar-nominated "Endless Love" movie theme, Richie embarked on a monumental solo
career that brought him four Grammy Awards and a Best Song Academy Award (for
"Say You, Say Me" from the film, White Nights). His best-selling albums,
Lionel Richie, Can't Slow Down and Dancing on the Ceiling were
filled with chart-topping hits written by Richie, including "You Are," "Truly,"
"All Night Long (All Night)," "Hello," "Penny Lover," "Running with the Night,"
"Dancing on the Ceiling" and "Ballerina Girl." Richie also co-wrote, with
Michael Jackson, the USA for Africa anthem, "We Are the World." Richie is a
three-time ASCAP Pop Songwriter of the Year honoree. He earned the coveted prize
at the very first Pop Music Awards in 1984, and again in 1985 and 1986.
The songwriters and publishers of ASCAP's most performed pop songs of
2007 will also be honored at the awards ceremony. Top awards will be given to
'Songwriter of the Year,' 'Song of the Year' and 'Publisher of the Year,' in
addition to the presentation of the 'ASCAP Vanguard Award,' which recognizes the
impact of musical genres which help shape the future of American music.
The 25th Annual ASCAP Pop Music Awards is part of ASCAP's "I Create
Music Week" -- an entire week of events being held in Los Angeles to celebrate
the voice of the music creator. More details to be announced.
About ASCAP
Established in 1914, ASCAP is the first and
leading U.S. Performing Rights Organization representing the world's largest
repertory totaling over 8.5 million copyrighted musical works of every style and
genre from more than 315,000 songwriter, composer and music publisher members.
ASCAP has representation arrangements with over 90 music rights organizations
such that the ASCAP repertory is represented in nearly every country around the
world. ASCAP protects the rights of its members and foreign affiliates by
licensing the public performances of their copyrighted works and distributing
royalties based upon surveyed performances. ASCAP is the only American
Performing Rights Organization owned and governed by its writer and publisher
members.
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