KMazur/WireImage for People MagazineJay Z, Babyface and the songwriting and production team of Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis are among this year’s inductees into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
The artists will receive the honor at the organization’s 48th Annual Induction and Awards diner on June 15 in New York City. Also being inducted this year will be Motown founder Berry Gordy, who deferred his induction in 2016. Additional honorees this year include songwriter/producer Max Martin, who’s written more #1 hits than any other person except for John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and three members of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group Chicago.
You’re probably familiar with Jay Z’s success as a songwriter but here’s a reminder of the other honorees’ accomplishments:
Babyface is being inducted both for his own work as a solo artist — with hits including “When Can I See You” and “Never Keeping Secrets” — and as the hits he wrote for other artists like Whitney Houston, Brandy, Eric Clapton, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Boyz II Men, Toni Braxton, Beyonce and many more.
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis have more Billboard #1 hits than any other songwriting and production team in history. Starting out in Prince’s protege group The Time, they went on to write and produce hits for Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, Usher, Mariah Carey, Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West, Beyonce, Rihanna, Mary J. Blige and countless others.
“With our 2017 roster of inductees, the Songwriters Hall of Fame moves definitively into recognizing music creators of the 21st century while continuing to honor the greats of earlier decades,” said Songwriters Hall of Fame co-chairs Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff and president Linda Moran in a statement.
The statement adds, “The combination of contemporary sounds and timeless hits of the past is certain to make for an unforgettable evening.”
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