Songwriters Hall of Fame to Induct Cropper, Hayes, Porter and Sherman Bros.
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| Isaac Hayes | David Porter | Steve Cropper |
As a founding member of the legendary Booker T and the MG's, as well as an A&R man, producer and songwriter, Steve Cropper was involved in virtually every record issued by the seminal Stax recording label from the fall of 1961 through year end 1970. Some of his songwriting credits include the classics "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay," "Knock on Wood" and "In the Midnight Hour." Cropper produced and played on sessions by Poco, Jeff Beck, Jose Feliciano, Yvonne Elliman, John Prine, Dreams and Tower Of Power. As a member of the original incarnation of the Blues Brothers, he recorded three albums with them, including the number one Briefcase Full of Blues. Over the past 20 years. Cropper has continued to be an in-demand musician and producer. His string-bending talents are showcased on CDs by Elton John, Paul Simon, Ringo Starr, Buddy Guy, Steppenwolf and Johnny Lang.
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| The Sherman Brothers |
Isaac Hayes and David Porter were one of the most successful songwriting partnerships of the 1960s. After playing on several sessions for Otis Redding, Hayes was tapped to play keyboards in the Stax house band, and eventually established a partnership with songwriter David Porter. Under the name the Soul Children, the Hayes-Porter duo composed some 200 songs, reeling off a string of hits for Stax luminaries like Sam & Dave (the brilliant "When Something Is Wrong With My Baby," "Soul Man," "I Thank You" and "Hold On, I'm Comin'"), Carla Thomas ("B-A-B-Y,") and Johnnie Taylor ("I Got to Love Somebody's Baby," "I Had a Dream"). Named a BMI Icon in 2003, Isaac Hayes was the first African-American composer to win an Oscar for Best Score for his soundtrack to the film Shaft, the theme song of which became a #1 hit. David Porter went on to engineer the relaunch of the Stax label and is a current member of the Board of Trustees of the Recording Academy.
One of Walt Disney's most successful songwriting teams was that of brothers Richard and Robert Sherman. These incredible children's film composers created the music heard in Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book, Parent Trap, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Aristocats, and many more Oscar-nominated scores. The Shermans have won several Oscars for their scores and songs, many of which are warmly and firmly ingrained in our memories like "Chim Chim Cheree", "I Wan'na Be Like You (The Monkey Song)", "It's A Small World" and "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," which is about to open on Broadway with the Shermans' Academy Award-winning score. They also scored The Aristocats (1970) and 1971's Bedknobs and Broomsticks, which garnered them more Oscar nominations for Best Score and Best Song. The Sherman Brothers have also done freelance work on screenplays and scores including Snoopy, Come Home, Tom Sawyer, Charlotte's Web, Disney's The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, The Slipper and the Rose: The Story of Cinderella, and The Magic of Lassie.
The National Academy of Popular Music/Songwriters Hall of Fame was founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer and publishers Abe Olman and Howie Richmond. The NAPM/SHOF is also devoted to the development of new songwriting talent through workshops, showcases and scholarships. BMI is a long-time supporter of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
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