NEW YORK (AP) — The funk rock group Living Colour opened an energetic 2025 Songwriters Hall of Fame Thursday night with a cover of Funkadelic’s “Cosmic Slop” to honor new inductee George Clinton.
It set the tone for an event with a lot to celebrate, and even more to remember. Just one day after it was announced that the inimitable Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys had died, his bandmate Mike Love will be inducted into the 2025 Songwriters Hall of Fame.
The gala, held at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City Thursday night, also features inductees spanning genre, an inspiring mix of funk, rock, R&B, country and beyond: The Doobie Brothers, Ashley Gorley, Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins and Tony Macaulay.
Is there funk without George Clinton? Is there groove? From Parliament/Funkadelic to his solo work, Clinton is an innovator of American popular music — a long-overdue inductee heard on timeless hits (like “Atomic Dog” and “Give Up The Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)” but also across the songs of Kendrick Lamar, Tupac, OutKast, Dr. Dre, Busta Rhymes, Missy Elliot, De La Soul and beyond.
Previously, Clinton was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. He received a lifetime achievement award at the Grammys in 2019.
The Doobie Brothers — the inducted members are Tom Johnston, Michael McDonald and Patrick Simmons — are known the world over for their rootsy rock ‘n’ roll, particularly for their No. 1 hits “What A Fool Believes” and “Black Water.” They went into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2020.
Ashley Gorley is an unmistakable name in the world of country music. Groundbreaking producer Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, whose touch is heard across countless R&B and pop hits, and legendary English songwriter Tony Macaulay, known for such classics as The Foundations’ “Build Me Up Buttercup” and ’Baby Now That I’ve Found You.”
Last year’s inductees included Steely Dan, R.E.M., Timbaland, Hillary Lindsey and Dean Pitchford. At the induction ceremony last summer, R.E.M. stunned attendees by reuniting for an acoustic version of their alt-rock hit, “Losing My Religion.”
The Songwriters Hall of Fame was established in 1969 to honor those creating popular music. A songwriter with a notable catalog of songs qualifies for induction 20 years after the first commercial release of a song. Some already in the hall include Gloria Estefan, Carole King, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, Elton John and Bernie Taupin, Brian Wilson, James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Lionel Richie, Bill Withers, Neil Diamond and Phil Collins.
