Queen for a Day

Van Morrison, Queen, Little Richard and Phil Collins entered the Songwriters Hall of Fame last in New York City ceremony in that also recognized Tony Bennett, Patti LaBelle and J Records head Clive Davis. Ray Charles, Pink, Billy Joel, Solomon Burke and Wynonna Judd were among the presenters and performers on hand to celebrate the honorees.

Morrison, 57, was inducted by one his musical heroes, seventy-two-year-old rock & roll pioneer Ray Charles. "If it weren't for Ray," Morrison said, "most of us wouldn't be here." Growing up in Belfast, Morrison was profoundly influenced by Charles' early R&B and has regularly covered his catalogue, including the Hoagy Carmichael-penned standard "Georgia on My Mind." Charles was happy to return the compliment, teaming with Morrison for "Crazy Love," from Moondance. "He's among the best," Charles said. "I'm so proud."

Another of rock's progenitors, Little Richard, was inducted in absentia by Late Show bandleader Paul Shaffer. "Where does the DNA of rock & roll come from?" Shaffer asked. "A very few people reach down deep and pull it out of their very soul . . . This man is one of the founders of rock & roll music." Shaffer and an enthroned Solomon Burke then unleashed a medley of "Lucille" and "Tutti Frutti" that ripped enough to pull even Burke out of his seat for "A-bop-bop-a-loom-op a-lop-bop-boom!" Wynonna honored Queen -- "I discovered Queen as a teenager," she said, "and they rocked my world" -- and their late lead singer Freddie Mercury, who died of AIDS in 1992, before leading Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon through "Crazy Little Thing Called Love." May then took the microphone for "We Will Rock You," but didn't seem nearly as comfortable singing as laying down his trademark soaring, driving guitar licks.

"Freddie would be very pleased," May said. "He was always very dismissive of his own talent, but inside he knew that he was writing songs people would always want to hear. He'd be very proud."

"I wish Freddie were here with us," drummer Roger Taylor agreed. "An award for songwriting is more important than an award for selling records. It's all about the creative process."

Young J Records artist Gavin DeGraw inducted Collins for his work solo and with British rock combo Genesis, where he started as a drummer. "When Peter Gabriel left [Genesis]," Collins said, "we couldn't find anyone else to do it, so I had to. Suddenly I was singing, suddenly I was writing songs, and now here I am." Collins then performed three of his best-known songs: "In the Air Tonight," "Just Another Day in Paradise," and "You'll Be in My Heart."

Pink, honoring publisher Martin Bandier with the Patron of the Arts Award, did a more-than-passable Janis Joplin on "Me and Bobby McGee," written by one-time Joplin paramour Kris Kristofferson in 1971.

Bennett received the "Towering Song" award for his signature "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," a song he first performed more than forty years ago and dusted off again last night.

The Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award went to Patti LaBelle, not known as a songwriter, who made her debut on the pop charts in 1962 as a member of the Blue Belles. LaBelle performed "Way Up There," a spiritual written by longtime collaborator Tena Clark that she recently recorded as a theme song for NASA.

AUGUSTIN SEDGEWICK
(June 13, 2003)