LET’S CELEBRATE MUSICAL SUCCESS
By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger
A gala event is making its way to New York City to benefit advocacy, education and professional development. The RECORDING ACADEMY HONORS® 2013 will be celebrating talented successes on Tuesday, June 25, 2013, at 6:00 p.m. at 583 Park Avenue in New York City.
Recipients of the New York Chapter Recording Academy Honors this year will be songwriters/performing artists, Ashford & Simpson, GRAMMY-winning artist Melissa Etheridge, GRAMMY-winning creators of “Les Misérables” — Alain Boublil, Herbert Kretzmer and Claude-Michel Schönberg — and R&B singer/songwriter Trey Songz.
This tradition was established to recognize outstanding individuals whose work embodies excellence and integrity and to pay tribute to those that contribute greatly to the creative community.
Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson are well-known for writing some of the most popular songs of all time. They joined Motown Records in 1966 with hits such as “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”, “Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing” and Chaka Khan’s “I’m Every Woman”. We will always remember their originality with “Found A Cure” and “Solid”. They were inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame in 2002. Unfortunately, Nick Ashford passed away in 2011 at the age of 70.
Joshua Bell is one of the best violinists in the world today. His stunning virtuosity, beautiful tone and charismatic stage presence have brought him universal acclaim. He played in famous Carnegie Hall at the young age of 17 and has toured with numerous orchestras such as The New York Philharmonic. He currently holds the role of new music director of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, the first person and first American to hold this post since Sir Neville Marriner formed the orchestra in 1958. The ensemble’s first 15-concert tour through the United States garnered rave reviews, and their first recording under Bell’s leadership of Beethoven’s 4th and 7th symphonies debuted at No.1 on Billboard’s Classical Albums chart.
We all remember Melissa Etheridge’s hits of the 90’s such as “I’m The Only One” and “Come To My Window.” She sold an unbelievable six million copies of her 1993 album ‘Yes I Am’ and remained at the top of the charts for 2 1/2 years. She is a two-time GRAMMY Award winner for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for “Ain’t It Heavy” and “Come To My Window.” In 2007 Etheridge won an Oscar® in the Music (Original Song) category for “I Need To Wake Up,” which was featured in the Al Gore documentary on global warming, An Inconvenient Truth.
“Les Miserablés” creators — book writer and lyricist Alain Boublil, lyricist Herbert Kretzmer and composer and book writer Claude-Michel Schönberg — adapted Victor Hugo’s novel of the same name into a musical masterpiece. Originally conceived and produced in France, it has been performed around the world, including performances in London’s West End and on Broadway in New York. In 1987 the musical won eight Tony Awards for its actors and production, including Best Musical, and a GRAMMY Award for Best Musical Cast Show Album. In 2010 the cherished musical celebrated its 25th anniversary.
Trey Songz is a GRAMMY-nominated, multifaceted singer/songwriter, rapper, producer, and actor who burst on to the R&B scene with his 2005 debut album ‘I Gotta Make It.’ Since then he has continued to release a string of successful albums including ‘Passion, Pain & Pleasure’, which featured the hits “Bottoms Up (feat. Nicki Minaj)” and “Can’t Be Friends.” In 2012 he released his most recent album ‘Chapter V’, which debuted at the top of the Billboard 200.
It will be a spellbinding evening beginning with a VIP cocktail hour followed by dinner and the tribute presentations. Tickets for The Recording Academy Honors Gala range from $375 for Academy members to $1,000 for VIPs and are available by calling the New York Chapter office at 212.245.5440. Sponsorship packages and show presentation only seats are also available.
The Recording Academy continues their exceptional work all throughout the year made up of musicians, songwriters, producers, engineers and recording professionals doing groundbreaking work for the creative community. They focus on musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our current culture.
This exciting event will be sponsored by ASCAP, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Cameron Mackintosh, Universal Music Group, Universal Pictures and Warner Music Group.
PHOTO CREDITS: Google Images
Press Release by The Recording Academy
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