Gloria Estefan Among Finalists for 2023 Songwriters Hall of Fame

Gloria Estefan is one step closer to entering elite compay…

The 65-year-old Cuban Grammy-winning singer, actress and businesswoman is among the finalist for the 2023 class of inductees into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Gloria EstefanTwelve performing songwriters or songwriting teams and 12 non-performing songwriters or songwriting teams are vying to join the SHOF. Three songwriters or teams in each of these two divisions will be inducted at the SHOF’s 54th Annual Induction & Awards Gala on June 15, 2023, in New York City.

Estefan is among a list includes rapper and entertainer Snoop Dogg, rock poet Patti Smith, Broadway writers Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, and country pros Vince Gill, Liz Rose and Dean Dillon.

The “Rhythm is Gonna Get You” singer previously received the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song three years ago in tandem with her husband Emilio Estefan.

A songwriter with a notable catalog of songs qualifies for induction 20 years after the first significant commercial release of a song.

Eligible voting members have until 12:00 pm ET on December 28 to turn in ballots with their choices of three nominees from the non-performing songwriter category and three from the performing songwriter category.

Here’s a look at the final nominees:

Performing Songwriters       

Bryan Adams – “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You,” “Heaven,” “All for Love,” “Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?,” “Summer of ‘69”
Clem Burke / Debbie Harry / Chris Stein (p/k/a Blondie) – “Call Me,” “Heart of Glass,” “Rapture,” “One Way or Another,” “Sunday Girl”
Calvin Broadus Jr. (p/k/a Snoop Dogg) – “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” “Nuthin’ But A “G” Thang,” “Young, Wild & Free,” “Gin & Juice,” “Next Episode”
Tom Johnston / Michael McDonald / Patrick Simmons (p/k/a The Doobie Brothers) – “Listen to the Music,” “Long Train Running,” “What a Fool Believes,” “China Grove,” “Black Water”
Gloria Estefan –  “Anything for You,” “Don’t Wanna Lose You,” “Words Get in the Way,” “Rhythm Is Gonna Get You,” “Let’s Get Loud”
Vince Gill – “Go Rest High on That Mountain,” “When I Call Your Name,” “I Still Believe in You,” “Don’t Let Our Love Start Slippin’ Away,” “Whenever You Come Around”
Ann Wilson / Nancy Wilson (p/k/a Heart) – “Barracuda,” “Crazy on You,” “Dog and Butterfly,” “Straight On,” “Even It Up”
Jeff Lynne (ELO – Electric Light Orchestra) – “Mr. Blue Sky,” “Don’t Bring Me Down,” “Evil Woman,” “Livin’ Thing,” “Telephone Line”
Bill Berry / Peter Buck / Mike Mills / Michael Stipe (p/k/a REM) – “Losing My Religion,” “Everybody Hurts,” “It’s the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine),” “Radio Free Europe,” “The One I Love”
Sade Adu (p/k/a Sade) – “Smooth Operator,” “No Ordinary Love,” “The Sweetest Taboo,” “By Your Side,” “Is It a Crime”
Patti Smith – “Because the Night,” “Redondo Beach,” “Dancing Barefoot,” “Frederick,” “People Have Power”
Steve Winwood – “Higher Love,” “Gimme Some Lovin’,” “I’m A Man,” “Valerie.” “Roll With It” 

Non-Performing Songwriters

Lynn Ahrens / Stephen Flaherty – “Journey to the Past” (Anastasia), “Once Upon a December” (Anastasia), “At the Beginning,” “Wheels of a Dream” (Ragtime), “Make Them Hear You” (Ragtime)
Glen Ballard – “Man in the Mirror,” “You Oughta Know, “Hold On,” “The Voice Within,” “The Space Between”
Dean Dillon – “Tennessee Whiskey,” “Ocean Front Property,” “Here for a Good Time,” “The Chair,” “I’m Alive”
Franne Golde – “Nightshift,” “Dreaming of You,” “Don’t Look Any Further,” “Don’t You Want Me,” “Stickwitu”
Bobby Hart / Tommy Boyce – “Last Train To Clarksville,” “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone,” “Come a Little Bit Closer,” “(Theme From) The Monkees,” “I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight”
Sandy Linzer / Denny Randell – “Working My Way Back to You,” “Let’s Hang On,” “Lover’s Concerto,” “Native New Yorker,” “Opus 17 (Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me)”
Roger Nichols – “We’ve Only Just Begun,” “Rainy Days and Mondays,” “I Won’t Last a Day Without You,” “Out in the Country,” “Times of Your Life”
Dan Penn / Spooner Oldham – “I’m Your Puppet,” “It Tears Me Up,” “Cry Like a Baby,” “Sweet Inspiration,” “A Woman Left Lonely”
Dean Pitchford – “Footloose,” “Fame,” Holding Out for a Hero,” “All The Man That I Need,” “Let’s Hear it for the Boy”
Teddy Riley – “Make It Last Forever,” “I Want Her,” “Just Got Paid,” “I Like,” “My Prerogative”
Liz Rose – “You Belong With Me,” “Crazy Girl,” “Girl Crush,” “All Too Well,” “White Horse”
Tom Snow – “He’s So Shy,” “Let’s Hear It for the Boy,” “Dreaming of You,” “Don’t Know Much,” “After All”

Carlos Santana to Perform Alongside Rob Thomas at “We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert”

There’s more than a walk in the (Central) park in Carlos Santana’s future…

Amid concern over the Delta coronavirus variant, a mega-concert in Central Park to celebrate New York City’s reopening will go forward as planned next month, with performers including the 74-year-old Mexican-American guitarist/musician.

Carlos Santana

Santana, considered one of the greatest guitarists of all time, will perform alongside Rob Thomas. The pair teamed up in 1999 for Smooth“, a dynamic cha-cha stop-start number co-written and sung by Thomas of Matchbox Twenty and laced throughout with Santana’s guitar fills and runs. “Smooth” spent twelve weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming in the process the last No. 1 single of the 1990s.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio joined music industry legend Clive Davis, who is co-producing the concert, for a press conference to unveil the details of what de Blasio promised will be a “historic,” “blockbuster” event. Officially titled “We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert,” the event is set for August 21 at 5:00 p.m., it will be broadcast live globally on CNN and 80% of tickets will be free.

While de Blasio initially proposed having vaccinated and unvaccinated sections, he said that attendees will be required to present proof of vaccination.

“New York City is back,” de Blasio said. “You can see it, you can feel it, and it’s time to celebrate on the Great Lawn.”

The lineup, which includes many New York natives, so far spans Jon BatisteAndrea Bocelli, Kane Brown, LL Cool J, Elvis Costello, Earth, Wind & Fire joined by Lucky Daye and Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Cynthia Erivo, Jimmy Fallon, Jennifer Hudson, Wyclef Jean, Journey, The Killers, Gayle King, Don Lemon, Barry Manilow, The New York Philharmonic, Polo G, Carlos Santana joined by Rob Thomas, Paul Simon and Patti Smith duetting with Bruce Springsteen.

“As a born, bred and true New Yorker, I well know how resilient we are and how New York always comes back,” Davis said. “I cannot think of a more appropriate way to celebrate this than an unforgettable concert in the most special venue in the world: the Great Lawn at Central Park. My team, along with our partners at Live Nation, has been hard at work for weeks curating what I submit to you will be a once-in a lifetime event […] It will celebrate a spectacular range of musical genres, styles and eras while including some of the most iconic artists in the history of modern music.”

Davis, who was raised in Brooklyn, is co-producing alongside Live Nation. Restauranteur Danny Meyer, the recently-appointed chairman of the New York City Economic Development Corporation board of directors, is also involved, as is Universal Hip-Hop Museum executive director Rocky Bucano.

“We’re so honored to be part of this event,” added Live Nation regional president Geoff Gordon. “I too have goosebumps after hearing that, even though we’ve been involved in lining this up. Live music has the unique ability to bring us all together, which is really what we’re doing. There’s nothing like a live music experience.”

Tickets for the concert go on sale on Monday, August 2 at 10:00 a.m. EST on the new NYC Homecoming Week website, and the Great Lawn has a capacity of 60,000. The 20% of tickets not designated as free are VIP tickets available for purchase. De Blasio said that event workers will be checking for proof of vaccination as attendees enter, with more details to come. Asked by a reporter whether the vaccination requirement means the concert is for attendees aged 12 and over only, de Blasio said, “right now, that’s a fair assumption.”

The event will cap off a reopening celebration dubbed NYC Homecoming Week, during which the City of New York will host concerts in each of the five boroughs starting August 14, leading up to the Great Lawn spectacle on the 21st. The lead-up concerts will be held Aug. 16 at Orchard Beach in The Bronx; Aug. 17 at Richmond County Bank Park in Staten Island; Aug. 19 at Brooklyn Army Terminal in Brooklyn; and Aug. 20 at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens.

Gloria Estefan Nominated for the Songwriters Hall of Fame

Gloria Estefan has the write stuff of legends…

The 62-year-old Cuban singer/songwriter and former Miami Sound Machine member has been nominated for the prestigious Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Gloria Estefan

Estefan, a three-time Grammy winner and three-time Latin Grammy, has penned numerousinternational chart-topping hits in English and Spanish, including  “Rhythm Is Gonna Get You,” “1-2-3,” “Don’t Wanna Lose You,” “Here We Are,” “Coming Out of the Dark,” “Con Los Años Que Me Quedan,” “Mi Tierra” and “No Me Dejes de Querer.” 

Additionally, Estefan has penned songs for other artists, including “Let’s Get Loud,” performed by Jennifer Lopez, and “Whenever Wherever,” performed by Shakira. Additionally, she co-wrote “Reach,” one of two official songs of the 1996 Atlanta Games, with Diane Warren.

In all, 24 acts are in contention for the 2020 class. In addition to Estefan, performing nominees include Patti SmithJourneyVince Gill, the Isley Brothers, former Eurythmicsmembers Annie Lennoxand Dave StewartMike LoveBread’s David Gates and Steve MillerThe Neptunes, the creative, innovative production-songwriting duo of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, rap icons Outkast and rock pioneers R.E.M.Mariah Carey, who co-wrote 17 of her 18 No. 1 hits and earned her first Songwriters Hall nomination last year, is up for the prize again. 

The Songwriters Hall gave The Associated Press the list of nominees Tuesday (Nov. 5), a day ahead of its official announcement.

Non-performing solo nominees are William “Mickey” StevensonRick NowelsSonny CurtisJerry FullerTony MacaulayBob McDill and Roger Nichols. Non-performing songwriting duos nominated include the late Tommy Boyceand Bobby Hart,Lynn Ahrensand Stephen FlahertyL. Russell Brownand the late Irwin Levine, and Kye Flemingand Dennis Morgan.

Songwriters are eligible for induction after writing hit songs for at least 20 years. Six songwriters, or songwriting groups, will be officially inducted at the Hall’s 51st annual Induction & Awards Gala in New York on June 11, 2020. Eligible members can vote for three non-performing songwriters and three performing songwriters until December 16.

Jessie Reyez to Appear on “Music Inspired By The Film Roma” Album

Jessie Reyez is switching tongues…

The 27-year-old Colombian-Canadian singer appears on Music Inspired By The Film Roma, an album based on Alfonso Cuarón’s Oscar-nominated film.

Jessie Reyez

The album features artists from across the globe, including Reyez, Beck, Billie EilishEl-PIbeyiLaura MarlingPatti Smith and Unkle

Assembling a mosaic of sounds, Cuarón sought out some of his favorite musical artists to create songs that were inspired by Roma, a black-and-white film that follows the story of a young domestic worker for a middle-class family in Mexico City.

The track listing for Music Inspired By The Film Romaincludes Reyez’s Spanish-language single “Con El Viento.”

Other noteworthy tracks include”Tarantula,” Beck‘s reimagining of the song by 1980s English electro-band Colourbox, “Psycho” by Bu Cuarón, the director’s daughter; Laura Marling’s cover of Mary Hopkin’s “Those Were The Days,” “Cumbia del Borras” by Sonido Gallo Negro, and “La Hora Exacta” by Quique Rangel.

The album will be released on February 8, and is now available for preordering.

Here’s the full track list:

“Tepeji 21 (The Sounds of Roma)” – Ciudad de México
“Wing” – Patti Smith
“Tarantula” – Beck
“When I Was Older” – Billie Eilish
“Psycho” – Bu Cuarón
“On My Knees” – UNKLE featuring Michael Kiwanaku
“Con El Viento” – Jessie Reyez
“Marooned” – El-P & Wilder Zoby
“Cumbia del Borras” – Sonido Gallo Negro
“La Hora Exacta” –  Quique Rangel
“Cleo Who Takes Care Of You” –  Ibeyi
“We Are Always Alone” – DJ Shadow
“Between These Hands” – Asaf Avidan
“Those Were The Days” – Laura Marling
“Roma” – T Bone Burnett

Spalding to Perform at David Bowie Tribute Concerts

Esperanza Spalding is paying tribute to a legend…

The 31-year-old part-Mexican singer and multi-Grammy winner has been added to the list of artists set to perform at the David Bowie tribute concerts at Carnegie Hall and Radio City Music Hall, happening on March 31 and April 1, respectively.

Esperanza Spalding

Spalding joins a new round of performers that includes J MascisPatti Smith, TV on the Radio’s Kyp MaloneGogol Bordello’s Eugene Hutz, Kronos QuartetBilal and Tariq.

They join an already stacked lineup that features BlondieLaurie AndersonThe Roots, The Flaming Lips, and many others.

Both concert dates are sold out, but Radio City Music Hall has partnered with Skype to stream the latter date for a donation to the event’s charity partners.

Isaac to Perform Live at Another Day, Another Time: Celebrating the Music of “Inside Llewyn Davis”

Oscar Isaac will be singing the blues to promote his latest film…

The 33-year-old Guatemalan and Cuban American actor will be performing at Another Day, Another Time: Celebrating the Music of Inside Llewyn Davis, based on the film which stars Isaac as struggling musician meandering through New York City’s 1960s folk scene.

Oscar Isaac in Inside Llewyn Davis

In addition to Isaac, the benefit concert – which shines a spotlight on the Joel and Ethan Coen-directed film that earned the Grand Prix award at the Cannes Film Festival in May – will feature performances by Avett Brothers, Joan Baez, Colin Meloy of The Decemberists, Marcus Mumford, Conor Oberst, Patti Smith, Gillian Welch & Dave Rawlings and Jack White. Additionally, the films other stars Carey Mulligan, John Goodman and Stark Sands are set to perform.

The benefit concert will take place on September 29 at The Town Hall in New York City.

The folk bill is inspired by the Coen brothers film. Joel and Ethan Coen and T Bone Burnett are producing the event, with some of the proceeds benefiting the National Recording Preservation Foundation.

Tickets go on sale on Wednesday, August 21.

CBS Films will release Inside Llewyn Davis on December 6.