The march of time will be the star of the 24th annual induction dinner for the Songwriters Hall of Fame on June 2.
The induction of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, the songwriting team of the Rolling Stones for 30 years, reflects the advance of songwriting into the rock ‘n’ roll era.
This year’s induction is also the hall’s first without Sammy Cahn, the hall’s longtime president and most tireless champion, who died Jan. 15.
Part of the memorial to Cahn will be the announcement of the opening of the Songwriters Hall of Fame Museum, which is expected this fall in New York. Cahn had pushed that project through many dead ends over the years.
Other inductees are Paul Anka, whose compositions include “Diana” and “My Way,” and the late team of Bert Kaempfert and Herb Rehbein, whose compositions included “Sweet Maria” and “Strangers in the Night.”
Special presentations include the Johnny Mercer Award to Jule Styne, the Abe Olman Publisher Award to Berry Gordy Jr. and the Lifetime Achievement Award to Ray Charles.