[Photo courtesy of Georgios Kefalas]

By Morgan Eisaman, Columns Editor

A cast of influential songwriters, producers and musicians have been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame as the institution’s 2025 class. The lineup consists of Parliament-Funkadelic founder George Clinton, country songwriter Ashley Gorley, R&B songwriter-producer Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, The Beach Boys’ Mike Love, British composer Tony Macaulay and three members of The Doobie Brothers (Tom Johnston, Michael McDonald and Patrick Simmons).

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These legendary songwriters are credited with well-known songs such as “Listen To the Music,” “Say My Name,” “California Girls” and “Build Me Up Buttercup.” Chic’s Nile Rodgers, who is the chairman of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, stated to Pitchfork: 

“The foundation of the music industry exists because songwriters compose great songs. Without them, there is no recorded music, no concert business, no fans, or merchandising; it all starts with the song and the songwriter. We are therefore very proud that we are continually recognizing some of the culturally most important writers of all time and that this year’s slate represents not just iconic songs, but also diversity and unity across genres and ethnicity. These songwriters have enriched the lives of billions of listeners the world over. It’s our honor to honor them.”

The Songwriters Hall of Fame describes themselves as “a vital bridge between music’s past and future” and emphasizes that their inductees are “enshrined and celebrated.” The inductees will be honored during the 2025 Induction and Awards Gala on Thursday, June 12 at Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.