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Gracie Abrams, Garth Brooks and George Clinton Light Up Songwriters Hall of Fame, Beach Boy Mike Love Pays Brief Tribute to Brian Wilson
Gracie Abrams, Garth Brooks and George Clinton performed at the Songwriters Hall of Fame show; Beach Boy Mike Love paid brief tribute to Brian Wilson.
Clinton gave a brief but warm acceptance, speech, recalling his 1950s childhood in Newark, New Jersey, when there were “doo-wop singers on every corner and next thing you knew, you were hearing them on the radio.” He made that move himself, ultimately getting an audition at Motown Records with his group the Parliaments and scoring an early hit with 1967’s “I Just Wanna Testify.” He then sang the song with the house band, stomping across the stage in a beige pinstripe suit, sparkly gold captain’s hat and, significantly, a Sly and the Family Stone t-shirt, a tribute to his mentor and friend who died earlier this week. Then Gorley’s 21-year-old daughter Sadie took the stage to pay tribute to her father with a short speech, recalling him “cancelling on writing sessions with iconic musicians to come to a school sporting event.” She then delivered a strong version of his song “You’re Gonna Miss This” accompanied by the house band. The two had famously battled for decades, and over the years many felt that Love has overstated his contributions to the group’s hits, and his profile with some has not been enhanced by his often-hostile far-right statements; on Wednesday, the day before the ceremony, he posted an effusive if revisionist tribute to Wilson on Facebook, then followed it two hours later with a bellicose anti-immigrant screed (which he has apparently deleted).
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