LL Cool J, Bill Withers to be honored
Rapper LL Cool J and R&B crooner Bill Withers will be honored for their musical contributions by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, the organization announced Friday.
LL Cool J will receive the Golden Note award and Withers will be presented with the Rhythm & Soul Heritage award at a June 26 ceremony at the Beverly Hills Hotel.
ASCAP president Marilyn Bergman called LL Cool J “one of the most important figures in the history of hip-hop.”
“He has weathered all the trends in the rap world and is as commercially viable today as he was when he started out in 1985,” she said in a statement.
Past recipients of the Golden Note include Sean “Diddy” Combs, Tom Petty, Quincy Jones and
Stevie Wonder.
Withers is “one of America’s premier singer-songwriters,” Bergman said.
“Bill’s music and lyrics have extraordinary accessibility and universal appeal,” she said. Withers joins previous Rhythm & Soul Heritage winners Chaka Khan, Peabo Bryson and Earth, Wind and Fire.(AP)
