New York, N.Y., July 2, 2018 - Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee Nile Rodgers was unanimously elected Chairman of the Songwriters Hall of Fame by the SHOF Board of Directors at the annual board meeting. Rodgers will serve as Chairman for a three-year term following Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, who were Co-Chairs for the past three years.
“Nile is respected and admired by his fans and his peers alike for his multi/cross-genre music and for being a musical pioneer,” said Linda Moran, SHOF President and CEO. “More importantly, Nile’s eloquence in talking about songwriting and its process makes him the ideal voice for the songwriting community as Chairman of the SHOF.”
"I am truly honored and beyond humbled to be elected by such an esteemed group as this illustrious board,” Nile Rodgers commented. “I will try and serve with all my heart. I hope I can make you half as proud of me as I am to even sit in the room with you who've done so much for the furtherance of composition. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve the songwriting community."
Officers elected include Senior Vice President David Israelite, Secretary Mary Jo Mennella and Deputy Secretary April Anderson who will serve alongside President and CEO Linda Moran, CFO and Treasurer Tom Kelly and Senior Vice Presidents Beth Matthews and Mike O’Neill. Randy Grimmett was elected a member of the Board of Directors joining Robbin Ahrold, Martin Bandier, Caroline Bienstock, Desmond Child, Linda Lorence Critelli, Charlie Feldman, Fletcher Foster, John Josephson, Evan Lamberg, Nancy Munoz, Matt Pincus, Jon Platt, Irwin Robinson, Don Schlitz, Karen Sherry, John Titta and Paul Williams.
About Nile Rodgers:
Among music legends, Nile Rodgers is truly exceptional. He amplifies his legacy as a multiple GRAMMY-winning composer, producer, arranger and guitarist by constantly traversing new musical terrain and successfully expanding the boundaries of popular music. As the co-founder of CHIC, Rodgers pioneered a musical language that generated chart-topping hits like “Le Freak,” (the biggest selling single in the history of Atlantic Records!) and sparked the advent of hip-hop with “Good Times.” Nile Rodgers transcends all styles of music across every generation with a body of work that’s garnered him inductions into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (2017) and the Songwriters Hall of Fame (2016).
Most recently, he was appointed as the first ever Chief Creative Advisor for the legendary Abbey Road Studios to cap off a year that has included “festival best” performances at both Glastonbury and Coachella that resulted in the BBC nominating the band for the BBC Music Awards as “Best Live Performance Of 2017” and the LA Times stating “Nile Rodgers influence stretches all over Coachella, beaming the sound of a better future."
His work in the CHIC Organization and his productions for artists like David Bowie, Diana Ross, and Madonna have sold over 500 million albums and 75 million singles worldwide while his innovative, trendsetting collaborations with Daft Punk, Avicii, Sigala, Disclosure, and Sam Smith reflect the vanguard of contemporary music. Nile Rodgers & CHIC will be releasing their first new album in 25 years, “It’s About Time” on September 14, 2018.
