Snoop Dogg, Sade Among 2023 Songwriter Hall of Fame Inductees

Snoop Dogg

The Songwriters Hall of Fame has released the names of the seven inductees that make up its class of 2023, and it includes several hip-hop and R&B powerhouses.

Gangster rapper turned entertainer extraordinaire Snoop Dogg, New Jack Swing pioneer Teddy Riley and soul music icon Sade made the cut.

They will be officially inducted at the organization’s 52nd Annual Induction and Awards Gala on June 15 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City, along with the "Queen of Latin Pop," Gloria Estefan, Electric Light Orchestra founder Jeff Lynne, Glen Ballard — a writer who co-wrote some of Alanis Morissette's and Michael Jackson's biggest hits — and frequent Taylor Swift collaborator Liz Rose.

"The music industry does not exist without songwriters delivering great songs first. Without them there is no recorded music, no concert business, no merch . . . nothing, it all starts with the song and the songwriter," Nile Rodgers, the hall's chairman, said in a statement.

"We are therefore very proud that we are continually recognizing some of the culturally most important songwriters of all time and that the 2023 slate represents not just iconic songs but also diversity and unity across genres, ethnicity and gender, songwriters who have enriched our lives and, in their time, literally transformed music and the lives of billions of listeners all over the world."

For more info on the inductees, the process used to determine their worthiness for the hall and their official bios click here.

Mimi and Missy to Headline Second Annual Lovers & Friends Fest in Las Vegas

Las Vegas will be the center of the R&B music universe for the second year in a row, at least for a day, this May.

Usher announced the lineup for his Lovers & Friends music festival Tuesday, putting the world on notice that some of the genre's biggest acts and their hip-hop brethren are headed to Sin City.

"We’re back at it! Lovers & Friends Festival in Vegas Saturday, May 6, 2023. Time to “Get Ur Freak On,” wrote the self-declared "King of R&B" on Twitter, alongside an image of the festival's lineup.

Standing out among the loaded list of performers, which features over 45 acts, are some marquee names, including first-time headliners Mariah Carey, Missy Elliott and Pitbull.

Along with the festival's host, Usher, they give this second edition of the annual event some serious star power.

🎧We’re back at it! Lovers & Friends Festival in Vegas Saturday, May 6, 2023 👈🏾
Register now for presale tickets, available on Friday, January 20th at 10AM at https://t.co/DIKuR9PIOh pic.twitter.com/EuLXrbj0At

— Usher Raymond IV (@Usher) January 17, 2023

The bill is rounded out by fellow music luminaries Christina Aguilera, Chris Brown, Boyz II Men, and an astonishing array of chart-topping acts from previous decades to the present including Ginuwine, 50 Cent, Busta Rhymes, Nelly, Master P, T.I., Flo Rida, Summer Walker, Bryson Tiller, Shaggy, Eve and Omarion.

Lisa Marie Presley, Singer-Songwriter and Elvis' Only Child, Dead at 54

Lisa Marie Presley, a singer-songwriter who was the only child of Elvis, the man many people regard as the king of rock n’ roll and who was married briefly to the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, has died at the age of 54.

She passed away Thursday after being rushed to the hospital earlier in the day for treatment after going into cardiac arrest at her Calabasas, California, home.

“It is with a heavy heart that I must share the devastating news that my beautiful daughter Lisa Marie has left us,” her mother, Priscilla Presley said in a statement Thursday evening. “She was the most passionate, strong and loving woman I have ever known.”

Presley was eager to follow in her footsteps earlier in her career, releasing three albums. Her debut effort in 2003, "Whom It May Concern," reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and was certified gold. Her second release "Now What" peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 albums chart in 2005.

While critics heaped some praise on her songwriting ability and her voice, Presley's music career stalled after her third release "Storm & Grace" in 2012.

My beloved daughter Lisa Marie was rushed to the hospital. She is now receiving the best care. Please keep her and our family in your prayers. We feel the prayers from around the world, and ask for privacy during this time.
-Priscilla Presley pic.twitter.com/j5oNfNMYJx

— Priscilla Presley (@Cilla_Presley) January 12, 2023

In addition to being the only heir of one of the most famous men in music, and retaining ownership of his legendary estate Graceland, Presley's short marriage to Jackson further cemented her standing as music royalty and sparked the curiosity of the world.

 

The duo was married from 1994 to 1996. Together they weathered child molestation accusations against Jackson, before the constant attention and Jackson's health issues led Presley to file for divorce in 1996, citing irreconcilable differences.

She later revealed in a 2010 interview with Oprah Winfrey, that she and Jackson — who died of a drug overdose in 2009 — had attempted to reconcile on and off for four years following their divorce, and that she had traveled to different parts of the world to be with him.

Mama Lion with cubs ❤️💙🖤🧡🦁😘 pic.twitter.com/UiYoceWHWN

— Lisa Marie Presley (@LisaPresley) June 20, 2019

Presley was married three other times: musician Danny Keough (1988-1994), actor Nicolas Cage (2002-2004) and guitarist Michael Lockwood (2006-2021).

The unions produced four children: Actor Riley Keough, her brother Benjamin Keough who committed suicide in 2020 and twins Finley Lockwood and Harper Lockwood.