MOTOWN Founder Berry Gordy to Receive Songwriters Hall of Fame 'Pioneer Award'

USA Today reports that Motown Records founder Berry Gordy will be the recipient of the Songwriters Hall of Fame 'Pioneer Award' at the 44th annual induction and awards dinner, set for June 13 in New York. Songwriters Hall of Fame Chairman Jimmy Webb announced the news this morning.

The Pioneer Award was established last year to pay tribute to the creator of an extensive body of work that has influenced generations of songwriters. Woody Guthrie received the inaugural award, making Gordy the first living recipient.

In a statement, Webb described Gordy as "an innovator and a visionary," and adding that he "pioneered a marketplace for African-American artistry and then he invited the world to enjoy it."

At the upcoming ceremony, Berry will join previously announced honorees including Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry and Foreigner's Mick Jones and Lou Gramm.

Gordy's legacy is currently the subject of a new Broadway show, Motown The Musical, which began previews Monday night and will officially open at The Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on April 14 opening. Directed by Charles Randolph-Wright, MOTOWN: THE MUSICAL will feature a book by Gordy and music and lyrics from the legendary Motown catalogue.

MOTOWN: THE MUSICAL is the real story of the one-of-a-kind sound that hit the airwaves in 1959 and changed our culture forever. This exhilarating show charts Motown Founder Berry Gordy's incredible journey from featherweight boxer to the heavyweight music mogul who launched the careers of Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, and so many more.

Featuring all the classics you love, MOTOWN: THE MUSICAL tells the story behind the hits as Diana, Smokey, Berry and the whole Motown family fight against the odds to create the soundtrack of change in America. The music that shattered barriers, shaped our lives and made us all move to the same beat finally comes to Broadway in the season's most anticipated world-premiere event.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos

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