The Songwriters Hall of Fame celebrates and honor the contributions and legacies of songwriters of all genres of music showcasing a spectrum of artists which are able to maintains the heritage and legacy of the most beloved songs from the world's popular music songbook.
The 2019 Inductees brought to the spotlight artists such as Missy Elliott, John Prine, Tom T. Hall and of course the man behind some of the major hits that defined the musical landscape of the late '80s, '90s and early '00s: Dallas Austin!
I got the call from Dallas to go and visit him in Atlanta few days before the ceremony so we could capture the behind the scenes and preparation.
And then we went off to New York!
On the first night, we had an intimate dinner at Sadelle's with Dallas close circle of friends: Jermaine Dupri, Justine Timberlake, Russell Simmons, Jon Platt and few more. A lot of amazing stories from all of them and a very special night before the big event!
And so it goes at the annual Songwriters Hall of Fame ceremony, which celebrated its 50th anniversary, with performers and presenters such as Jack Antonoff, Sara Bareilles, Benny Blanco, Clive Davis, Jermaine Dupri, Jason Isbell, Queen Latifah, Lizzo, Dave Matthews, Bonnie Raitt, Timbaland, and Nile Rodgers.
Missy Elliott got a tribute video by Michelle Obama, Jermaine Dupri had the audience dancing with a tight DJ set and Justin Timberlake stopped his speech in mid-sentence. “Aw man, y’all didn’t tell me Bette Midler was gonna be right here in the front! Now I’m nervous — first y’all make me follow Patti LaBelle, now this?”.
And by midnight, the Songwriters Hall of Fame’s half-century show came to a close, congratulations Dallas! And this was my final video: