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2010 Songwriters Hall of Fame Will Present Johnny Mercer Award to Phil Collins

PHIL COLLINS TO RECEIVE PRESTIGIOUS JOHNNY MERCER AWARD AT THE 2010 SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME GALA EVENT

PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED INDUCTEES INCLUDE Leonard cohen, JACKIE DESHANNON, DAVID FOSTER, JOHNNY MANDEL and earth, wind & fire’s maurice White, philip bailey, verdine white, larry dunn and al mckay

New York, NY- March 10, 2010- Hal David, Chairman/CEO of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, announced today that Phil Collins will be the 2010 recipient of the esteemed Johnny Mercer Award at the Annual Awards dinner, slated for Thursday, June 17 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.

Singer-songwriter, drummer, composer and producer are just a few of Phil Collins’ amazing career titles. Best known for his work as drummer and vocalist for the British rock group Genesis and as a solo artist, Phil Collins has created some of Popular Music’s greatest hits, including “In the Air Tonight,” “Against All Odds” and “Another Day In Paradise,” and such energetic hits as “Sussudio,” “You Can’t Hurry Love” and “Two Hearts.” He has written songs for the Disney films Tarzan and Brother Bear, and “You’ll Be In My Heart” from Tarzan won a Golden Globe Award for “Best Song Written For A Film.”  The song went on to win both an Oscar and a Grammy.

“Phil has churned out a massive stream of classic songs that have resonated with audiences around the globe in a career that has won him admiration beyond cultural and linguistic boundaries,” commented Chairman/CEO Hal David. “In our professional community, he is among the most respected musical creators of our generation.” The Johnny Mercer Award, the highest honor bestowed by the Songwriters Hall of Fame, is exclusively reserved for a songwriter who has already been inducted in a prior year, and whose body of work is of such high quality and impact, that it upholds the gold standard set by the legendary Johnny Mercer.

Also a studio producer, Collins has worked with Adam Ant, Earth, Wind & Fire’s Phil Bailey, John Martyn and Eric Clapton- to name a few.  Notably, he was Robert Plant’s drummer of choice for his first two solo albums, and he played with the Led Zeppelin front man on his first solo tour.  In March 2010, Genesis will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame.  Collins is currently adding the finishing touches to a new album for release in September 2010.

During his early career, Collins co-founded the jazz-fusion band “Brand X,” inspired by his love of jazz.  In recent years, he formed his own “Big Band,” with the first tour featuring Tony Bennett and Quincy Jones and the second with Oleta Adams and Gerald Albright as guests.  Collins also took on acting, starting with the roll of Artful Dodger in Oliver, as well as made cameos in the Beatles A Hard Days Night and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.  Since then he has made several appearances in various films ranging from Hook to The Who’s rock opera Tommy.

Past Johnny Mercer Award recipients have included songwriting giants: Holland-Dozier-Holland, Paul Anka, Dolly Parton, Kris Kristofferson, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Carole King, Billy Joel, Jimmy Webb, Hal David, Burt Bacharach, Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, Paul Simon, Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Stephen Sondheim, Cy Coleman, Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne.

Inductees at this year’s event include Leonard Cohen, Jackie DeShannon, David Foster, Johnny Mandel and Earth, Wind & Fire’s Maurice White, Philip Bailey, Verdine White, Larry Dunn and Al McKay.

About The Songwriters Hall of Fame: The Songwriters Hall of Fame celebrates songwriters, educates the public with regard to their achievements, and produces a spectrum of professional programs devoted to the development of new songwriting talent through workshops, showcases and scholarships. Over the course of the past 41 years, some key Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees have included Desmond Child, Loretta Lynn, John Sebastian, John Fogerty, Isaac Hayes and David Porter, Steve Cropper, Dolly Parton, Richard and Robert Sherman, Bill Withers, Carole King, Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, Sir Elton John, Bernie Taupin, Brian Wilson, James Taylor, James Brown, Curtis Mayfield, Hal David and Burt Bacharach, Jim Croce, Phil Collins, Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Jimmy Webb, Paul Williams, Van Morrison, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Cy Coleman and many, many others. The Songwriters Hall of Fame was founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer and publishers Abe Olman and Howie Richmond.

Full biographies and a complete list of inductees are available at the Songwriters Hall of Fame’s Virtual Museum at http://songwritershalloffame.org/.

The mission of the Songwriters Hall of Fame is to remember and honor our great songwriters while building our musical future through workshops, showcases and scholarships, along with giving members the opportunity to vote for the next slate of inductees. Joining online is quick and easy: http://songhall.org/join

Ticket Information: Tickets for the Songwriters Hall of Fame event begin at $1000 each, and are available through Buckley Hall Events, (212) 573-6933. Net proceeds from the event will go towards the Songwriters Hall of Fame programs.

CONTACT: Fran Curtis
Rogers & Cowan
fcurtis@rogersandcowan.com

Lauren Wilsman
Rogers & Cowan
lwilsman@rogersandcowan.com

Caitlin McNamara
Rogers & Cowan
E: cmcnamara@rogersandcowan.com

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