Honoring "A Change Is Gonna Come"

"CHANGE" HAS FINALLY ARRIVED: Sam Cooke’s Civil Rights anthem, “A Change is Gonna Come” will receive the “Towering Song Award” at this year’s 44th Annual Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards dinner, slated for June 13 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in N.Y. Previous honored songs include “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” “Moon River,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “It Was A Very Good Year” and “Stand By Me.” “A Change Is Gonna Come” was written by Cooke in 1963 and recorded in January of 1964 in Hollywood, CA, then released as a single in December that year. The song has been covered in more than 500 recorded versions by the likes of Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Solomon Burke, Bobby Womack, the Fugees, Jon Bon Jovi, Seal, R. Kelly, Gavin DeGraw, Terrence Trent D’Arby, the Righteous Brothers, Al Green and many others. The song has been called “the most important ever recorded” by National Public Radio (NPR) and was selected by the Library of Congress for inclusion in the National Recording Registry. Previously announced inductees at this year’s SHOF include Tony Hatch, Mick Jones & Lou Gramm, Holly Knight, JD Souther, Steven Tyler & Joe Perry. The Pioneer Award will be presented to Berry Gordy and the Johnny Mercer Award to Elton John and Bernie Taupin. (4/22a)