ASCAP to Honor Mary J. Blige at 20th Anniversary Rhythm & Soul Music Awards Celebration
| Source: ASCAP
LOS ANGELES, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- May 15, 2007 -- The American Society of Composers, Authors
and Publishers (ASCAP) will honor Mary J. Blige during its 20th Anniversary
Rhythm & Soul Music Awards on June 25, 2007, at the Millennium Biltmore
Hotel in Los Angeles, CA. Blige will be presented with the ASCAP Voice of
Music Award during the invitation-only event, which will also honor ASCAP's
top songwriters and publishers of 2006.
The ASCAP Voice of Music Award is given to recognize artists and
songwriters whose music illuminates people's lives through song. Previous
recipients include Garth Brooks, Kenny Chesney, Diane Warren and Jimmy
Webb, among others.
"To many, Mary J. Blige is not only the 'Queen of Hip-Hop Soul,' but also a
guiding light," said Marilyn Bergman, ASCAP President and Chairman.
"Through all of her struggles, she was determined to find and maintain her
own musical voice, and by doing so, she has become one of the most
successful R&B/hip-hop writer/performers in the country and has paved the
way for many others who have followed her path. The ASCAP Voice of Music
Award is an honor that she richly deserves."
Continuing to dominate the charts with her album, "The Breakthrough," which
has sold over three million copies, Mary J. Blige is recognized as one of
today's most successful R&B/hip-hop songwriter/performers. She bridged the
gap between R&B and rap in a way that no female singer had before by
combining modern R&B with an edgy rap sound coupled with subject matter
drawn from the pain and grit of her childhood. During her 15-year career,
she has released seven chart-topping albums -- "What's the 411?," "Share My
World," "Mary," "My Life," "No More Drama," "Love & Life," and "The
Breakthrough" -- that have spawned several hit singles, including "Real
Love," "You Remind Me," "Enough Cryin," "I Can Love You," "Not Gon' Cry,"
"Take Me As I Am," "Family Affair" and "Be Without You." A
much-anticipated and long-awaited collection, "Reflections - A
Retrospective," was released in December 2006. The album not only gathers
Blige's timeless greatest hits but also features four new songs, including
the singles "We Ride (I See the Future)" and "Reflections (I Remember)."
She has won six GRAMMY Awards, including three at this year's 49th Annual
GRAMMY Awards for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song for
"Be Without You" and Best R&B Album for "The Breakthrough." She has also
won several other industry accolades, including American Music Awards, BET
Awards, Billboard Music Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, NAACP Image Awards,
Soul Train Awards and Source Hip-Hop Music Awards, among many others. She
received the "Heroes Award" in 1999 from the New York Chapter of the
Recording Academy and the "Legend Award" in 2005 at the Vibe Awards. Most
recently, Blige earned ASCAP's Pop Song of the Year Award for "Be Without
You," which she co-wrote with Johntá Austin.
"Mary exemplifies everything that this award stands for," said Jeanie
Weems, ASCAP Senior Vice President, Membership Group - Rhythm & Soul. "Her
songs have always reflected the way she lives her life, and in turn, it
tells the truth about the way her fans live theirs. Her music has been the
voice of inspiration to women worldwide in both struggle and triumph."
The 2007 ASCAP Rhythm and Soul Music Awards will also include a special
presentation to ASCAP's Songwriter of the Year. Past recipients of this
top honor include many of today's most celebrated talents, such as 50 Cent,
Kandi Burruss, Sean "Diddy" Combs, Dr. Dre, Jermaine Dupri, Jimmy Jam &
Terry Lewis, Alicia Keys and Timbaland. In addition to honoring the top
songwriters and publishers of 2006, special awards will be presented in the
following categories: Publisher of the Year, Top Soundtrack Song of the
Year, Top Reggae Artist of the Year, Top Ringtone of the Year, Top R&B/
Hip-Hop Song, Top Rap Song and Top Gospel Song. The evening will also
feature performances by several award-winning songwriter/performers.
Members of the press may apply for credentials at
http://www.ascap.com/press/pressroom/rhythmsoulawards/
About ASCAP
Established in 1914, ASCAP is the first and leading U.S. Performing Rights
Organization representing the world's largest repertory totaling over 8.5
million copyrighted musical works of every style and genre from more than
285,000 composer, lyricist and music publisher members. ASCAP has
representation arrangements with over 90 music rights organizations such
that the ASCAP repertory is represented in nearly every country around the
world. ASCAP protects the rights of its members and foreign affiliates by
licensing the public performances of their copyrighted works and
distributing royalties based upon surveyed performances. ASCAP is the only
American Performing Rights Organization owned and governed by its writer
and publisher members. www.ascap.com