The Songwriters Hall of Fame announced its 2014 inductees on Tuesday, with The Kinks' Ray Davies and English folk performer Donovan being the most recognizable names on the list. Graham Gouldman, Mark James and Jim Weatherly will also be honored.
Ray Davies and his brother Dave are best known for being the principle members of The Kinks, and both were involved in writing songs for the group. However, every one of the group's Top 10 singles was written by Ray, including classics such as "You Really Got Me" and "Lola," as well as three other tracks. The Davies brothers are members of a long list of frequently feuding brethren in music, but rumors persist that the pair will reunite soon to revisit the band's hits.
Donovan Leitch, who went simply by his first name when performing, gained acclaim for writing tracks such as "Sunshine Superman," which went to no. 1 in the United States. The folk performer even earned reviews that referred to him as the "British Dylan."
The rest of the inductees are better known for their songwriting for other performers, versus their own recordings. Gouldman wrote "Heart Full of Soul," a song that would become a classic in the hands of The Yardbirds. James is best known for his work with Elvis Presley, including the no. 1 hit "Suspicious Minds." Weatherly is best known for his work with Gladys Knight, including "Midnight Train To Georgia."
The ceremony inducting this year's honorees will take place in New York City on June 12.
