Nile Rodgers is not lacking in attainments. The three-time GRAMMY winner was inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame in 2016 and the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 2017, and earlier this year the Library of Congress announced Rodgers' 1978 Chic classic "Le Freak" has been inducted into the National Recording Registry for preservation. On July 2 the Songwriters Hall Of Fame announced its new board and the unanimous election of Nile Rodgers to a three-year term as the organization's Chairman of the Board.
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"Nile is respected and admired by his fans and his peers alike for his multi/cross-genre music and for being a musical pioneer," said SHOF President/CEO Linda Moran. "More importantly, Nile's eloquence in talking about songwriting and its process makes him the ideal voice for the songwriting community as Chairman of the SHOF."
Indeed, Rodger's eloquence is multi-faceted and very in-demand. In April, he also became the first-ever Chief Creative Advisor for Abbey Road Studios.
"I am truly honored and beyond humbled to be elected by such an esteemed group as this illustrious board," Rodgers said. "I will try and serve with all my heart. I hope I can make you half as proud of me as I am to even sit in the room with you who've done so much for the furtherance of composition. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve the songwriting community."
His seat at the head of the table is alongside GRAMMY nominee Desmond Child ("Livin' La Vida Loca"), GRAMMY winner Don Schlitz (The Gambler") and the legendary Paul Williams, who shared in Rodgers' Album Of The Year win at the 56th GRAMMY Awards for Daft Punk's Random Access Memories and is also President/Chairman of ASCAP. Those are just the well-known names from this behind-the-scenes profession and Rodgers' other fellow board members, some of whom contribute greatly to the Recording Academy by their participation, are equally inspiring of humility.
Interviewed at the 57th GRAMMY Awards, Rodgers told us his health issues clarified for him that music is "the most precious thing in my life." Many people feel that way and only very few have accomplished so much to nurture the sensation in others. His next album with Chic arrives Sept. 14. Onward!
