Halsey to receive Hal David Starlight Award at the Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala

OHMYGOSSIP — Halsey is set to receive the Hal David Starlight Award* at the Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala. The ‘Bad At Love’ hitmaker “can’t believe” she is following in the footsteps of the likes of Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, Alicia Keys and John Legend in being selected as this year’s recipient of the prestigious prize, which was created in 2004 to honour David’s influential work as a lyricist.

Halsey** tweeted: “Can’t believe I’m saying this but I’m honored to be receiving the Hal David Starlight Award at this years Songwriters Hall Of Fame Gala joining this list of writers who have inspired me is top 10 career moments for me (sic)”

The Songwriters Hall of Fame’s Chair, Nile Rodgers, commented, “I’ve watched Halsey grow over the last five years and every record seems to be better than the last one, so I’m delighted that she’s being recognised in this much-deserved way.”

Whilst The Hall of Fame’s President and CEO, Linda Moran, praised the 24-year-old pop star – whose recent hit ‘Without Me’ has spent 20 consecutive weeks in Billboard’s Hot 100’s top five – for baring her soul with “heart-wrenching, rebellious and complex lyrics” and said the ’11 Minutes’ singer is “more than worthy” of joining the previous recipients.

She said: “Halsey bares her soul with heart-wrenching, rebellious and complex lyrics that come from a place of creativity and strength where not many songwriters are comfortable going. She is more than worthy to join the roster of the young songwriters who have received the coveted Hal David Starlight Award.”

Halsey will join this year’s Hall of Fame inductees, which include Dallas Austin, Missy Elliott, Tom T. Hall, John Prine, Jack Tempchin and Cat Stevens, at the ceremony on June 13 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City. Sara Bareilles was honoured with the Hal David Starlight Award last year.

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* The Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) was founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer and music publisher/songwriter Abe Olman and publisher/executive Howie Richmond to honor those whose work represents and maintains the heritage and legacy of a spectrum of the most beloved songs from the world’s popular music songbook. It not only celebrates these established songwriters, but is also involved on the development of new songwriting talent through workshops, showcases and scholarships. There are many programs designed to teach and discover new songwriters. Nile Rodgers serves as the organization’s chairman.

The Hall of Fame only existed as an online virtual collection until 2010, when it was first put on display as a physical gallery inside The Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. With an under-construction basement installation at the Brill Building in New York, the Hall does not have a permanent place and the awards are not televised.

Through 2019, 461 individuals had been inducted into the SHOF.

There are numerous examples of collaborating songwriters being inducted in unison, with each person being considered a separate entrant. The inaugural year featured 120 inductees, many of whom had a professional partnership, such as Rodgers and Hammerstein. Burt Bacharach and Hal David followed in 1972. Betty Comden and Adolph Green were selected in 1980, and Lieber and Stoller were inducted in 1985. John Lennon and Paul McCartney were inducted in 1989 along with Gerry Goffin and Carole King as well as Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. Motown’s Holland-Dozier-Holland team were honored the following year. Elton John and Bernie Taupin were among those chosen in 1992, and the pop music group the Bee Gees had all three brothers inducted in 1994. 1995 saw Gaudio and Crewe and Gamble and Huff. The Eagles’ Glenn Frey and Don Henley were co-inductees in 2000. Queen was the first rock band to have all their band members inducted in 2003. Five members of Earth Wind & Fire were in the class of 2010, and four members of Kool and the Gang were honored in 2018.

** Ashley Nicolette Frangipane (born September 29, 1994), known professionally as Halsey, is an American singer and songwriter. Her stage name is a reference to the Halsey Street station of the New York City Subway in Brooklyn, and an anagram of her first name.

After gaining attention from self-released music on social media platforms, Halsey was signed by Astralwerks in 2014. She then released her debut EP, Room 93, in October 2014. To promote the EP and her upcoming album, Halsey toured with larger acts. Her debut studio album, Badlands, was released in 2015. The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 and was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Badlands released three new singles, all of which were certified Platinum and achieved commercial success; it also produced a rereleased single, which was certified Gold. To promote the album, Halsey embarked on her debut headlining world tour.

In 2016, Halsey was featured as a vocalist on The Chainsmokers’ single “Closer”, which achieved major commercial success, topping the charts of over 20 countries and gaining Halsey greater prominence. Her second studio album, Hopeless Fountain Kingdom, was released in 2017 and debuted at number one in the US and Canada. The album consisted of more “radio friendly” music than her previous releases; four of its singles charted on the Billboard Hot 100, with “Now or Never” peaking at number 17 and “Bad at Love” peaking at number five. In 2018, Halsey sang with Khalid for Benny Blanco’s debut single “Eastside”, which topped the charts of five countries and peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100. Later that year, she released a single titled “Without Me”, which peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and also reached the top five of sixteen other countries’ charts.

Halsey is noted for her distinctive singing voice. Her music focuses on her personal experiences and telling a story. Her awards and nominations include four Billboard Music Awards, two iHeartRadio Music Awards, one GLAAD Media Award, one Global Award, and a Grammy Award nomination. Outside of her career, she has been involved in suicide prevention awareness and sexual assault victim advocacy.

Ashley Nicolette Frangipane was born on September 29, 1994, in Edison, New Jersey. Her parents dropped out of college after her mother discovered that she was pregnant with her. Her mother, Nicole, works for security in a hospital, and her father, Chris, manages a car dealership. Chris is primarily of African-American descent with some Irish heritage, while Nicole is of Italian, Hungarian, and Irish descent. Halsey has two younger brothers, Sevian and Dante. She played the violin, viola, and cello, until moving on to the acoustic guitar when she was fourteen years old.

Throughout her childhood Halsey’s family moved frequently, and her parents worked many jobs. By the time she reached her teen years Halsey had been enrolled in six different schools, stating that the frequent moving during her childhood caused her to be “used to packing up and leaving, to condensing myself into a digestible version because people don’t have much time to get to know me.” In high school Halsey participated in theatre, and was the yearbook editor. She was also named “Best Artist”. During high school Halsey was bullied for her tattoos and shaved head, and struggled with body image. A nude photo of her was once stolen from her locker and shown around her school, causing ridicule from other students. Also during high school Halsey was a fan of “emo” music and attended a Panic! at the Disco concert where she received a unique wristband, which she lost to a bully at school. After Halsey became famous she met the lead singer of the band, Brendon Urie, who in response to her story gave her two wristbands and a bouquet of flowers. At seventeen Halsey attempted to commit suicide and survived, which led to a seventeen day hospitalization. Following this, she was diagnosed as bipolar, stating that her mother also struggles with bipolar disorder. She began using recreational drugs soon after, claiming her bipolar disorder caused her to become an “unconventional child” who grew up to be an “inconvenient woman.” Also when she was seventeen, she started seeing a man who was twenty-four and lived on the Halsey Street in Brooklyn. Halsey stated “That’s where I first starting writing music and where I started to feel like I was a part of something bigger than my town in middle of nowhere New Jersey. Halsey is kind of like a manifestation of all the exaggerated parts of me, so it’s like an alter ego.” She also stated that the word “stuck out” to her. In 2012, Halsey graduated from Warren Hills Regional High School in Washington, New Jersey.

After graduating, Halsey enrolled at the Rhode Island School of Design; however, she withdrew due to financial hardships and attended community college instead. Prior to college, she had relationships with other women, but stated that in college she started identifying as bisexual. Halsey eventually dropped out of community college and was kicked out of her home by her parents, stating “They just didn’t agree with a lot of things about me”. Soon after she started living in a basement in lower Manhattan with a group of “degenerate stoners” who she knew through her then-boyfriend. When she wasn’t living there, she occasionally lived in one of New York’s many homeless shelters. When describing this period of her life, Halsey stated, “I remember one time I had $9 in my bank account, and bought a four-pack of Red Bull and used it to stay up overnight over the course of two or three days, because it was less dangerous to not sleep than it was to sleep somewhere random and maybe get raped or kidnapped.” She would occasionally stay with her grandmother.

Feautred image: Halsey (OHMYGOSSIP)
Source: Variety.com (Halsey to Receive New Artist Award From Songwriters Hall of Fame)
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