Garth Brooks (left) and Billy Joel
Photo Credit: Larry Busacca/Getty Images
was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame on Thursday
night (June 16) in New York City. The induction class also included John Bettis, Leon Russell, Allen Toussaint and the team
of Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly. At the gala event, Brooks and Billy Joel wore matching cowboy hats and performed a duet
of "Shameless," Brooks' 1991 No. 1 hit that was written by Joel.
Dwight Yoakam
also joined Russell on a performance of "Superstar." In addition,
Trisha
Yearwood performed a medley of songs by Hal David, including "What the World Needs Now," as he received the inaugural
Visionary Leadership Award. Other honorees of special awards included Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil (co-writers of "You've Lost
That Lovin' Feeling"), Ervin Drake (writer of "It Was a Very Good Year") and R&B artists Drake and Chaka Khan.
View
photos from the induction ceremony.
