Philadelphia Tribune - Index

Philadelphia Tribune - Entertainment Now - Friday, March 14, 2008 - Index

Page 28-E
Philadelphia Tribune Friday, March 14, 2008
From left, Leon Huff, Patti LaBelle, Jerry Butler and Kenneth Gamble at the Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame ceremony Monday in New York. During his acceptance speech, Gamble thanked local radio
station WDAS-FM for believing in them. – JEFF PRICE PHOTO
Famous faces usher Gamble, Huff
into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Kimberly C. Roberts
Tribune Entertainment Writer
NEW YORK – With a multitude of gold and
platinum records and a Grammy Award to
their credit, Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff,
architects of The Sound of Philadelphia,
received the ultimate honor when they were
inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
in a gala ceremony held on Monday at the
Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City.
Guests at the star-studded formal banquet
included musicians Billy Joel, Ben Harper,
John Fogerty and Joan Jett, Academy Award
winner Tom Hanks, comedians Chevy Chase
and Richard Belzer, Will Forte of “Saturday
Night Live,” actor Michael J. Fox and his
wife, actress Tracy Pollan, model Christy
Turlington, who was escorted by actor Ed
Byrnes and Bryant Gumbel, former host of
the “Today Show.”
The evening began with the induction of
Gamble and Huff, recipients of the prestigious
Ahmet Ertegun Award, which is presented
to non-performers who have made a
significant contribution to the music industry.
A musical tribute to the honorees began with
a performance by fellow Philadelphia Patti
LaBelle. Resplendent in red, with Paul
Shaeffer of “The Late Show with David
Letterman” conducting a full orchestra, the
two-time Grammy winner sang a dynamic
rendition of the Gamble & Huff composition,
“If You Don’t Know Me by Now,” which won
the 1989 Grammy Award for Best R&B song.
Following a standing ovation, LaBelle, who
was once on the artist roster of Gamble and
Huff’s renowned Philadelphia International
Records (PIR), told an international press
corps about the profound impact that the creative
duo had on her career, saying “Working
with Kenny and Leon has meant honesty in
your music, and doing the songs the right
way. They were the first people that I started
with like 35 years ago — 40 years ago, and
they showed me in the studio — and I knew
anyway — never to do a song line by line,
word by word. Get the song done, no punchins
— just sing it. And they were the kind of
guys I needed in my life, because I’m a real
girl, I sing real songs — I don’t skimp. So
working with them, and seeing them tonight
getting this wonderful honor is making me so
proud!”
LaBelle also expressed her delight at
being invited to perform for her friends on
their special night. “Actually, there was
something else [scheduled] for tonight, but I
said, ‘That’s going to be cancelled, because
I have to do this,’” said LaBelle, who in her
typical, candid fashion, added that her ruby
red Versace sandals were killing her. “This is
wonderful! The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
See ROCK Page 30