Willis was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame by Tony-nominated actor Brandon Victor Dixon, and he performed “September” and “Neutron Dance” in her honor at the induction ceremony. Aside from the two songs that were performed at the ceremony, Willis was the co-write of “I’ll Be There For You” (the Friends theme song), among thousands of other songs.
In addition, the New York Times paid homage to Willis, who is affectionately known as the “Queen of Kitsch,” with a full page profile piece in the Sunday “Arts & Leisure” section.
A few weeks prior to that, she was in her home town of Detroit, and she received the “Distinguished Detroiter Award” at the Detroit Music Awards. The award itself was quite heavy, weighing 35 pounds. It was a cast bronze replica of Detroit’s most famous monument, the “Spirit Of Detroit.”
After the Songwriters Hall of Fame ceremony, Willis returned home to Los Angeles, where The Color Purple opened at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre, for a revival of the show (with many of the same Broadway cast members on the tour). A few nights after the opening, the cast of the show surprised Willis with a memorable tribute after the show.
The SDT Sorority also recognized Willis as an “Outstanding Alumna of the Year” at the National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio.
It is great that Willis finally got her due after penning songs for over four decades. One thing is for sure. As long as there will be music, the songs written by Allee Willis will stand the test of time.
For more information on multi-disciplinary artist Allee Willis, check out her official website.
Read More: Digital Journal chatted with Allee Willis about her Songwriters Hall of Fame induction.
