Billy Joel獲蓋許文獎

 

對一個在長島長大的小孩來講還不賴，Billy Joel將是下一位獲得蓋許文獎這個知名獎項的流行歌曲獎獲獎人，美國國會圖書館本週初宣佈了這個消息。

The Gershwin Prize蓋許文獎是頒給「音樂人，如同George與Ira Gershwin一樣，終生在流行歌曲領域有所貢獻」，George與Ira Gershwin兄弟是鋼琴家及詞曲作者，曾經寫過一些流行歌曲傳頌一時。

國會圖書館新聞稿說Billy Joel是當代最受歡迎和受尊敬的藝人，也是一位高度受歡迎的講故事歌手，Billy Joel則說George Gershwin是偉大的作曲家，此獎對他的事業是很大的鼓勵，而能與另外幾位名作曲人並列，在他個人來說也是一個里程碑。

Billy Joel是第七位獲此殊榮的藝人，首位獲獎人是2007年的Paul Simon，後來陸續獲獎的是Stevie Wonder、Paul McCartney，詞曲搭檔Burt Bacharach與已故的Hal David及去年獲獎的Carole King。

Billy Joel去年五月滿65歲，他已經得到很多終生成就獎，如搖滾樂名人堂、作曲家名人堂的成員，六座Grammy獎等，去年他還與同輩藝人Carlos Santana及Herbier Hancock共同獲得甘乃迪中心頒獎。

蓋許文流行歌曲獎將於11月在華盛頓頒發。

Billy Joel出生於紐約Bronx，是歷年暢銷歌星排行榜第34名的巨星，他曾獲得第三名的成名曲，1977年的Grammy年度歌曲獎Just The Way You Are是一首懷念的旋律。

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaA3YZ6QdJU

 

Just The Way You Are

Music & Lyrics : Billy Joel

 

Don't go changing, to try and please me

You never let me down before

Don't imagine you're too familiar

And I don't see you anymore

I wouldn't leave you in times of trouble

We never could have come this far

I took the good times, I'll take the bad times

I'll take you just the way you are

 

Don't go trying some new fashion

Don't change the color of your hair

You always have my unspoken passion

Although I might not seem to care

 

I don't want clever conversation

I never want to work that hard

I just want someone that I can talk to

I want you just the way you are.

 

I need to know that you will always be

The same old someone that I knew

What will it take till you believe in me

The way that I believe in you.

 

I said I love you and that's forever

And this I promise from the heart

I could not love you any better

I love you just the way you are.