BOSTON, MA (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — Musician, producer, songwriter, performing artist, and author Al Kooper will be inducted into The Musician’s Hall of Fame in Nashville during a star-studded celebration October 28th, 2008. The class of 2008 also includes Booker T & The MG's, The Memphis Horns, The Crickets, Duane Eddy, The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, and Country uber-producer, Billy Sherrill. Al joins last years inductees Motown's Funk Brothers, Elvis Presley's Blue Moon Boys, The LA Wrecking Crew, The Nashville A-Team, Johnny Cash's Tennessee Two, and The Memphis Boys.
Unlike The Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, this institution revels in headlining and celebrating the hands & voices behind the glass from various studios all over America. Rockabilly, rock n roll, soul music, pop and country music would never have existed without the assistance of this team of founding fathers. Sixty Four year-old Kooper replied, "I am deeply humbled to be included in a room filled with all my heroes, muses, and virtual music teachers from the genesis of my entire career…" With a street date of October 21st, 2008, Kooper celebrates his 50th year in the music business with his brand new album release, "White Chocolate"
"White Chocolate," follows up Al's critically acclaimed last album "Black Coffee" released in 2005, when Al emerged from a 30-year hiatus from dolo recording. "Black Coffee" was voted the Memphis Blues Award for Comeback Album Of The Year. Previously Al filled his time producing others, writing songs, performing all over the world, and writing his poignant, amusing autobiography, "Backstage Passes & Backstabbing Bastards" which was re-published and updated for an unprecedented third time in March of this year.
"It was extremely intimidating to try and follow up "Black Coffee," which was the best I had done up to that point. I just slowly began selecting the right songs from various parts of my life until I had a cohesive, soulful lineup I was proud of," he reflects.
Included on "White Chocolate" are performances by Steve Cropper, Duck Dunn, Anton Fig, members of the folk-blues act Ollabelle, blues singer Catherine Russell, The Uptown Horns and Al's performing band of the last ten years, The Funky Faculty, as well as two recent songwriting collaborations between Al and legendary lyricist Gerry Goffin. –by CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
