Singer-songwriter Carole King is to be awarded the
Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, the Library of Congress has announced.
The 70-year-old
is the first woman to win the award, which honours lifetime achievement in
popular music.
King is best
known for penning hit songs such as Aretha Franklin's (You Make Me Feel Like) A
Natural Woman and You've Got a Friend by James Taylor.
She will
receive her award at a ceremony in Washington in the spring.
The Library of
Congress praised King's work for being able to "communicate universal
human emotions like love, joy and pain".
The Grammy
winner co-wrote her first number one hit in 1960 aged 17 with Will You Love Me
Tomorrow, recorded by The Shirelles.
Written with
her then-husband Gerry Goffin, the pair went on to pen hits including Take Good
Care of My Baby, The Loco-Motion and Pleasant Valley Sunday.
As a solo
artist, King became the first female solo artist to sell more than 10 million
copies of a single album with her 1971 release Tapestry.
It topped the
chart for 15 weeks and spawned hits I Feel The Earth Move, It's Too Late and So
Far Away.
"I was so
pleased when the venerable Library of Congress began honouring writers of
popular songs with the Gershwin Prize," King said in a statement.
"I'm proud
to be the fifth such honouree and the first woman among such distinguished
company."
Past recipients
of the award include Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney and songwriting
duo Burt Bacharach and Hal David.
Source: BBC
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