The iconic ballad “Bridge Over Troubled Water” was so stirring that even a young Paul Simon knew he was onto something special when he composed it 40 years ago. “I thought, ‘Hmm. That's better than I usually write,”' Simon recalled. “I was completely surprised that I wrote it - it was completely unlike anything I had ever done before.” On Thursday, Simon's magical moment - one of several in his long career - was honored by the Songwriters Hall of Fame in a ceremony that featured Billy Joel, John Mayer, Judy Collins and more while honoring legends including Leonard Cohen as well as wunderkind Taylor Swift. Swift was not among the inductees into the Songwriters Hall. But the 20-year-old Grammy winner was given the Hal David Starlight Award, which pays tribute to young songwriters with promise. The night featured powerful performances and touching tributes. The other inductees were Jackie DeShannon, whose hits include Kim Carnes' “Bette Davis Eyes”; reggae great Bob Marley; the late singer-songwriter Laura Nyro; Johnny Mandel, creator of the theme for “M.A.S.H.”; David Foster, the Grammy-winning producer and songwriter who's worked with top artists ranging from Michael Jackson to Barbra Streisand; the principal members of the legendary band Earth, Wind and Fire; the late jazz songwriter Jesse Stone; the late Sunny Skylar, whose hits included “Besame Mucho”; and the team of Tom Adair and Matt Dennis, now deceased, who wrote songs such as “Everything Happens to Me.” “Bridge Over Troubled Water” was given the Towering Song Award, while Phil Collins, a previous inductee, was honored with the Johnny Mercer Award.
