Great news: the venerable Songwriters Hall of Fame has selected five members of the global ASCAP songwriting family for induction into its 2025 class!

Patrick Simmons will be inducted alongside his longtime Doobie Brothers bandmate Michael McDonald. Among the many timeless songs they wrote are the Doobies' #1 singles “Black Water” (written by Simmons) and “What a Fool Believes” (co-written by McDonald).

+ Watch Pat and Michael accepting the ASCAP Voice of Music Award in 2015

Country songwriting master Ashley Gorley will also be inducted, just months after notching a remarkable 80th #1 country song. Gorley is responsible for some of the most iconic and trendsetting songs in modern country music, including “I Had Some Help,” “Last Night,” “You Should Probably Leave,” “Play It Again” and “You’re Gonna Miss This.” He earned his unprecedented 11th ASCAP Songwriter of the Year honor at the 2024 ASCAP Country Music Awards.

Mike Love’s lyrical contributions to many of The Beach Boys’ most beloved songs (including “California Girls,” “Good Vibrations” and “I Get Around”), among others, have earned him a spot in the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In our interview with him from 2016, Love described his writing process with Brian Wilson:

“Our songwriting partnership was ideal. Brian would focus primarily on melodies, harmonies, chord progressions and backing/instrumental tracks, leaving me free to find the lyrics and concepts that resonated with the music. For all the hits we had, Brian would rely on me for the concepts and lyrics as I would rely upon him for the production.”

Also earning a spot in the Song Hall this year is British songwriter Tony Macaulay, who gave us a string of classic pop songs in the 1960s and ‘70s like “Baby Now That I’ve Found You,“ “Build Me Up Buttercup,“ “(Last Night) I Didn’t Get to Sleep at All“ and “Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes).” Read more about him at the SHOF website.

In addition to these five inductees, ASCAP singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams will earn the Hal David Starlight Award, and Broadway and film legend Stephen Schwartz adds the Johnny Mercer Award to his extensive list of accolades.

The 2025 Songwriters Hall of Fame ceremony is set for Thursday, June 12 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.