Cyndi Lauper to join Songwriters Hall of Fame

Cyndi Lauper won a Tony Award in 2013 for writing the score for the hit Broadway musical Kinky Boots

Cyndi Lauper, Linda Perry and the Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia are to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Garcia, who died in 1995, will be inducted posthumously alongside lyricist Robert Hunter for their work in the legendary psychedelic group.

They will be joined by country artists Toby Keith and Bobby Braddock and blues pioneer Willie Dixon.

The ceremony will take place on 18 June in New York.

Songwriters Hall of Fame president Linda Moran said: "Each one of these brilliant music creators have written instantly recognisable classics, songs that are both of their time and timeless."

Cyndi Lauper became a household name by covering Robert Hazard's Girls Just Wanna Have Fun in the 1980s - but she has also had hits of her own and won a Tony Award in 2013 for best score for the hit Broadway musical Kinky Boots.

Linda Perry was a member of 4 Non Blondes and has written hits for stars including Pink, Gwen Stefani and Alicia Keys. One of her biggest successes was Beautiful, which was a worldwide hit for Christina Aguilera.

Toby Keith has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide, while Braddock is a songwriter who has had a career of more than 40 years and is the only living person to have written number one country hits in five consecutive decades.

His songs have become country music standards, including DIVORCE, recorded by Tammy Wynette.

'Poet laureate of the blues'

Willie Dixon, who died in 1992, was one of the most prolific songwriters of all time, he has been called "the poet laureate of the blues".

His most famous compositions include Hoochie Coochie Man, I Just Want to Make Love to You and You Can't Judge a Book by the Cover.

Dixon's songs have been recorded by artists including Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones.

The songwriters were chosen from a list that also included Tom Petty, Vince Gill, Elvis Costello and Kenneth Babyface Edmonds.

Linda Moran said: "Our 2015 line-up of inductees represents the rich diversity of American musical styles - rock, country, blues and pop - that have captivated the world over the past six decades."