Bert Berns Posthumously Inducted into Songwriters Hall of Fame

Bert Berns, the late songwriter whose many hits include “Twist and Shout,” “Piece of My Heart,” “Hang on Sloopy” and “I Want Candy,” was inducted posthumously into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in a ceremony held on Wednesday (Sept. 10) at 54 Below cabaret club in New York City.

Berns died more than a half-century ago, so while his name may not be familiar to all, his songs are.

“Twist and Shout” was a top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 for The Isley Brothers in 1962 and a No. 2 smash for The Beatles in 1964. The Beatles’ recording returned to the top 30 in 1986, when it was featured in the box-office hit Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

“Piece of My Heart” was a No. 62 hit on Hot 100 hit in 1967 for Erma Franklin (Aretha’s elder sister) and a No. 12 smash in 1968 for Big Brother & the Holding Company, with Janis Joplin out front.

“Hang on Sloopy” was a No. 1 hit in 1965 for The McCoys. It was also a No. 11 hit that same year for Ramsey Lewis Trio.

“I Want Candy” was a No. 11 hit on the Hot 100 in 1965 for The Strangeloves.

Other hits that Berns wrote or cowrote include The Exciters’ “Tell Him” (No. 4 on the Hot 100 in 1963), Betty Harris’ “Cry to Me” (No. 23 in 1963) and Wilson Pickett’s “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love” (No. 29 in 1967).

In addition, he produced songs he didn’t have a hand in writing, including The Drifters’ “Under the Boardwalk” and Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl,” both of which made the top 10 on the Hot 100.

The event was hosted by musician Paul Shaffer and Berns’ son Brett and daughter Cassandra. Tributes included video messages from SHOF inductees Paul McCartney and Van Morrison. Guests included Steven Van Zandt and SHOF inductee Steve Miller. Also in attendance were industry veterans Joel Selvin, Russ Titelman, Avery Lipman, Kenny Laguna and SHOF Board members Charlie Feldman and Pete Ganbarg, chairman of the SHOF Legacy Committee.

The celebration of Berns’ legacy included live performances by Cassandra Berns, singer Betty Harris, Tony-nominated actress Mary Bridget Davies (A Night With Janis Joplin) and Broadway stars from the musical Piece of My Heart: The Bert Berns Story. Highlights included a performance of “Cry to Me” by Harris, an artist signed to Berns’ Jubilee record label. The night concluded with Fenkart leading the audience in a finale of “Twist and Shout.”

The annual SHOF gala in June does not normally include posthumous inductions – the SHOF prefers that event to have a celebratory mood. But the organization has started hosting special posthumous inductions at unique venues and events. In April 2024, it awarded Cindy Walker, whose many hits included the cross-genre classic “You Don’t Know Me,” in a special event at historic Columbia Studio A in Nashville. Walker died in 2006 at age 87.

“The ceremony at Columbia Studio A was warm, intimate, and respectful,” SHOF board member Fletcher Foster said in a statement at the time of the ceremony for Walker. “SHOF president and CEO Linda Moran says this now sets the stage for future posthumous inductions.”

Deceased writers to be considered for posthumous induction were included in a special segment of the 2025 SHOF ballot.

In 1963, Berns’ work with Solomon Burke caught the attention of Atlantic Records’ chiefs Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler, and he joined the label as a producer, replacing Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. He flourished under the encouragement of Wexler. In 1965, he started his own rock n’ roll label, BANG Records, whose roster included the likes of Neil Diamond, Van Morrison and The McCoys. The following year, he established R&B and soul music label Shout Records.

Berns, who had a history of cardiac trouble, died in his New York apartment of heart failure in December 1967 at age 38.