By Paul Grein, Billboard | Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore are the latest songwriters to be inducted posthumously into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, following Cindy Walker in May 2024, Prince in July 2024 and Bert Berns in September 2025.
Often referred to by just their first names, Hugo & Luigi, the songwriters and producers (who were cousins) had long and hit-studded careers. They were among the first producers to have their names prominently displayed on album jackets.
They cowrote (with George David Weiss) the romantic ballad “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” which Elvis Presley took to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1962 and UB40 took to No. 1 on that chart for seven weeks in 1993. The three writers also cowrote the subsequent Presley film title song “Wild in the Country.”
Hugo & Luigi wrote the English lyrics to The Tokens’ “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” a No. 1 on the Hot 100 in 1961 and a No. 3 on that chart in 1972 for Robert John.
Their No. 1 Hot 100 hits as producers include Little Peggy March’s “I Will Follow Him” (1963) and Van McCoy & the Soul City Symphony’s shimmering disco classic “The Hustle” (1975).
They produced a long string of hits by Sam Cooke, including “Twistin’ the Night Away,” “Another Saturday Night” and “A Change Is Gonna Come.”
SHOF chairman Nile Rodgers referenced the latter hit in a statement about Hugo & Luigi’s induction that was issued Tuesday (Dec. 9). “We are thrilled to be posthumously inducting Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore into the Songwriters Hall of Fame,” he said. “They were important pioneers in both writing and production, and among their many notable production credits is Sam Cooke’s seminal anthem for the Civil Rights movement, ‘A Change Is Gonna Come.'”
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Read more on these gifted songwriters here:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/hugo-peretti-luigi-creatore-posthumously-inducted-into-the-songwriters-hall-of-fame/