June 12 – It was music heaven at the Songwriters Hall of Fame awards dinner, with Phil Collins, Van Morrison, Queen and Little Richard inducted, and giants like Alicia Keys, Clive Davis, Rod Stewart, Annie Lennox and Ray Charles cheering them on. Phil Collins wouldn’t talk to us; he had a cold. Wynonna Judd wouldn’t pose for photos; she was without makeup. Her all-time favorite songwriter is Joni Mitchell. Tony Bennett received the first-ever Towering Performance award, for I Left My Heart in San Francisco. Out of his vast repertoire, what is Bennett’s favorite song? “I like all of them”, he told us. Patti LaBelle doesn’t write songs, but she received a Lifetime Achievement award. We asked LaBelle, author of several cookbooks, if she prefers cooking, singing or writing. “Singing. Tonight I like singing the most. Every now and then, cooking. I’m a Gemini, I can change my mind”, she said with a wink. LaBelle doesn’t like to be called a diva. She likes to be called a lady who sings.