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Brian Wilson kicked off an all-star tribute to Paul Simon at the BMI Pop Awards in Los Angeles last night. The former Beach Boy joined a Simon tribute band on stage at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Grand Ballroom to perform "Sound of Silence" in honor of the veteran singer-songwriter, who was presented with the Icon award for his contributions to music. Yolanda Adams did a soulful take on Simon's classic "Bridge Over Troubled Water," while British soul sensation Joss Stone tackled "Mother and Child Reunion" and Maroon 5's Adam Levine and James Valentine performed "Homeward Bound."
Taking the stage to a standing ovation, Simon said he was humbled by the tribute, particularly coming from Wilson, who received the Icon award last year. "I'm so touched, Brian," a blushing Simon told the crowd. "Any of the guys from my generation -- to pay that tribute to me is just an honor." At the urging of BMI President and emcee for the evening Del Bryant, Simon then picked up a guitar for a solo performance of "Slip Slidin' Away."
Hip Hop mogul Lil Jon was also honored at the dinner, picking up the Songwriter of the Year nod for his work, including "Freek-A-Leek," "Get Low," "Damn!" and his hit with Usher, "Yeah!"
Other winners included 3 Doors Down, who picked up BMI's Pop Song of the Year for "Here Without You," and Nickelback, whose track "Someday" won BMI College Song of the Year. A special honor was also given to Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, songwriters for the Righteous Brothers classic "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'," BMI's most performed composition, having been broadcast more than 10 million times.