On June 9, 1999, Peggy Lee was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame along with Bruce Springsteen, Bart Howard (most famous for “(In Other Words) Fly Me to the Moon,” a song Peggy was among the first singers to record), Tim Rice (lyricist for “I Don’t Know How to Love Him,” which Peggy recorded) and, in a posthumous honor, Bobby Darin, with whom Peggy performed on television.

The awards ceremony was held at New York’s Sheraton Hotel and Towers and hosted by singer-actress Diahann Carroll. Special awards were also presented that evening to Stephen Sondheim, Kenny Rogers, Natalie Cole, Robert Mondavi and Bill Lowery. Performers at the event included Tony Bennett, Judy Collins, José Feliciano, Joel Grey, Billy Joel, Naomi Judd, Maureen McGovern and Diane Schuur. Musical direction was by Peggy’s longtime colleague Mike Renzi. Having suffered a stroke the previous year, Peggy was unable to travel to New York for the honor but she held a celebration at her house in Bel Air, California with several friends that same evening. Her daughter Nicki Lee Barbour Foster and granddaughter Holly Foster Wells attended the New York ceremony on Peggy's behalf.