Grammys Report
49th Annual Grammy Awards
The call it “Music’s Biggest Night,” and by the looks of last night’s Grammy Awards — broadcast by CBS to more than a billion viewers worldwide from Los Angeles’ Staples Center — the title certainly fits.
Always a star-studded event, the Grammys seem to keep topping the previous year with bigger stage productions, more incredible artist pairings, and as always, surprises and upsets, when it came to the winners and losers.
Opening with the much anticipated reunion of The Police, who blasted their way through a spirited version of “Roxanne,” the supergroup’s appearance was more about gaining hype for its upcoming summer tour than it was about the music being celebrated on the Grammys. Still, it was an exciting moment in rock history.
As many predicted, it was a big night for Mary J. Blige, but no one expected the windfall given to the Dixie Chicks. Blige, who, had the most nominations with eight, took home three statuettes. The Dixie Chicks took home four, and Red Hot Chili Peppers garnered three.
It was the Dixie Chicks who seemed to have had the last laugh, with the long painful ordeal that followed singer Natalie Maines’ remark at the onset of the Iraq War, saying they were ashamed George Bush was from their home state of Texas. The fact her initial observation (that the war was a mistake) is now held by most Americans makes their success at the Grammys bittersweet. “Not Ready To Make Nice” was awarded Record Of The Year ,and the album that begot it, Taking The Long Way (Columbia), won Album Of The Year.
Newcomer Carrie Underwood, an “American Idol” alumna, received a Grammy for Best Country Song (for her version of “Jesus, Take The Wheel”) and the coveted Best New Artist Award, where she beat out Corrine Bailey Rae, who was expected by many industry insiders to win.
Mary J. Blige made the first of three trips to the podium early in the show when she won Best R&B Album for The Breakthrough; Blige also won for Best R&B Song and Best Female R&B vocal.
Several music icons were honored in both the pre-telecast and broadcast portions of the show. The first award was won by Tony Bennett and Stevie Wonder. “I did this song at 17, a whole another way, and now to come back after all these years and do it with the great Tony Bennett is amazing,” said Stevie Wonder, who gave an emotional acceptance speech. He and Bennett won for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals for their remake of “For Once In My Life.”
The past was very much present at this year’s awards. Seventies rock idol Peter Frampton won for Best Rock Instrumental Album; Randy Jackson’s production of his tribute to Sly & The Family Stone was a winner in the Best R&B Performance By A Group Or Duo; and R&B pioneer Smokey Robinson was also featured, with a powerful version of his ’60s classic, “Tracks Of My Tears,” during a tribute to R&B music that also included Lionel Richie, Chris Brown, and Christina Aguilera. Aguilera, who sang James Brown’s “It’s A Man’s World,” tore the place up.
For many, however, the highlight was a joint tribute to musical Texans Bob Willis and Don Henley. Featuring a combination of “San Antonio Rose” and Eagles classics “Hotel California,” “Desperado,” and “Life In The Fast Lane,” and performed by Carrie Underwood and Rascal Flatts, this segment successfully blended western swing, acoustic ballads, and straight-out rock ‘n’ roll. Underwood, in particular, gave a stunning performance when she sang “Desperado.”
The Grammys also jumped on the “American Idol” bandwagon by offering the chance for totally unknown artists to duet with Justin Timberlake. The winner, Robin Troup, was picked via viewer voting online one hour before the show ended. In all fairness, she was terrific and held her own onstage with Timberlake.
With all the bells and whistles, aside, the fact is The Grammy Awards broadcast is no longer an awards show. It is really a variety TV music special, and it’s not about whether you win or lose, it’s about whether or not you get asked to appear. A strong performance on the Grammys can translate to big sales in the immediate days that follow, especially if the artist is not yet a household name; case in point: Norah Jones.
You can expect a sales surge for both Mary J. Blige and the Dixie Chicks, and an even bigger extravaganza at the 50th Grammys Awards next year.
— Bruce Pilato
Click here for the the full list of winners.
