News Item
Brit flag flies high at the 2012 Grammys
“Mum, the girl did good.” Adele’s message to home and millions of global TV viewers, when she collected not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, but SIX Grammy awards at this year’s glittering ceremony in LA. Jacko winning the same number for Thriller. She is now the owner of more Grammies than The Beatles.
Adele made her stage come-back, after last year’s throat issues and major operation, with a stunning live performance, including a faultless acapello intro to her hit “Rolling In The Deep.”
The 23-year--old wept when she gave a brief speech, thanking her doctors for saving her voice, while collecting yet another gong. Her success a massive poke in the eye to German fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, who recently called Adele “too fat.”
Adele looked stunning and demure at the 55th Grammy Awards ceremony, and is the cover star of the current issue of fashion bible Vogue.
It was a pretty good night for the Brits. Fellow female singer-songwriter Corinne Bailey Rae was there to get her Grammy for the track “Is This Love,” which scooped the best R&B performance award.
Amy Winehouse won a posthumous Grammy, for her duet with veteran crooner Tony Bennett. The track “Body & Soul, “from Tony’s acclaimed duets album, was the last thing Amy recorded before she died last year. It won Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group. Her parents Mitch and Janis were there to receive the award on behalf of their badly missed daughter.
Standing on stage alongside Bennett, Mitch told the star-studded audience that Amy’s music is the legacy she left with us, and drew attention to the charity work being done in her name. Amy died last summer from alcohol poisoning and her parents have pledged to use her name to help other people who might be dealing with the same problems she suffered from. “We shouldn't be here. Our darling daughter should be here. But these are the cards that were dealt,” Mitch said. “We formed the Amy Winehouse Foundation in her name. Our job is to help children in her name, primarily in the United Kingdom and the USA. There’s lots of kids in the USA and the UK that need Amy’s help and your help,” he added. Amy's mother said a few words, but was extremely nervous.
Amy won five Grammy’s for her smash hit album “Back To Black,” from six nominations. That album is the UK’s best selling album of the 21st Century to date. Sales surged again last year, after her death. Likely to be the case for Whitney Houston’s recordings now she has left us.
Tears of joy were mixed with tears of sadness on the night, when tributes were paid to Whitney, who died the day before in her hotel suite, a stone’s throw from the ceremony she was due to attend on the Sunday night.
Host LL Cool J led prayers to “our fallen sister” at the start of the night, and Jennifer Hudson gave a powerful and emotional rendition of “I Will Always Love You”, probably Whitney’s most famous song. Chaka Khan was due to sing with Jennifer at the event, but she pulled out at the last moment, it was reported. Kanye West won four awards, but was absent from the event.
Last June, Blues & Soul covered the sole UK gig for Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks and their band, Tedeschi Trucks. The gig also featured Robert Randolph and the Family Band in support. In the review, our writer Simon Redley made reference to the fact Susan had been nominated four times for a Grammy, but had not yet been awarded one. But, he predicted that would change with their current CD, “Revelator.”
Some eight months later, that CD did indeed win a Grammy, as Blues Album of the Year. B&S spot on, as usual!
• We also predicted way back last August, that Maverick Sabre would have a huge hit with his debut CD, when it was eventually released, and we tipped it for a number one chart spot. The CD went straight into the UK albums chart at number two last week (12th Feb. 2012.) B&S right again……………………
The full list of Grammy’s relevant to the MOBO genre is:
Record of the Year: "Rolling in the Deep," Adele
Song of the Year: "Rolling in the Deep," Adele Adkins & Paul Epworth
Pop Solo Performance: "Someone Like You," Adele
Pop Performance by a Duo or Group: "Body and Soul," Tony Bennett & Amy Winehouse
Pop Vocal Album: "21," Adele
R&B Album: "F.A.M.E.," Chris Brown
R&B Song: "Fool For You," Cee Lo Green, Melanie Hallim & Jack Splash
R&B Performance: "Is This Love," Corrine Bailey Rae
Traditional R&B Vocal Performance: "Fool For You," Cee Lo Green & Melanie Fiona
Rap Album: "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy," Kanye West
Rap Performance: "Otis," Jay-Z and Kanye West
Rap Song: "All of the Lights," Jeff Bhasker, Stacy Ferguson, Malik Jones, Warren Trotter & Kanye West
Rap/Sung Collaboration: "All of the Lights," Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi & Fergie
Dance Recording: "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites," Skrillex
Dance/Electronica Album: "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites," Skrillex
World Music Album: "Tassili," Tinariwen
Jazz Vocal Album: "The Mosaic Project," Terri Lyne Carrington & various artists
Jazz Instrumental Album: "Forever," Corea, Clark & White
Improvised Jazz Solo: "500 Miles High," Chick Corea
Large Ensemble Jazz Album: "The Good Feeling," Christian McBride Big Band
Blues Album: "Revelator," Tedeschi Trucks Band
Pop Instrumental Album: "The Road From Memphis," Booker T. Jones
Reggae Album: "Revelation Pt. 1: The Root of Life," Stephen Marley
Producer of the Year, Non-Classical: Paul Epworth
Remixed Recording, Non-Classical: "Cinema (Skrillex remix)," Sonny Moore
Gospel Song: "Hello Fear," Kirk Franklin
Gospel/Contemporary Christian Performance: "Jesus," L'Andria Johnson
Gospel Album: "Hello Fear," Kirk Franklin
Words SIMON REDLEY
