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In the midst of the 35th Annual GRAMMY Awards, host Garry Shandling considered the way things were going and told the star-studded audience at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, “Okay, I’ll go out on a limb and say if you’re up against <a href="/grammys/artists/eric-clapton">Eric Clapton</a> in any other categories, I’d go home now. It’s a feeling I have.”

Shandling’s hunch would prove to be a very solid one. In recognition of Clapton’s deeply moving song “Tears In Heaven” — inspired by the death of his 4-year-old son Conor — and for his successful Unplugged album, he received a grand total of six GRAMMY Awards: Record Of The Year, Album Of The Year, Song Of The Year, Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male, Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male, and Best Rock Song. Throughout the night, Clapton seemed surprised by the outpouring and remained rather low-key. But when he won the night’s final award for Record Of The Year, Clapton plainly but powerfully explained, “The one person I want to thank is my son for the love he gave me and the song he gave me.”

Clearly, this was an emotional night for the veteran rock guitar god, and rock stars of a certain age seemed to be on Shandling’s mind as well right from the start. Referencing the recent election of President Bill Clinton, Shandling noted, “My generation’s becoming the mainstream here. It’s very weird. Mick Jagger is older than the president of the United States. It’s a very spooky time.” Shandling also offered a brilliant bit of stand-up comedy/political commentary about Clinton, referencing the president’s famous campaign sound bite regarding whether or not he smoked pot: “He plays the sax. He plays it, sort of. He plays like a guy who never inhaled, but hey...”

Ultimately, though, the spirit of the GRAMMYs is nothing if not multigenerational and the night’s other big winners included the upstart hip-hop group Arrested Development who took home not only the Best New Artist award, but also the GRAMMY for Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or A Group (“Tennessee”). A still up-and-coming <a href="/grammys/artists/celine-dion">Celine Dion</a> won the Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal along with Peabo Bryson for “Beauty And The Beast” from the Disney film of the same name (the soundtrack album would help generate five awards on this night). The GRAMMY for Best Hard Rock Performance With Vocal went to the <a href="/grammys/artists/red-hot-chili-peppers">Red Hot Chili Peppers</a> who provided the GRAMMY show with perhaps its most freewheeling highlight — a version of “Give It Away” that found a creatively attired Peppers joined by their longtime influence and onetime producer George Clinton along with his P-Funk All-Stars. Another memorable performance was <a href="/grammys/artists/peter-gabriel">Peter Gabriel</a>’s telecast-opening version of “Steam” that featured Cirque du Soleil; Gabriel won Best Music Video — Short Form for “Digging In The Dirt.” Another altogether jazzy standout performance came from Arturo Sandoval and the GRP All-Stars who served up a searing version of “Cherokee.”

Even without performing, <a href="/grammys/artists/michael-jackson">Michael Jackson</a> provided a significant amount of the evening’s entertainment. First, Jackson’s recent highly rated, 90-minute prime-time interview with Oprah Winfrey provided Shandling with one of his biggest laughs. “To insure higher ratings this year on the GRAMMYs, I will be interviewing him the last 90 minutes of the show. And I’ll be asking him hard-hitting questions too, things like, ‘Hey Michael, [can I] get you anything?’”

Remarkably, Jackson may have actually topped Shandling when he accepted his <a href="/grammys/awards/legends">GRAMMY Legend Award</a> from his sister Janet Jackson. Before launching into a fascinating speech about his childhood being stolen from him, Jackson pulled off a completely surprising punch line. “I hope this finally puts to rest another rumor that’s been in the press for too many years,” Jackson said standing next to his chart-topping sibling. “Me and Janet really are two different people.”

Tears In Heaven

Save The Best For Last (Single)

Constant Craving (Single)

Beauty And The Beast (Single)

Achy Breaky Heart (Single)

Record Of The Year

Unplugged

Ingenue (Album)

Diva (Album)

Beauty And The Beast (Album)

Achtung Baby (Album)

Album Of The Year

Song Of The Year

Best New Artist

MTV Unplugged EP (Album)

Constant Craving

Celine Dion (Album)

Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female

Us (Album)

The One (Single)

Joshua Judges Ruth (Album)

Black Or White (Single)

Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male

Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough (Single)

I Can't Dance (Single)

Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me (Single)

Diamonds And Pearls (Single)

Beauty And The Beast

Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal

With My Lover Beside Me (Album)

Perfectly Frank

Michael Feinstein Sings The Jule Styne Songbook (Album)

Late Night At The Cafe Carlyle (Album)

Girl Singer (Album)

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance

Tahitian Skies (Track)

Hook

Cool (Album)

Best Pop Instrumental Performance

The Bitch Is Back (Track)

Shot Of Poison (Single)

Rockinghorse (Album)

It Won't Be Long (Single)

Ain't It Heavy

Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female

The Fire Inside (Single)

Life Is A Highway (Single)

Human Touch (Album)

Digging In The Dirt (Single)

There Will Never Be Another Tonight (Single)

Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male

Under The Bridge (Single)

Little Village (Album)

Kiko (Album)

Free Your Mind (Single)

Achtung Baby

Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal

Smells Like Teen Spirit (Single)

Live And Let Die (Single)

Jeremy (Single)

Give It Away

Dirt (Album)

Angel Dust (Album)

Best Hard Rock Performance With Vocal

Wish

N.W.O. (Track)

Into The Void (Sealth) (Track)

Countdown To Extinction (Album)

In The Meantime (Track)

Best Metal Performance

The Extremist (Album)

Little Wing

Hound Dog (Track)

Gypsy/Grajonca (Track)

Bring 'Em Back Alive (Album)

Best Rock Instrumental Performance

Layla

Human Touch (Single)

Best Rock Song

Your Arsenal (Album)

Wish (Album)

Nonsuch (Album)

Good Stuff (Album)

Bone Machine

Best Alternative Music Album

The Woman I Am

The Comfort Zone (Single)

I Love Your Smile (Single)

I Belong To You (Single)

Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me (Track)

Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female

T.E.V.I.N. (Album)

Lost In The Night (Single)

Jam (Single)

Humpin' Around (Single)

Heaven And Earth

Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male

The Best Things In Life Are Free (Single)

People Everyday (Single)

I'll Be There (Single)

Funky Divas (Album)

End Of The Road

Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal

Summer Chill (Track)

Mood (Track)

Just The Way I Feel (Track)

Doo-Bop

Big Idea (Track)

Best R&B Instrumental Performance

My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It) (Single)

Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg (Single)

Best Rhythm & Blues Song

You Gotta Believe (Album)

Strictly Business (Single)

Latifah's Had It Up 2 Here (Single)

Baby Got Back

Addams Groove (Single)

Best Rap Solo Performance

Tennessee

Jump Around (Single)

Jump (Single)

Greatest Misses (Album)

Check Your Head (Album)

Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group

Shepherd Moons

Rockoon (Album)

Esperanto

Dream (Album)

Dare To Dream (Album)

Best New Age Album

Upfront (Album)

Secret Story

Return Of The Brecker Brothers (Album)

One Music (Album)

Back Roads (Album)

Best Contemporary Jazz Performance (Instrumental)

You Gotta Pay The Band (Album)

I'm Always Chasing Rainbows (Track)

Here's To Life (Album)

All The Way (Album)

'Round Midnight

Best Jazz Vocal Performance

Soul Eyes (Track)

Lush Life

Fantasy (Track)

Blue Interlude (Track)

Above And Below (Track)

Best Jazz Instrumental Solo

Lush Life (Album)

I Remember Clifford (Album)

I Heard You Twice The First Time

Haunted Heart (Album)

Benny Rides Again (Album)

Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Individual Or Group

The Turning Point

Harlem Renaissance (Album)

Grp All-Star Big Band (Album)

Carnegie Hall Concert (Album)

Brassy And Sassy (Album)

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance

Wynonna (Album)

The Greatest Man I Never Knew (Single)

Something In Red (Single)

Maybe It Was Memphis (Single)

I Feel Lucky

Best Country Vocal Performance, Female

The Chase (Album)

Lord Have Mercy On The Working Man (Single)

I Still Believe In You

Better Class Of Losers (Single)

Best Country Vocal Performance, Male

Emmylou Harris & The Nash Ramblers At The Ryman

When She Cries (Single)

Only Daddy That'll Walk The Line (Single)

Boot Scootin' Boogie (Single)

American Pride (Album)

Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal

Whatcha Gonna Do With A Cowboy (Track)

The Whiskey Ain't Workin'

Tell Me About It (Track)

Not Too Much To Ask

Killybegs (Track)

Best Country Vocal Collaboration

Scotland (Track)

Sneakin' Around

Ride The Wild Turkey (Track)

Cotton-Eyed Joe (Track)

Black And White Rag (Track)

Best Country Instrumental Performance

Slide Rule (Album)

35th Annual GRAMMY Awards