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Good To The Bone

Producer T Bone Burnett to be honored during GRAMMY Week

GRAMMYs/Dec 3, 2014 - 05:06 am

(T Bone Burnett's career and legacy as a musician, instrumentalist, artist, and producer will be celebrated at The Recording Academy's Producers & Engineers Wing event, Shaken, Rattled & Rolled, which will take place in Los Angeles on Feb. 9 as part of GRAMMY Week.)

"I produce by listening."

That's how studio man extraordinaire T Bone Burnett explained his approach to the art and craft of recording in a 2008 interview with MarketWatch.com. "I think a lot of producers feel a need to justify their presence in the studio, and I don't," he explained. "A producer is a proxy for the audience. I give [the artists] my full attention…and good feedback that they can trust."

Over the last few decades, the audience for authentically American sounds couldn't have wished for a better proxy than Burnett, and the feedback offered to the artists he's worked with has resulted in a body of work that's something close to a gold standard for artistic achievement and recording excellence.

In the last year alone, Burnett lent his distinctive talents to a collection of projects that might be a career's worth of highlights for anyone else. He picked up a music Oscar for original song with Ryan Bingham for "The Weary Kind (Theme From Crazy Heart)" from the film Crazy Heart starring Jeff Bridges at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards in 2010. (Burnett was a writer and co-producer of the film's GRAMMY-nominated soundtrack.) He oversaw Willie Nelson's first foray into traditional country and bluegrass with the GRAMMY-nominated Country Music. He helped John Mellencamp create one of the deepest, rawest albums of the artist's career with No Better Than This. He produced a piano lover's fantasy-league dream album by helping Elton John and Leon Russell form The Union. And in between, Burnett had time to produce breathtaking albums for the likes of Jakob Dylan, Elvis Costello, Ryan Bingham & The Dead Horses, and Robert Randolph. Burnett kicked off 2011 with Gregg Allman's incredible return to blues on Low Country Road. And his work on Crazy Heart and on Nelson's Country Music have earned the 10-time GRAMMY winner three more nominations for the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards.

Burnett's career as a guitar player, songwriter, bandleader, and producer spans more than 40 years, and his production credits are broad and varied enough to include Spinal Tap, Tony Bennett and B.B. King. But there are some clear, unifying elements to the music he makes or helps others make. Above all, there's a passion and respect for American roots music, which can be traced back from Burnett's first big break in 1975 as a member of Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue band and his work with his own lauded, though under-the-radar project, Alpha Band, right on through to his work as soundtrack producer for the Coen Brothers' film O Brother, Where Art Thou? (a work that helped relaunch the career of bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley, earning him a Best Male Country Performance GRAMMY in 2001 for "O Death").

But Burnett doesn't simply work as an inspired archivist. One of his greatest abilities as a producer is to create music that celebrates the past while looking fully toward the future. Roots may be explored, but Burnett doesn't ever let them sound old. He has long embraced a quirky mix of extremely low-tech and cutting-edge high-tech approaches in the studio in order to get just the right vibe on a project. "I try to use the technology in a way that it's either absolutely transparent or it's absolutely apparent," he told Mix online magazine in 2006. "Any of the middle ground is distracting, I think."

Burnett's career has also been marked by a certain fearlessness. A guy who can coax career-capping studio performances out of such icons as Bennett, John, Roy Orbison, Nelson, and Allman is obviously no pushover. And in his role as an executive producer on film projects, Burnett has been gutsy as well, taking on the music of Johnny Cash in Walk The Line and deconstructing the music of the Beatles for Across The Universe. Burnett's distinctive history and sense of adventure led to especially stunning results in 2008 with Raising Sand, an album that teamed rock legend Robert Plant with country mega-talent Alison Krauss. That work was powerful enough to garner both Album Of The Year and Record Of The Year (for "Please Read The Letter") GRAMMYs.

If there's any aesthetic element that runs through Burnett's work, it might be in his willingness to walk on the darker side. Death, loss, heartbreak, and general spookiness seem to take the spotlight when he's running the soundboard and, whether recording mountain music or a full rock band, Burnett almost unfailingly creates an air of mystery in the performances and in the very essence of the sound. To Burnett, it would seem, the most compelling music is the music that can't be fully explained.

"There's so many beautiful musicians, and creative people in general, but what most of us get is squeezed through this tiny bottleneck of 'American Idol' and things like that," he told The Independent in 2010. "I think it's incumbent upon those of us who care about music that isn't in the mainstream to spread the word however we can. All the music I've loved the most was unfathomable to me when I first heard it."
 

In Memoriam (2023): The Recording Academy Remembers The Music People We Lost
Tina Turner on stage at Wembley 1990.

Photo: Dave Hogan / Getty Images Archive

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In Memoriam (2023): The Recording Academy Remembers The Music People We Lost

Take a moment to salute the members of the music community we lost in 2022-2024.

GRAMMYs/Feb 9, 2024 - 09:02 pm

Below is a tribute to the luminaries and esteemed professionals from the music community we lost between Dec. 5, 2022, through Jan. 26, 2024.

During the 2024 GRAMMYs broadcast, the Recording Academy's In Memoriam segment featured performances by several masterful musicians. Annie Lennox  was joined by Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman to honor Sinéad O’Connor. Stevie Wonder took the stage to pay homage to the legendary Tony Bennett, Jon Batiste honored the "Godfather of Black Music" Clarence Avant and Fantasia Barrino paid tribute to the Queen of Rock 'n' Roll, Tina Turner. The performances were set against a video homage of several of the distinguished figures on this list. Every individual who passed away before the publication date has also been respectfully commemorated in the official 2024 GRAMMYs program book.

The Recording Academy offers its profound respect and appreciation for the unique gifts and enduring contributions these individuals have bestowed upon our culture and collective spirit.

Aaron Spears

Abe Stoklasa

Adam Johnstone

Aérea Negrot

Ahmad Jamal

Akbar Golpayegani

Alan Arkin

Alan Copeland

Alan Niederland

Alan Rankine

Alan Warner

Alan Moore Stowell

Alba 'Albita' Eagan

Algy Ward

Alice Parker

Allen Becker

Alton Wade Kelley

Amos Ettinger

Amp Fiddler

Amparo Rubín

Ana Clara Benevides Machado

Anatol Ugorski

André Watts

Andrew Penhallow

Andrew Speight

Andy Rourke

Angela Zilia

Angelo Badalamenti

Angelo Bruschini

Anita Kerr

Anita Pointer

Anne Hart

Annie Nightingale

Anthony Topham

Anthony John Heyes

Anup Ghoshal

April Stevens

Arie Levanon

Arif Cooper

Arthur Ward Eller

Astrud Gilberto

Audie Blaylock

August 08

Axali Doëseb

B. Sasikumar

Barbara Bryne

Barrett Strong

Baxter Black

Beeyar Prasad

Ben Lipitz

Benito Castro

Benjamin Zephaniah

Berit Lindholm

Bernie Marsden

Betta St. John

Betty Price

Beytocan

Bhavani Shankar

Bhavatharini Raja

Big Pokey

Big Scarr

John Nelson "Big John" Trimble Jr.

William "Bill" Castle

Bill Humble

Bill Lee

Bill Mayne

Bill Rice

Bill Saluga

Bill Zehme

Bill Hayes

Billy Smith

Billy White Jr.

Billy "The Kid" Emerson

Bilqees Khanum

Bishop Carlton Pearson

Blair Tindall

Blas Durán

Blayne Tucker

Bob Burwell

Bob Feldman

Bob Jones

Bob Mummert

Bob Nalbandian

Bob Rice

Bob Siggins

Bob "Norton" Thompson

Bobbi Staff

Bobby Caldwell

Bobby Casey

Bobby Eli

Bobby Osborne

Bobby Schiffman

Bonny Beverley

Brad Houser

Brad Thomson

Bram Inscore

Brandon Marcel Williams

Brett Radin

Brian McBride

Brian "Brizz" Gillis

Bridgette Wimberly

Broderick Smith

Bruce Gowers

Bruce Guthro

Brucene Harrison

Bruno Ducol

Buck Trent

Buddy McNeill

Burt Bacharach

C-Knight

C.J. Harris

Calton Coffie

Calton Coffie

Calvin Newton

Canelita Medina

Canisso Canisso

Care Failure

Carl Davis

Carl Pagter

Carl Tovey

Carla Bley

Carlee Ann Vaughn

Carlin Glynn

Carline Smith Wilhite

Carlos Fonseca

Carlos Lyra

Carmen Jara

Carmen Xtravaganza

Carole Cook

Catherine Christer Hennix

Cayle Sain

Cecilia Pantoja Levi

Chabelita Fuentes

Chad Allan

Chaim Topol

Charline Whillhite

Charles Gayle

Charlie Dominici

Charlie Gracie

Charlie Monk

Charlie Robison

Chas Newby

Chick Rains

Chico Novarro

Choi Sung-Bong

Chris Ford

Chris Ledesma

Chris Lee

Chris Peluso

Chris Strachwitz

Christy Dignam

Chuck Flood

Chuck Jackson

Chuck Morris

Charley Morris

Clarence Avant

Clarence Barlow

Claude Kahn

Clay Hart

Cliff Fish

Clifton Oliver

Clint Yeager

Cobi Narita

Coco Lee

Colette Maze

Colin Burgess

Conny Van Dyke

Costa Titch

Craig Burbidge

Craig Hayes

Curtis Fowlkes

Cynthia Haring

Cynthia Weil

Dan Lardner

Daniel Bourgue

Daniel Jones

Daniel Lee Stephen Jones

Danny Kaleikini

Danny Schur

Danny Milhon

Dave Cohen

Dave Dickerson

Dave Roe

Dave Freeman

David Crosby

David Darling

David Del Tredici

David Drozen

David LaFlamme

David Lindley

David McCallum

David Leland

David Soul

David Lumsdaine

David Beckwith

David Jude Jolicoeur

Dedi Graucher

Del Palmer

Denis Badault

Denny Laine

Denyse Plummer

Dev Kohli

Dick Biondi

Dickie Harrell

Dima Nova

Dino Danelli

DJ Casper

DJ Deeon

DJ Dino Calvao

Djalma Corrêa

Don Graham

Don Kissil

Don Mulkey

Don Sebesky

Don Williams

Donnie McKethan

Dorian Kweller

Dr Latozi Madosini Mpahleni

Duane Tabinski

Dusty Street

Dwight Twilley

Ed Ames

Ed Stone

Ed "Beanpole" Efaw

Edino Krieger

Edward Sexton

Edward Walters

Edward "Kidd" Jordan

Elayne Jones

Eliud Treviño

Ellen Fitzhugh

Elliot Goldman

Eloise Wyatt Russo

Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou

Enrique "Zurdo" Roizner

Eric Boehlert

Eric Shoutin' Sheridan

Eric Moyo

Eric Alan Livingston

Essra Mohawk

Fallece Marilú

Faye Fantarrow

Fito Olivares

Florence Malgoire

Fran La Maina

Francesa Cappucci

Francis Monkman

François Glorieux

Frank Harlow

Frank Kozik

Frank Solivan Sr.

Frank Woodard

Frank Ford

Frank Farian

Fred White

Freddie Ross Hancock

Fuzzy Haskins

Gabriele Schnaut

Gangsta Boo

Garry Mapanzure

Garry Lee Rentfro

Gary Hobish

Gary Rossington

Gary Smith

Gary Wright

Gary Young

Gary Noble

Gennady Gladkov

George Brown

George Logan

George Maharis

George Moffett

George Newall

George Portz

George Tickner

George Winston

George Yanok

Georgia Holt

Gerald Fried

Gérard Drouot

Germano Mathias

Glen "Spot" Lockett

Gloria Belle

Gloria Coates

Glynis Johns

Goa Gil

Gordon Lightfoot

Gordy Harmon

Gordy Nichol

Grace Bumbry

Grady Hockett

Graeme Malcolm

Graham Clark

Grand Daddy I.U.

Gregory Brian Wright

Hans Poulsen

Harley Worthington

Harold Childs

Harold Killian

Harold Black

Harry Belafonte

Harry Sheppard

Haydn Gwynne

Heather Dunbar

Heike Matthiesen

Heklina Heklina

Helen Thorington

Henri Duaman

Henry Grossman

Herb Deutsch

Hiroshi "Heath" Morie

Hoppy Hopkins

Horacio Malvicino

Howie Kane

Huey "Piano" Smith

Ian Bairnson

Ian Emes

Ian Tyson

Iasos

Ilanga

Inga Swenson

Ingrid Haebler

Ira Selsky

Irish Grinstead

Irma Capece Minutolo

Irv Lichtman

Isaac "Redd" Holt

Ismaïlia Touré

Ivan "Mamão" Conti

Ivan M. Tribe

J.J. Barnes

Jack Lee

Jack Pruett Jr.

Jack Sonni

Jacqueline Dark

Jaquelyne Ledent-Vilain

Jah Shaka

Jaimie Branch

Jake Marlowe

James Bowman

James Casey

James Harvey IV

James Jorden

James Lewis

James Kottak

James C. "Jimmy" LaRocca

Jamie Reid

Jamie Tiller

Jan Woods

Jane Birkin

Jannis Noya Makrigiannis

Jasmin Stavros

Javier Álvarez Fuentes

Jay Goldberg

Jay Weston

Jay Clayton

Jean Knight

Jeff Beck

Jeff Cook

Jeff Davis

Jeff Heiman

Jeffrey Foskett

Jeno Jandó

Jeremiah Green

Jerry Bradley

Jerry Dodgion

Jerry Fretwell

Jerry Kearns

Jerry Moss

Jerry Samuels

Jerry Springer

Jerry Whitehurst

Jerry Kramer

Jerry Paul Arnold

Jerry Lee Lewis

Jesse McReynolds

Jesus Garber

Jet Black

Jim Boyer

Jim Gordon

Jim Parker

Jim Sharpley

Jim Vienneau

Jim Ladd

Jim Rae

Jimmy Buffett

Jo Mersa Marley

Jo-El Sonnier

Joanna Merlin

João Donato

Joaquin Romaguera

Joaquin "Jocko" Fajardo

Joe Fagin

Joe McGuire

Joey Bogan

John Albert

John Beckingham

John Cirillo

John Deyle

John Giblin

John Gosling

John Kezdy

John Lomax IV

John Marshall

John Miller

John Morris

John Regan

John Waddington

John Cutler

John Alexander

John Andrew Tartaglia

John Watson Algee

Johnny Allon

Johnny Fean

Johnny Ruffo

Jon Fausty

Jon Kennedy

Jordan Blake

José Evangelista

Joseph Koo

Joshua Culbreath

Joshua Madsen

Joss Ackland

Jovit Baldivino

Joy McKean

Joyce Bryant

Juan Carlos Formell

Judy Massey

Julián Figueroa

Julian Sebothane Bahula

Justin Bartlett

Justin Fontaine

K. Neville Garrick

K.J. Joy

Kaija Saariaho

Karaikudi Mani

Karl Berger

Karl Tremblay

Karl F. Dieterichs

Katherine Anderson Schaffner

Kathy Chow

Keiko Okuya Jones

Keith Gattis

Keith Reid

Keith Holzman

Kelly Joe Phelps

Ken Brigham

Ken Fish

Ken Roberts

Ken Calvert

Kendall A. Minter

Kenneth Anger

Kenneth Force

Kenneth Montgomery

Kenneth Riegel

Kent Stax

Kevin Fleming

Kevin Lemons

Kevin "Geordie" Walker

Kihnu Virve

Kim Simmonds

Kirk Arrington

Kirstie Alley

Klee Benally

Kwame Brathwaite

Kyle Jacobs

Ladislav Jásek

Lalo Rodriguez

Lance Reddick

Larry Chance

Larry Morris

Larry Collins

Lasse Wellander

Laura Lynch

Lawrence "Larry" Cohn

Lázaro Valdés

Lee Berk

Lee Purkis

Lee Rauch

Leela Omchery

Lefty SM

Leiji Matsumoto

Len Chandler

Lena McLin

Lenka Hlávková

Leny Andrade

Leo D. Sullivan

Leonard Abrams

Leonard Zinn

Leroy "Black Stalin" Calliste

Les Brown Jr.

Les Leverett

Les McCann

Leslie Jordan

Lester Sterling

Lewis Largent

Lewis Spartlan

Lewis Pragasam

Lily Afshar

Linda de Suza

Linda Lewis

Lisa Roy

Lisa Marie Presley

Lisandro Meza

Lisl Steiner

Liz Thiels

Lizeta Nikolaou

Lois Curtis Shepherd

Lola Mitchell "Gangta Boo"

Lola Dee

Lord Creator

Lou Deprijck

Loyal Jones

Luis Vasquez

Luke Bell

Lyn McLain

M Daud Kilau

Malini Rajurkar

Mam' Sylvia Mdunyelwa

Manana Doijashvili

Mandla 'Mampintsha' Maphumulo

Manny Martinez

Manuel Göttsching

Manuel Castillo Girón

Marc Roy

Marcel Amont

Marcel Zanini

Marek Kopelent

Margaret Josephine Nisbett

Margie Hunt

Margie Sullivan

María Jímenez

Mariana Sîrbu

Marianne Mantell

Marilyn Johnston Blankenship

Mark Adams

Mark Capps

Mark Howard

Mark James

Mark Kuykendall

Mark Russell

Mark Sheehan

Mark Stewart

Mark Thomas

Mark Nelson

Marlena Shaw

Mars Williams

Marsha Gray Basore

Martha Owen

Martin Duffy

Martin Petzold

Martin Stevens

Mary Weiss

Mary G. Dawson

Mary Jane Thomas

Mary Turner Pattiz

Mason Ruble

Massimo Savić

Matt Alese

Matt Stewart

Maurice Bourgue

Maurice Hines

Max Morath

Maxi Jazz

Mbongeni Ngema

Mbuya Stella Chiweshe

MC Fats

Megan Terry

Melanie Safka

Melvin "Magoo" Barcliff

Menahem Pressler

Merv Shiner

Michael Blackwood

Michael Keith

Michael Kupper

Michael Leon

Michael McGrath

Michael Parkinson

Michael Rhodes

Michael Snow

Michael "Ibo" Cooper

Michael John McGann

Mick Slattery

Mikael Maglieri

Mike Henderson

Mike Reeves

Mike Brown

Mike Taylor

Mike J Rojas

Miki Liukkonen

Mildred Miller

Milo Hrnić

Minneapolis Backyard Punk Show Shooting

Misha K. Hunke

Mo Foster

Mohbad

MoneySign Suede

Monte Cazazza

Moonbin

Myles Goodwyn

Mylon LeFevre

Najah Salam

Nancy Van de Vate

Nashawn (Lotto) Breedlove

Neal Langford

Neela Rampogal

Neil Kulkarni

Neville Garrick

Nicholas Lloyd Webber

Niel Immelman

Nihal Nelson

Niko Everette

Nina Matviienko

Nobuyuki Idei

Nora Forster

Norby Walters

Norm Pattiz

Notis Mavroudis

O.S. Thyagarajan

Oladips

Olga Chorens

Ordy Garrison

Orlando Marin

Óscar Agudelo

Otis Barthoulameu

Otis Redding III

Özkan Ugur

Pacho El Antifeka

Pamela Blair

Pamela Chopra

Pansequito

Pat Bunch

Patricia Burda Janečková

Patrick Emery

Paul Beasley

Paul Cattermole

Paul Desenne

Paul Justman

Paul Prestopino

Paul Woseen

Paxton Whitehead

Pedro Lavirgen

Pedro Messone

Pedro Henrique

Pedro Suárez-Vértiz

Pepe Domingo Castaño

Petch Osathanugrah

Pete Brown

Pete Garner

Peter Austin

Peter Brötzmann

Peter Cooper

Peter Kowalsky

Peter Luboff

Peter McCann

Peter Nero

Peter Solley

Peter Schickele

Phil Quartararo

Phill Niblock

Pilarín Bueno

Pluto Shervington

Polito Vega

Prabha Atre

Pt Vijay Kichlu

Qamar Gula

R.C. Harris

Ralph Gordon

Ramani Ammal

Ramla Beegum

Ramsey Lewis Jr.

Randy Bailey

Randy Meisner

Rashid Khan

Ray Cordeiro

Ray Hildebrand

Ray Pillow

Ray Shulman

Ray Sparks

Raymond Froggatt

Raymond Lumpkin

Red Paden

Reiner Goldberg

Rena Koumioti

Renata Scotto

Renée Geyer

Ricardo Iorio

Ricardo Drue

Richard Davis

Richard Landis

Richard Law

Richard Ross

Richard Gaddes

Rick Froberg

Rick Newman

Rickie May

Rita Hollingsworth

Rita Lee

R.L. Boyce

Rob Laakso

Robbie Bachman

Robbie Robertson

Robert Becerra

Robert Black

Robert Haimer

Robert Hicks

Robert Michaels

Robert H. Precht

Robert W. Smith

Robin Tamang

Rock Brynner

Rodney Hall

Rodriguez

Roger Sprung

Roger Whittaker

Rohana  Jalil

Rolf Harris

Ron Cornett

Ron Haffkine

Ron Hamilton

Ron Spears

Ron S. Peno

Ronnie Turner

Roseline Damian

Roxie Cawood Gibson

Roy Rifkind

Roy Taylor

Royal Blakeman

Royston Ellis

Rudolph Isley

Russell Batiste Jr.

Russell Sherman

Ryan Siew

Ryuichi Sakamoto

Sajid Khan

Sakevi Yokoyama

Sal Piro

Sam Cutler

Sanath Nandasiri

Sandra Butler Truesdale

Sandra Trehub

Sara Tavares

Sarah Schlesinger

Sarah Rice

Scott Johnson

Scott Schinder

Séamus Begley

Sean Martin

Seán Keane

Sebastian Marino

Seóirse Bodley

Seymour Stein

Shahidul Haque Khan

Shane Yellowbird

Shaul Greenglick

Shaun Roberts

Sheila Smith

Sheldon Harnick

Sheldon Reynolds

Shoji Tabuchi

Silent Servant

Silvio Berlusconi

Sinéad O'Connor

Sir David Lumsden

Sixto Diaz Rodriguez

Slim Andrews

Smokey Greene

Soňa  Červená

Spot

Stainslaw Radwan

Stan Hitchcock

Stanley Drucker

Stella Stevens

Stephen Gould

Stephen "tWitch" Boss

Stephen Allen Davis

Steve Harwell

Steve Riley

Steve Skold

Steve Travis

Steve Nelson

Steven Lutvak

Stevie B-Zet

Stuart Margolin

Sudakshina Sarma

Sueli Costa

Sulochana Chavan

Suna Kan

Surinder Shinda

Suzanne Somers

Suzy Frank

Swarup Nayak

Sweet Charles Sherrell

Tamara Milashkina

Tapas Das

Teddy White

Teresa Taylor

Teri Bristol

Terri Nolan

Terry Hall

Terry Kirkman

Terry Thacker

Terry Baucom

Teté Caturla

Thanga Darlong

The 45 King

Theo de Barros

Theresa Reneé Watson

Thom Bell

Thomas Stacy

Thomas H. Lee

Thomasina Winslow

Thotakura Somaraju

Tim Bachman

Tim Stacy

Tim Rogers

Tim Norell

Tina Turner

TJ De Blois

Tohru Okada

Tom Jones

Tom Langdon

Tom Leadon

Tom Verlaine

Tom Whitlock

Tom Wilkerson

Tom Smothers

Tom Mazzetta

Tony Bennett

Tony Coe

Tony McPhee

Tony Oxley

Tony Clarkin

Torben Ulrich

Toru Mitsui

Toto Cutugno

Treat Williams

Treva Chrisco

Trish Williams Warren

Troy Brammer

Tshala Muana

Vakhtang Kikabidze

Valentin Gheorghiu

Van Conner

Varnell Harris Johnson

Victor Pikayzen

Victor Rasgado

Vilayil Faseela

Vince Hill

Violeta Hemsy de Gainza

Virginia Zeani

Vivian Trimble

Vivian Williams

Vivienne Westwood

Walt Groller

Walt Wilson

Walter Aipolani

Walter Arlen

Walter Charles

Walter Cole Darcelle XV

Walter Ulloa

Walter "Wolfman" Washington

Wayne Shorter

Wayne Swinny

Wee Willie Harris

William "DJ Casper" Perry Jr.

Willie Ruff

Willis Spears

Yaacov Bergman

Yehonatan Geffen

Yitzhak Klepter

Yogesh Vaidya

Yotam Haim

Young Capone

Yukihiro Takahashi

Yuri Temirkanov

Yuzo Toyama

Yvonne Přenosilová

Zahara

Zdenek Macal

Zita Carno

2024 GRAMMY Nominees and Winners: See The Full List

10 Must-See Moments From The 2024 GRAMMYs: Taylor Swift Makes History, Billy Joel & Tracy Chapman Return, Boygenius Manifest Childhood Dreams
(L-R) boygenius, Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff at the 2024 GRAMMYs.

Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

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10 Must-See Moments From The 2024 GRAMMYs: Taylor Swift Makes History, Billy Joel & Tracy Chapman Return, Boygenius Manifest Childhood Dreams

The 66th Annual GRAMMY Awards wrote another monumental chapter in music history with returns from legends like Celine Dion and wins by a promising new generation of artists like Victoria Monét.

GRAMMYs/Feb 5, 2024 - 08:35 pm

Just like that, another GRAMMYs has come and gone — but the 2024 telecast brought many moments that will be immortalized in pop culture history.

It was the evening of legends, as Billy Joel and Tracy Chapman returned to the stage for the first time in decades and Joni Mitchell made her debut with a performance of her 1966 classic, "Both Sides, Now." Stevie Wonder and Celine Dion honored greats, both those we've lost and those who are dominating today. And Meryl Streep had two memorable moments at the show, making a fashionably late entrance and getting a hilarious GRAMMY lesson from Mark Ronson.

But it was the younger generation of artists who ultimately dominated the show. Boygenius — the supergroup of Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker — won numerous awards in the Rock, Metal & Alternative Music Field. Billie Eilish and SZA scooped up a couple more golden gramophones, respectively, and Best New Artist winner Victoria Monét celebrated three wins in total, also winning Best R&B Album and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical.

Taylor Swift built on the momentum of her colossal year with more GRAMMY records and an unexpected announcement of her next studio album.

Check out the full list of winners here, and take a look at our top 10 highlights from another show-stopping installment of the GRAMMYs below.

Boygenius Run To Accept Their First GRAMMY Award

Boygenius won the first trophy of their careers during the Premiere Ceremony, and they were so ecstatic they sprinted through the crowds to get to the stage.

"Oh my God, I want to throw up," Lucy Dacus said as the group accepted their Best Rock Performance trophy for "Not Strong Enough."

Even though the trio was over the moon, they weren't entirely shocked by their win: "We were delusional enough as kids to think this would happen to us one day," she continued. Phoebe Bridgers would sing at a local Guitar Center "in hopes of getting discovered," while Julien Baker dreamed of performing in stadiums as she played in multiple bands, and Dacus has been perfecting her acceptance speech for years.

Their hard work was manifested three times over, as the trio also won Best Rock Song for "Not Strong Enough" and Best Alternative Music Album for the record.

Killer Mike Makes A Clean Sweep

Killer Mike had the largest GRAMMY night of his career, winning all three of the Rap Categories for which he was nominated: Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song for "SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS," and Best Rap Album for MICHAEL.

"I'm from the Southeast, like DJ Paul, and I'm a Black man in America. As a kid, I had a dream to become a part of music, and that 9-year-old is very excited right now," he cheered. "I want to thank everyone who dares to believe art can change the world."

Minutes after his sweep, the LAPD detained the Run the Jewels rapper. However, he was released and still able to celebrate his achievements, Killer Mike's lawyer told Variety.

Miley Cyrus Finally Receives Her "Flowers"

Miley Cyrus entered the GRAMMYs with six nominations for her eighth studio album, Endless Summer Vacation. After she won Best Pop Solo Performance for "Flowers," she delivered a jubilant performance in celebration. "Started to cry, but then remembered, I just won my first GRAMMY!" she exclaimed at the song's bridge, throwing her hands in the air and joyfully jumping around the stage.

Cyrus' excitement brought a tangible energy to the performance, making for one of the night's most dynamic — and apparently one of Oprah Winfrey's favorites, as the camera caught the mogul dancing and singing along.

"Flowers" earned Cyrus a second GRAMMY later in the night, when the No. 1 hit was awarded Record Of The Year. 

Tracy Chapman Makes A Rare Appearance

Luke Combs breathed a second life into Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car" when he released a cover of the track in April 2023. He quickly climbed to the top of the Billboard charts and received a nomination for Best Country Solo Performance at this year's show. Of course, it called for a special celebration — one that was meaningful for both Combs and GRAMMYs viewers.

Chapman joined the country star on stage for her first televised performance since 2015, trading off verses with Combs as he adoringly mouthed the words. The duet also marked Chapman's first appearance on the GRAMMY stage in 20 years, as she last performed "Give Me One Reason" at the 2004 GRAMMYs. (It also marked her second time singing "Fast Car" on the GRAMMYs stage; she performed it in 1989, the same year the song won Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female and Chapman took home three awards total, including Best New Artist.)

Naturally, Chapman's return earned a standing ovation from the crowd. As Combs fittingly put it in an Instagram post thanking the Recording Academy for the opportunity, it was a "truly remarkable moment."

Read More: 2024 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Full Winners & Nominees List

Joni Mitchell Takes The GRAMMY Stage For The First Time At 80

In one of the most emotional parts of the night, Joni Mitchell performed on the GRAMMYs stage for the first time in her nearly 60-year career.

Accompanied by Brandi Carlile — who referred to Mitchell as "the matriarch of imagination" before the performance — Lucius, SistaStrings, Allison Russell, Blake Mills, and Jacob Collier, Mitchell sang a touching rendition of "Both Sides Now."

"Joni is one of the most influential and emotionally generous creators in human history," Carlile  added in her introduction. "Joni just turned 80, my friends, but we all know she's timeless!"

Mitchell also won her 10th golden gramophone at the 2024 GRAMMYs, as her live album Joni Mitchell at Newport was awarded Best Folk Album at the Premiere Ceremony.

Stevie Wonder Salutes The Late Tony Bennett, Duetted By His Hologram

Another heartfelt moment came during this year's In Memoriam segment, when Stevie Wonder memorialized his friend, Tony Bennett, who passed away from Alzheimer's disease in 2023.

"Tony, I'm going to miss you forever. I love you always, and God bless that He allowed us to have you in this time and space in our lives," Wonder proclaimed. Thanks to a hologram of Bennett, the two singers could duet "For Once in My Life" one last time.

This year's tribute also saw Annie Lennox covering Sinéad O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U," Jon Batiste's medley of Bill Withers' hits, and Fantasia's reimagining of Tina Turner's "Proud Mary."

Meryl Streep Gets Educated On Album Vs. Record And Single

Meryl Streep joined Mark Ronson — who happens to be her son-in-law — to announce the Record Of The Year winner, which sparked a funny interaction between the two when Streep thought she was announcing Album Of The Year.

"A record is an album!" Streep confidently declared, only for Ronson to give a quick 101 on the difference between Record, Song, and Album Of The Year.

"It's a really important award, and it's an award that recognizes everything that goes into making a great record — the producers, the recording engineer, and the artist, and all their contributions," Ronson explained of Record Of The Year.

"It's the Everything Award! It's the best," Streep smiled.

Celine Dion Surprises The World With A Special Cameo

Before the GRAMMYs commenced, producer Ben Winston told viewers they would be in for a treat because of a surprise presenter for the final award of the night, Album Of The Year. "They are an absolute global icon. I think jaws will drop to the floor. People will be on their feet," he shared.

It was none other than Celine Dion, who has largely been out of the limelight after her stiff person syndrome diagnosis.

"When I say that I'm happy to be here, I really mean it with my heart," Dion said. "It gives me great joy to present a GRAMMY award that two legends, Diana Ross and Sting, presented to me 27 years ago."

Dion is referring to her Album Of The Year win at the 39th GRAMMY Awards in 1997, when her smash LP Falling Into You won the honor. 

Taylor Swift Breaks The Record For Most AOTY Wins

It was a historic night for Taylor Swift in more ways than one.

She began the evening by winning her 13th GRAMMY for Best Pop Vocal Album for Midnights. To commemorate the milestone (13 is her lucky number), Swift announced her 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department, arriving on April 19.

She ended the evening with a coveted fourth Album Of The Year win, which made Swift the artist with the most AOTY nods in GRAMMY history.

"I would love to tell you this is the best moment of my life, but I feel this happy when I finish a song or crack the code to a bridge that I love or when I'm shot listing a music video or when I'm rehearsing with my dancers or my band or getting ready to go to Tokyo to play a show," she said. "The award is the work. All I want to do is keep being able to do this."

Billy Joel Serves Double GRAMMY Duty

After Swift's momentous win, Billy Joel ended the ceremony with a feel-good performance of his 1980 single, "You May Be Right." Along with being a rousing show closer, it was also his second performance of the night; Joel performed his newest offering, "Turn the Lights Back On," before Album Of The Year was announced.

Joel's performances included three firsts: It was the debut live rendition of "Turn the Lights Back On," his first release since 2007, and the performances marked his first time playing on the GRAMMYs stage in more than two decades. It was a fitting finale for a history-making show, one that beautifully celebrated icons of the past, present and future.

A Timeline Of Taylor Swift's GRAMMYs History, From Skipping Senior Prom To Setting A Record With 'Midnights'

2024 GRAMMYs To Pay Tribute to Tony Bennett, Sinead O'Connor, Clarence Avant & Tina Turner With In Memoriam Segment
(Clockwise from top-left:) Annie Lennox, Fantasia Barrino, Jon Batiste, Lisa Coleman and Wendy Melvoin, Stevie Wonder.

Photo: Courtesy of artists

news

2024 GRAMMYs To Pay Tribute to Tony Bennett, Sinead O'Connor, Clarence Avant & Tina Turner With In Memoriam Segment

The GRAMMY Awards segment will feature performances by Stevie Wonder in tribute to Tony Bennett; Jon Batiste honoring Clarence Avant; Annie Lennox for Sinead O'Connor; and Fantasia Barrino remembering Tina Turner, airing live on Sunday Feb. 4.

GRAMMYs/Feb 2, 2024 - 10:34 pm

The 2024 GRAMMYs will feature a special In Memoriam segment to honor the lives of some of the incredible individuals that the music world lost this year with performances by GRAMMY-winning and -nominated artists. 

Stevie Wonder will take the stage to pay homage to the legendary Tony Bennett, celebrating Bennett's remarkable contributions to music and devotion to the Great American Songbook.

Annie Lennox will perform in tribute to Irish icon Sinead O’Connor. Joining her for this heartfelt homage will be Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman

Jon Batiste is set to honor Clarence Avant, the "Godfather of Black Music," with a performance dedicated to the influential figure's impact on music and culture. Lenny Kravitz, one of this year's Global Impact Award recipients, will also play a significant role in this segment, both participating and introducing the tribute, linking two generations of music icons.

In a tribute to the Queen of Rock 'n' Roll, Tina Turner, Fantasia Barrino will perform, capturing the spirit and energy of Turner's music. Oprah Winfrey will also be part of this segment, introducing the performance, and adding a layer of gravitas to the tribute to one of music's most powerful voices.

In addition to the In Memoriam segment, the 2024 GRAMMYs will feature breathtaking performances from the leading artists in music today. Performers at the 2024 GRAMMYs include Billie Eilish, Billy Joel, Burna Boy, Dua Lipa, Joni Mitchell, Luke Combs, Olivia Rodrigo, SZA, Travis Scott, and U2

Several confirmed GRAMMY performers will make GRAMMY history at the 2024 GRAMMYs this weekend: Mitchell will make her GRAMMY performance debut, while U2 will deliver the first-ever broadcast performance from Sphere in Las Vegas. Click here to see the full list of performers and presenters at the 2024 GRAMMYs.

Trevor Noah, the two-time GRAMMY-nominated comedian, actor, author, podcast host, and former "The Daily Show" host, returns to host the 2024 GRAMMYs for the fourth consecutive year; he is currently nominated at the 2024 GRAMMYs in the Best Comedy Album Category for his 2022 Netflix comedy special, I Wish You Would

Learn More: 2024 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Full Nominees List

2024 GRAMMYs: Explore More & Meet The Nominees

The 2024 GRAMMYs, officially known as the 66th GRAMMY Awards, will broadcast live from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 4, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on the CBS Television Network and will be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+. Prior to the Telecast, the 2024 GRAMMYs Premiere Ceremony will broadcast live from the Peacock Theater at 12:30 p.m. PT/3:30 p.m. ET and will be streamed live on live.GRAMMY.com

On GRAMMY Sunday, fans can access exclusive behind-the-scenes GRAMMY Awards content, including performances, acceptance speeches, interviews from the GRAMMY Live red-carpet special, and more via the Recording Academy's digital experience on live.GRAMMY.com

The 66th GRAMMY Awards are produced by Fulwell 73 Productions for the Recording Academy for the fourth consecutive year. Ben Winston, Raj Kapoor and Jesse Collins are executive producers. 

Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers will have access to stream live via the live feed of their local CBS affiliate on the service, as well as on demand in the United States. Paramount+ Essential subscribers will not have the option to stream live but will have access to on-demand the day after the special airs in the U.S. only.

Stay tuned for more updates as we approach Music's Biggest Night!

How To Watch The 2024 GRAMMYs Live: GRAMMY Nominations Announcement, Air Date, Red Carpet, Streaming Channel & More

Billy Strings On His Three GRAMMY Nominations, Working With Dierks Bentley & Willie Nelson
Billy Strings

Photo: Christopher Morley

interview

Billy Strings On His Three GRAMMY Nominations, Working With Dierks Bentley & Willie Nelson

When Willie Nelson asked Billy Strings for instructions in the studio, he thought, 'I'm nobody, dude; you're Willie Nelson. You're asking me?' But Strings is certainly somebody: he's up for three golden gramophones at the 2024 GRAMMYs.

GRAMMYs/Jan 18, 2024 - 04:44 pm

Is it possible to write someone else's song for them? Which isn't the same as being an outside writer: it's writing something that spiritually belongs to your influence. That's the sensation that came over guitar and banjo picker Billy Strings, when he wrote "California Sober."

"California Sober" had the lilt and thematic ring of something like Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard's 1983 hit "Reasons to Quit"; in fact, it felt like it emanated from Nelson entirely. Which makes sense, given that Strings had just hit the road with the country patriarch.

"I don't think I would've recorded the song if Willie wouldn't have wanted to do it with me," Strings tells GRAMMY.com. "It's like, I'm not even going to cut this unless Willie wants to do it. It would just be like ripping off Willie's sound."

Exhilaratingly, the Red-Headed Stranger accepted — and their resultant duet of "California Sober" is nominated for Best American Roots Song at the 2024 GRAMMYs. And that's just the beginning of his prospects at Music's Biggest Night, coming up on Feb. 4.

At the 2024 GRAMMYs, Strings also picked up a nomination for Best Bluegrass Album for Me/And/Dad — his album with his bluegrass old-timer father, Terry Barber. And Dierks Bentley's "High Note," featuring Strings, is up for Best Country Duo/Group Performance.

Read on for an interview with Strings about how these albums and songs came to be, and what he learns from Nelson, Bentley, and Béla Fleck, and much more.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

Tell me about your relationship with the Recording Academy, and the GRAMMYs.

Well, the last few years, let's see: we were nominated for Best Bluegrass Album for Home, and we won that [in 2021]. And the next year we were nominated for two different things. Can't really remember, but we didn't win anything. [Editor's note: Strings received nominations for Best Bluegrass Album (Renewal) and Best American Roots Performance ("Love And Regret").]

That was when I went out there and checked it out, and had a great time being on the red carpet and seeing all the crazy outfits and stuff. And it's kind of crazy because although we didn't win, my friend Béla Fleck won.

I played on [his] record [2021's My Bluegrass Heart]. I was so honored to play with Béla Fleck and all those amazing musicians on that record, and it's been like 20 years since Bela made a bluegrass record — it's like, man, he deserves it.

And that was a big moment in my life — being in the studio with those guys, making that record. I still look back and I'm grateful to Béla for giving me the opportunity to do that because it gave me so much more confidence in myself. I still get almost emotional when I think about Béla actually asking me to be on his record because it just means so much to me. It's just always been kind of crazy. I'm just completely flabbergasted and honored because I never thought I'd be nominated for a GRAMMY or anything — let alone we won one already.

[Me/And/Dad] is probably the most important record I'll ever make because it's with my dad. And I think it's an important record for bluegrass too, just because of the songs and kind of the way we played those songs. And there's an old style that, as time goes on, the guys who sing and play like that are kind of dying off.

My dad's one of that older guard, and he just has this beautiful voice and amazing guitar playing, and he taught me everything I know about bluegrass music and it's deep in my heart and soul. It was so cool to be able to call my dad and say, hey man, guess what? Our record got nominated for a GRAMMY," and he's like, "Holy s—."

Can you drill deeper into why it's the most important thing you'll ever make?

Because everything I know about music, and bluegrass, I learned from my dad.

He started me off really young in my childhood; it was so based around the music. All the sweet memories that I have from when I was a boy were based around bluegrass music, and it seeps into your heart and soul and gets under your skin in a way that I guess only bluegrassers could really know.

It's music that can make me cry and make me laugh, and it gives me déjà vu, and it's almost a portal directly to my childhood back before I knew anything dirty about the earth. It was back, simpler times, just hanging around the campfire, picking music, and with my family and just beautiful times. 

And whenever I get together with my dad and play, it brings me back to just being a little boy.

And can you speak more to the importance of Béla Fleck? I interviewed him at Newport Folk, and he couldn't have been kinder nor gentler, with a fraction of the ego he could rightfully have.

He's the best man. He's become a good friend of mine. Obviously, he was my hero first. And so that's always good when you meet your heroes and they're really cool people. It means a lot.

And he's just like any of us; he's constantly just playing and trying to write and get better. He said to me one time, "We're all just trying to keep our heads above water," 'cause maybe I was feeling down about my playing or whatever, he's like, man, we're all doing the same thing.

What he's done for new acoustic music is incredible. The things that he's done with the five string banjo, and not only him, but his bands like the Flecktones and New Grass Revival with Sam Bush and John Cowan and those guys just, that's a big inspiration to us up and comers that are playing bluegrass music but like a little bit more progressive side.

I listen to everything from heavy metal to hip-hop and jazz and everything, so it's kind of sweet when you can take bluegrass instruments and play any kind of fusion music. And Béla is a huge innovator in that world.

One thing he told me was, "There is no best." I'm sure that resonates with you in some way.

Yeah, absolutely. Everybody's kind of the best at what they do. I'll never be as good as Tony Rice, ever — not if I practice eight hours a day for the rest of my life. I'll never touch him. But if I just kind of focus on what I'm doing and try to invent my own voice, maybe I'll be the best one at that.

How would you characterize that voice you've developed?

Well, I was raised playing bluegrass music — pretty traditional bluegrass. And then in my teenage years, I veered off and played heavy metal and got into more writing songs and just lots of different music other than bluegrass.

But when I came back to bluegrass, some of those things kind of stuck, particularly the stage performance thing. A lot of bluegrass bands, I feel like just stand there and play, 'cause they don't really have to do anything else. I can't help but move around and jump around and bang my head and stuff like I used to in a heavy metal band, 'cause that's how I learned to perform.

I've seen people be like, man, this is not headbanging music. And I'm like, "Well, hell yeah, it is."

Can you talk about Dierks Bentley, and "High Note," and the road to the nomination for Best Country Duo/Group Performance?

Dierks is a good buddy. He's just a real dude. I met him a few years ago. I was walking down the street, I was going to lunch with [flatpicker] Bryan Sutton and this white pickup truck pulled up, and Brian's like, "Oh, hey, what's up, man?"

We started talking. I didn't even know who it was. And the inside of his pickup truck was a mess. It was just like, s— everywhere, tapes and old, just like my car. So I'm like, okay, well, who's this guy? And then I realized he's a big country star, and I liked that he was a big country star and drove around with a messy truck.

Are you a messy truck guy too?

I try to keep it pretty nice nowadays, but yeah, usually my s— gets trashed. There's like fishing lures and just bulls— everywhere.

So I don't know, that made an impression on me for some reason — the inside of the cab of his truck. But after that, we became buddies and we had picked a couple times. He's a good buddy of [mandolinist] Sam Bush as well and so that's kind of a mutual friend of ours.

And there had been a couple times on stage where me and Sam were playing with Dierks, and he can play some bluegrass, man. He knows a lot of bluegrass songs and stuff.

So when he hit me up to do this song with him, I was like, of course, but especially when I heard it on a high note, he knows I like to smoke a lot of weed and stuff, so it was kind of like the perfect song for me. And it had that bluegrass flavor so I could jump on guitar and sing the tenors and stuff, sing the harmonies and stuff.

How popular is weed in the bluegrass community?

Well, I mean, in our scene it's pretty popular, but there's also folks that don't like to see me up there smoking or anything… maybe the more old-school kind of conservative types. But I just do my thing, man. I'm not trying to hurt nobody.

Speaking of, we have "California Sober" with Willie Nelson.

Man, so, Willie Nelson, holy f—.

Yeah, dude.

Wow, I love him so much. My grandpa loved him a lot, and my mom. When I grew up, my dad would, he'd be singing "Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain" and all them songs, and a lot of songs off Red Headed Stranger, I heard growing up — my dad singing those, and my grandpa playing the records, and stuff.

Willie was a big deal, especially to my grandpa, and he's been dead since 2001. So I always think about my grandpa when I think of Willie too, 'cause he loved him so much. If my grandpa was around to hear this song, he would just lose it.

And the way that it came about was, I went on tour with Willie on his road show, The Outlaw Tour, and we were one of the bands on there. And during that tour, Willie invited me up on his bus, and we hung out for a little while and just shot the s— and told jokes, and he told me how he got Trigger and everything, and talked about Django Reinhardt and Doc Watson.

I just had a great time. It was like hanging out with my grandpa or something, and I had a great time on the tour. And when I got home from that tour, I was sitting out by my burn pile and I ripped off this piece of cardboard, and I just had this tune going in my head, "I'm California sober, as they say / Lately, I can't find no other way."

I just wrote it down on this piece of cardboard. And then I went inside and kind of started writing a song — and I realized that I was writing a Willie Nelson song. I was so inspired by being on the road with Willie that I came home and I wrote this song — it's like I wrote it, but it was such a Willie song.

So what happened next?

I had my manager reach out to his manager, or whatever, and say, "Hey, here's this song that I wrote. Would you want to do it with me? And the answer was a resounding, 'Hell yes.'"

We made the track here in Nashville with me and the band, and then I went down to Luck, to his studio down there at his home in Texas, and Willie came in and we just hung out for a while, man. He sat down in front of the mic and he said, "Well, what do you want me to do?" And I was like, What the hell? I'm nobody, dude; you're Willie Nelson. You're asking me?

But he was like, "Well, do you want me to sing a verse?" I was like, "Tell, try to sing harmonies on the chorus and then take a crack at that second verse." So he put the harmonies on the chorus just fine. And when he got to this verse, it seemed like he was kind of just still learning the words a little bit, and I don't know if something [happened] like, he got frustrated on one take or something.

The next time, he just nailed it, and it was like this young Willie voice came out and he just sang so beautifully, and I had goosebumps, and it was just incredible, man.

And then right after that, he finished his part, he said, "We got it?" And I said, "Man, I think we got it. He said, "OK, let's go play cards."

So we went out back to his little spot there, where he's been playing cards for 50 years with everyone, Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson. His old buddy, Steve, [was there]; we were sitting there playing poker, and… I'm sitting there playing cards with two old buddies who have been playing cards together for 50 years, man. Hearing those two talk s— to each other, man.

They took a thousand dollars of my money real quick, and I would've paid another thousand just to sit there at that table and hear them bulls— each other.

What will your call with Willie be like if "California Sober" wins?

I'm going to say, "Hey, man, I'm coming to get my thousand dollars back."

Béla Fleck Has Always Been Told He's The Best. But To Him, There Is No Best.