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King For A Week

Our GRAMMY Elvis Week Playlist

GRAMMYs/Dec 3, 2014 - 05:06 am

(Taking place Aug. 10–16, Elvis Week is an annual gathering of friends and fans from around the world designed to celebrate the life and career of Elvis Presley. For more information, visit www.elvisweek.com.)

There's an old axiom, mostly true, that we only remember the winners. What does that have to do with Elvis Presley? Well, when it comes to the GRAMMY Awards, some people seem to think the King was forsaken by music's biggest prize. Not so. Elvis earned 14 GRAMMY nominations. And while his three wins were for gospel recordings, those were very highly regarded recordings.

Also weighing in to Elvis' GRAMMY history is the fact that by the GRAMMYs' launch in 1959, Elvis had arguably already produced his most groundbreaking music, most notably all the great Sun Records recordings during which Elvis virtually invented rock and roll. But as we assembled our GRAMMY playlist for Elvis Week, we realized this Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient has a richer GRAMMY history than we'd come to recall, with his own nominations and wins, and those by artists who worked with the King or were influenced by him.

 

Elvis' GRAMMY Nominations

 

"A Fool Such As I"
Record Of The Year nominee, 1959

This twangy ballad was up for the big Record Of The Year GRAMMY in the show's second year, though it fell to Bobby Darin's classic "Mack The Knife." The Jordanaires provided backing vocals, and Elvis reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 with the track, originally a hit for Hank Snow.

 

"A Big Hunk O' Love"
Best Performance By A "Top 40" Artist; Best Rhythm & Blues Performance nominee, 1959

In this piano-driven rocker, Elvis isn't asking for much, just a big hunk o' love. Nominated in both an R&B category and the "Top 40" category — the latter long since phased out — the double nomination showed the King's versatility.

 

"Are You Lonesome Tonight?"
Record Of The Year; Best Vocal Performance Single Record Or Track, Male; Best Performance By A Pop Single Artist nominee, 1960

This great Elvis ballad earned three nominations, including Record Of The Year, this time getting aced out by Percy Faith's milestone instrumental "The Theme From A Summer Place." Combined with G.I. Blues (below) Elvis earned five nominations in 1960.

 

G.I. Blues
Best Vocal Performance Album, Male; Best Sound Track Album Or Recording Of Original Cast From A Motion Picture Or Television nominee, 1960

G.I. Blues spawned two more nods for Elvis, including one in arguably the longest titled category in GRAMMY history. In retrospect, this is not one of Elvis' landmark recordings, but he was fresh from military service and appetites for new Elvis music were more than whetted.

 

Blue Hawaii
Best Sound Track Album Or Recording Of Original Cast From A Motion Picture Or Television nominee, 1961

By 1961, Elvis was beginning a string of movie music that was often as trite as the movies themselves. Still, he earned a nomination for Blue Hawaii, though the album may have rightfully lost to the West Side Story soundtrack. Nevertheless, it did contain the classic ballad "Can't Help Falling In Love."

 

You'll Never Walk Alone
Best Sacred Performance nominee, 1968

By the mid- to late '60s, prior to his Memphis comeback, some of Elvis' most heartfelt recordings were his gospel sides. Always a fan of gospel music, and in his own way a religious man, Elvis would ultimately win three gospel GRAMMYs.

 

"Softly, As I Leave You"
Best Country Vocal Performance, Male nominee, 1978

Elvis' only posthumous nomination, this track earned a GRAMMY nod about a year and a half after his death, and the title may have been more than ironic. According to Elvis, it's a farewell note from a dying man to his wife. Perhaps this was Elvis' farewell note to his fans.

 

Elvis' GRAMMY Wins

 

How Great Thou Art
Best Sacred Performance, 1967

Elvis' second gospel album earned him his first GRAMMY win. Side one features solemn church music, while side two is more rollicking gospel. As with almost everything Elvis ever did, he showed the ambition, and ability, to be many things at once.

 

"He Touched Me"
Best Inspirational Performance, 1972

With backing from the Imperials, Elvis went for straight gospel with this gorgeous track, and continued to confound those who saw him as shocking in the '50s, and as a Las Vegas parody of himself in the '70s.

 

"How Great Thou Art"
Best Inspirational Performance (Non-Classical), 1974

By the mid-'70s, Elvis had proved he was one of the more compelling gospel recording artists, even while he was still having pop hits with songs such as "Moody Blue" and "Way Down."

 

Songs Inspired By, Songs That Mention, And Songs By Those Who Worked With Elvis

 

"Today, Tomorrow And Forever" (iTunes>)
Ann-Margret/Elvis Presley
Ann-Margret, Best New Artist nominee, 1961

OK, this duet didn't earn a nomination, but Ann-Margret was a Best New Artist Of 1961 contender (piano great Peter Nero took the award), and she and Elvis starred together in several movies, including Viva Las Vegas (which featured this tune on the soundtrack), and were reportedly more than just acting partners.

 

"Sweet Inspiration" (iTunes>) 
The Sweet Inspirations, Best Rhythm & Blues Performance By A Duo Or Group nominee, 1968

This vocal group sang backup for Elvis, most notably on his hit "Moody Blue." The gospel-inspired "Sweet Inspiration" features love song lyrics, playing out the eternal struggle between the sacred and the sinful. No doubt Elvis would have approved.

 

"(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song" (iTunes>)
Chips Moman, Best Country Song, 1975

The great producer and owner of American Sound Studios in Memphis, Moman produced Elvis' big Memphis comeback, 1969's From Elvis In Memphis. He also co-wrote, with Larry Butler, this huge hit for singer B.J. Thomas.

 

Elvis' Favorite Gospel Songs
J.D. Sumner And The Stamps Quartet, Best Gospel Performance, Traditional nominee, 1978

J.D. Sumner And The Stamps sang backup for Elvis, and they returned the nod with this tribute of sorts to the King. Sumner has been called "the lowest bass singer in the world" and his vocal on E.'s 1974 hit "Way Down" comes pretty close to proving it when he ends the chorus with a note as deep as the Grand Canyon.

 

"Lost In The Fifties Tonight (In The Still Of The Night)" (iTunes>) 
Ronnie Milsap, Best Country Vocal Performance, Male, 1985

This country giant, who played piano on From Elvis In Memphis, longs for the '50s in this retro hit. Hmmm, just happens to be the decade that gave us Elvis.

 

"Graceland" (iTunes>)
Paul Simon, Record Of The Year, 1987

In Paul Simon's now-classic hit, the renowned Elvis museum Graceland is seen as some sort of saving grace, as if the King of Rock and Roll is a true savior. And maybe it's true. Music is, after all, a kind of medicine. The album of the same name also garnered Simon an Album Of The Year win in 1986.

 

"Walking In Memphis" (iTunes>)
Marc Cohn, Song Of The Year, Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male nominee, 1991

"Saw the ghost of Elvis/On Union Avenue/Followed him up to the gates of Graceland/ Then I watched him walk right through," sings Cohn on this ode to the Bluff City. The song was covered by another pop icon, Cher, who appears to play an Elvis look-alike in her video.

 

"Goin' Back To Memphis"
Scotty Moore, Best Country Instrumental Performance nominee, 1997

Moore was the guitarist on Elvis' Sun recordings and, as such, arguably invented rock and roll guitar playing. This instrumental is a nod to the great city and era that gave rise to Elvis and rock.

 

How are you going to celebrate Elvis Week? Leave us a comment and tell us your favorite Elvis memory.

 

Who Is Rhiannon Giddens? 3 Things To Know About The Banjoist & Violist On Beyoncé’s "Texas Hold ‘Em"
Rhiannon Giddens

Photo: Ebru Yildiz

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Who Is Rhiannon Giddens? 3 Things To Know About The Banjoist & Violist On Beyoncé’s "Texas Hold ‘Em"

Rhiannon Giddens has been esteemed in various folk circles for years — and her appearance on Beyoncé’s "TEXAS HOLD ‘EM" just broke her into the mainstream. Here are three things to know about the eclectic singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.

GRAMMYs/Feb 13, 2024 - 06:40 pm

After the club-storming Renaissance, its Act II begins with an unexpected sound: a burble of banjo, later joined by flowing viola. Welcome to "TEXAS HOLD ‘EM," one of two advance singles from Beyoncé’s forthcoming album, along with "16 CARRIAGES."

Beyoncé’s recently announced Act II promises to be an immersion into country music — which is both a fresh aesthetic and one deeply rooted to her Texan upbringing. The 32-time GRAMMY Winner has spoken about the "overlooked history of the American Black cowboy" and nodded to the culture with a Western getup at the 2024 GRAMMYs.

All of this is a completely natural fit for Rhiannon Giddens, who played said fiddle and viola on "TEXAS HOLD ‘EM."

"The beginning is a solo riff on my minstrel banjo — and my only hope is that it might lead a few more intrepid folks into the exciting history of the banjo," Giddens explained on Instagram. "I used to say many times as soon as Beyoncé puts the banjo on a track my job is done.

"Well, I didn’t expect the banjo to be mine," she continued. "And I know darn well my job isn’t done, but today is a pretty good day."

The "job" defines Giddens. Sure, she may be completely new to certain contingents of the Beyhive, but the two-time GRAMMY winner and 10-time nominee’s been on the scene for almost two decades.

Since making her mark with the Carolina Chocolate Drops in the mid-aughts, Giddens has forged a singular legacy. She’s not only a purveyor of traditional musics, but as an investigator of the racial and cultural cross-currents that forged our modern-day understanding — and misunderstanding — of Americana.

At the 2024 GRAMMYs, Giddons was nominated for two golden gramophones — for Best Americana Album (You’re the One) and Best American Roots Performance ("You Louisiana Man"). You’re the One was her first album of all-original material; in that regard, these noms show that a new, exciting chapter for Giddens is just beginning.

Here are five things to know about the artist who just played "TEXAS HOLD ‘EM" with Queen Bee.

Her Interrogation Of Black Music History Is Indispensable

Giddens has worked in a diverse array of fields, including opera, documentary, ballet, podcasting, and more. Her mission? To explore "difficult and unknown chapters of American history" through musical lenses, like the evolution of the banjo from Africa to Appalachia.

"In order to understand the history of the banjo, and the history of bluegrass music, we need to move beyond the narrative we've inherited," she’s stated. Elsewhere, she noted, "People seem ready for a more in-depth idea of folk music, culture and history.

Which extends beyond merely other people’s stories — but to her own.

…And It Led Directly To You’re The One

Speaking to GRAMMY.com about her GRAMMY-nominated first album of original material, Giddens was quick to note that "autobiography" doesn’t hit the mark.

"It doesn't express how I feel… they're still songs, and it's still a performance," Giddens said. "I'd say I'm drawing a little bit more from my experience, but I had to draw from my experience to write other people's stories.

"There's emotions that I feel that I then translate into these other stories," she added, "so I don't think this record is completely different from that."

She’s Made Killer Appearances With Paul Simon

Paul Simon’s ended his touring years, but he does make sporadic appearances, including at 2022’s "Homeward Bound: A GRAMMY Salute to the Songs of Paul Simon."

There, they performed a version of his epochal "American Tune," where he changed the words in nuanced ways as relates to the American origin story — and he enlisted Giddens to sing it with him.

"He didn't have to do nothing but sit back and collect his checks," Giddens told GRAMMY.com. "He made a statement with that song, and I don't want to take that away from him. I didn't change those words; he changed those words."

Where will Giddens go from her star turn with Bey? Wherever it might be, we’ll feel — and learn — something profound, one banjo strum at a time.

On You’re The One, Rhiannon Giddens’ Craft Finds A Natural Outgrowth: Songwriting

Teezo Touchdown, Tiana Major9 & More Were In Bloom At The 2024 GRAMMYs Emerging Artist Showcase
Musical group Aint Afraid

Photo: Unique Nicole/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

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Teezo Touchdown, Tiana Major9 & More Were In Bloom At The 2024 GRAMMYs Emerging Artist Showcase

Part of the all-new GRAMMY House programming for GRAMMY Week 2024, PEOPLE and Sephora teamed up to highlight some promising new talent from around the country with the Beats & Blooms Emerging Artist Showcase.

GRAMMYs/Feb 7, 2024 - 12:00 am

Artists on the rise got their metaphorical flowers on Feb. 1, when GRAMMY House played host to the Beats & Blooms Emerging Artist Showcase. The performance-heavy event was produced in conjunction with PEOPLE and Sephora and hosted by comedian Matt Friend.

Some took the floral theme quite literally — like Texas rapper and singer Teezo Touchdown, who took to the stage clasping a giant flower bouquet, his microphone tucked somewhere inside. With his crisp white leather jacket and white gloves, Teezo looked fresh as he performed tracks from his recently released debut album, How Do You Sleep at Night? It wasn't hard to see how late legends like Prince and Rick James have influenced his artistry, and the audience appreciated his fly sartorial style.

Another dynamic performance came from Cocoa Sarai, a Jamaican-American singer/songwriter who has worked with artists such as Dr. Dre and Anderson .Paak (the latter of whom helped Sarai earn a GRAMMY in 2020 for her work on his Best R&B Album-winning project, Ventura). The Brooklyn-born artist — who is part of the new Music Artist Accelerator initiative presented by MasterCard, GRAMMY House’s primary sponsor — delivered an impactful set that included her bird-flipping anthem "Bigger Person" and was assisted by a great beatboxer named Fahz.

As many attendees got glammed up at Sephora's makeup station, the event co-sponsor also presented one of the night's performers. Sephora Sounds highlighted twin sisters Inah and Yahzi of the viral group Ain't Afraid, whose energetic performance hit home. During their charismatic set, which featured the sisters both singing and rapping, the pair told the crowd that their lighthearted stage presence is a way to turn some of their trauma into positive art.

Inah and Yahzi weren't the only sibling duo to take the stage at Beats & Blooms. Brandon and Savannah Hudson — aka BETWEEN FRIENDS — first got national attention as quarter-finalists on "America's Got Talent" in 2013, and have since racked up millions of monthly plays on Spotify for what they like to call "laptop dream pop". BETWEEN FRIENDS performed songs from their 2023 album, I Love My Girl, She's My Boy.

Tiana Major9 closed out the event with an exciting performance that featured a song debut and a sing-along. After premiering a new track called "Braids," the Motown artist got everyone to join together for an exquisite cover of Faith Evans' smoldering "Soon As I Get Home". 

GRAMMY House's three days of events are a place for a diverse array of music industry professionals, musicians and social creators to immerse in the pulse of culture, take the torch and carry it forward — and Beats & Blooms was a powerful example of just that.

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NE-YO To Headline 2024 GRAMMY Celebration, Taking Place Feb. 4 In Los Angeles
Ne-Yo performs onstage during halftime at the game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena on February 26, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia

Photo: Paras Griffin/Getty Images

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NE-YO To Headline 2024 GRAMMY Celebration, Taking Place Feb. 4 In Los Angeles

The Recording Academy will close out GRAMMY Week 2024 with the 2024 GRAMMY Celebration, the official after-party to celebrate Music's Biggest Night, immediately after the 2024 GRAMMYs on Sunday, Feb. 4, in Los Angeles.

GRAMMYs/Jan 10, 2024 - 01:59 pm

The Recording Academy has announced three-time GRAMMY winner NE-YO as the headliner of the exclusive 2024 GRAMMY Celebration — the Recording Academy’s Official After-Party for the 2024 GRAMMYs, which honors the winners and nominees of Music’s Biggest Night. As well, current GRAMMY nominee SuperBlue: Kurt Elling and Charlie Hunter will perform in the GRAMMY Celebration Jazz Lounge; Ben Bakson will be the evening’s DJ.  

Taking place at the Los Angeles Convention Center immediately following the 2024 GRAMMYs, officially known as the 66th GRAMMY Awards, on Sunday, Feb. 4, the GRAMMY Celebration will bring the industry together to commemorate a year of musical milestones and honor the GRAMMY nominees and winners who shaped the year in music.

“The GRAMMY Celebration serves as the perfect finale to Music’s Biggest Night, uniting the nominees and winners of the 66th GRAMMY Awards to revel in their year’s worth of accomplishments,” Recording Academy Chief Operating Officer Branden Chapman said. "As an Academy committed to serving, uplifting and advancing the music community, we look forward to the GRAMMY Celebration each year — a momentous occasion where our shared passion for music is celebrated and meaningful connections are made."

Levy, the hospitality partner at the Los Angeles Convention Center, will present this year's chef-curated menu. Following the event, the Recording Academy will once again partner with the charitable organization Musically Fed — whose mission is to mobilize the music industry in the fight against hunger — to repurpose leftover food to feed those in need in the local community. The organization works with artists, promoters, management, and venues nationwide to donate unused backstage meals to community organizations that feed the unhoused, hungry and food insecure. Musically Fed will also repurpose food from this year's GRAMMY Awards and the MusiCares Person of the Year Gala.

The 2024 GRAMMY Celebration is a private, ticketed event.

The 2024 GRAMMYs, officially known as the 66th GRAMMY Awards, will air live from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 4, from 5-8:30 p.m. PT/8-11:30 p.m. ET, broadcasting live on the CBS Television Network and streaming live and on-demand on Paramount+. (Live and on demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the special airs)^.

^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. Paramount+ Essential subscribers will not have the option to stream live, but will have access to on-demand the day after the special airs.

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

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The Recording Academy's Producers & Engineers Wing And Songwriters & Composers Wing To Host First-Ever "A Celebration Of Craft" Event During GRAMMY Week 2024, Honoring Leslie Ann Jones
“A Celebration of Craft,” an official GRAMMY Week 2024 event, takes place Wednesday, Jan. 31, in Los Angeles

Graphic courtesy of the Recording Academy

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The Recording Academy's Producers & Engineers Wing And Songwriters & Composers Wing To Host First-Ever "A Celebration Of Craft" Event During GRAMMY Week 2024, Honoring Leslie Ann Jones

“A Celebration of Craft,” the first-ever event presented by the Recording Academy’s two craft wings, will kick off GRAMMY Week 2024 and salute producer/engineer and seven-time GRAMMY winner Leslie Ann Jones and the creatives behind the music on Jan. 31.

GRAMMYs/Jan 9, 2024 - 01:59 pm

The Recording Academy’s Producers & Engineers Wing and Songwriters & Composers Wing are joining forces to host “A Celebration of Craft.” Taking place Wednesday, Jan. 31, at the GRAMMY Museum in Downtown Los Angeles, the inaugural event, the first-ever joint GRAMMY Week event for the Academy’s craft Wings, will honor seven-time GRAMMY winner Leslie Ann Jones for her prolific work as a recording and mixing engineer and record producer. The event will also salute the year-round work of the Producers & Engineers and Songwriters & Composers Wings and shine a light on the people working behind the scenes to create the year’s best musical works, including this year’s Songwriter Of The Year nominees. The premiere celebration kicks off the official start of GRAMMY Week 2024, the Recording Academy’s weeklong celebration comprising official GRAMMY Week events honoring the music community in the lead-up to the 2024 GRAMMYs, officially known as the 66th GRAMMY Awards.

“A Celebration of Craft” also debuts during a major development for the production and songwriting fields at the annual GRAMMY Awards. For the first time ever, the Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical and Songwriter Of The Year, Non-Classical categories will be awarded in the General Field of the GRAMMY Awards at the 2024 GRAMMYs next month. The Recording Academy announced these significant additions last June after they were voted on and passed by the Recording Academy’s Board of Trustees last May; relocating these categories allows all GRAMMY voters to participate in the voting process for these non-genre-specific categories and recognize excellence in the important fields of producing and songwriting.

“Songwriting and producing are some of the fundamental building blocks of our industry — in addition to, of course, performing and recording,” Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. told GRAMMY.com about the GRAMMY category changes." “We feel this change is an opportunity to allow our full voting membership to participate … We are excited that our entire voting body will be able to contribute to such important categories like Songwriter Of The Year and Producer Of The Year. Again, these are such important parts of our Awards process. But bigger than that, they're an important part of the music ecosystem. Since these categories are not genre-specific, and they are across many different genres, we felt it was responsible to put them in the General Field so everyone could vote for these important awards.”

A recording and mixing engineer and record producer for more than 40 years, Leslie Ann Jones has held staff positions at ABC Recording Studios in Los Angeles, the Automatt Recording Studios in San Francisco, and Capitol Studios in Hollywood. Now at Skywalker Sound, she continues her career recording and mixing music for records, films, video games, and television, and producing records primarily in the classical genre. Over the course of her career, she has worked with artists from Herbie Hancock, the Kronos Quartet, Holly Near, and Michael Feinstein to Santana, Bobby McFerrin, Charlie Haden, BeBe & CeCe Winans, ConFunkShun, and many more.

The first woman Chair of the Recording Academy’s Board of Trustees (1999-2001), Jones is the recipient of seven GRAMMY Awards, including four for Best Engineered Album, Classical and one for Best Immersive Audio Album. She serves on the Advisory Board of Institute for the Musical Arts, the Board of Directors of the Game Audio Network Guild (G.A.N.G.), and she is an Artistic Advisor to the Technology and Applied Composition degree program at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Jones was also inducted into the NAMM TEC Hall of Fame in 2019 and is a Heyser lecturer. She was also the recipient of the 2022 G.A.N.G. Lifetime Achievement Award. 

Jones chaired the committee that wrote “Recommendations for Hi-Resolution Music Production,” published by the Producers & Engineers Wing of the Recording Academy, and is also a member of the Library of Congress’ National Recording Preservation Board.

“I’m so excited for our Producers & Engineers and Songwriters & Composers Wings to come together for ‘A Celebration of Craft’ later this month,” Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. said in a statement. “Both Wings are a critical part of our mission at the Recording Academy to create spaces for music creators to thrive, and I look forward to joining with music people from both of these communities to kick off our GRAMMY Week celebrations.”

“From her decades-spanning recording career to her work as former Chair of the Recording Academy’s Board of Trustees, a co-chair of the P&E Wing, and much more, Leslie Ann Jones has always been committed to the music community and to excellence in recording,” said Maureen Droney, Vice President of the Producers & Engineers Wing, in a statement. “It’s a privilege to convene our national network of creatives and technicians to salute her at ‘A Celebration of Craft’ with the Songwriters & Composers Wing, an essential collaborator in our effort to recognize the people behind the music.”

“‘A Celebration of Craft’ will mark the first GRAMMY Week event for the Songwriters & Composers Wing since our Wing was founded in 2021, and we could not be more enthusiastic to come together with our community for an evening dedicated to celebrating their creativity,” said Susan Stewart, Managing Director of the Songwriters & Composers Wing. “We’re thrilled to co-host this event with our friends in the Producers & Engineers Wing and pay tribute to the diverse creative professions in our industry together.”

The 2024 GRAMMYs, officially known as the 66th GRAMMY Awards, will air live from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 4 (8 -11:30 p.m. LIVE ET/5-8:30 p.m. LIVE PT) on the CBS Television Network and will stream on Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the special airs).

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