J. Poet is a Recording Academy/GRAMMY.com contributor.
Many country music fans come to Nashville just to have lunch at Larry's Country Diner, but they search for the eatery in vain. They've seen "Larry's Country Diner" on RFD-TV and assume it's a real location, but, for the present time, Larry's only exists on the studio set of the popular show, which celebrated its milestone 100th episode on June…
When it comes to Memphis, it's arguably the music that keeps the Tennessee city in the hearts and minds of people all over the world. Whether it's Stax Records, B.B. King, Elvis Presley, W.C. Handy, the Hi Rhythm Section, Booker T. & The MG's, or the Memphis Horns, the city has earned its reputation as the birthplace of rock and…
A musician, songwriter, label owner, and GRAMMY-winning producer, Trevor Horn has been a defining presence on the British pop music scene since 1979 when he had his first hit with the Buggles. Their song, "Video Killed The Radio Star," may be one of the most prophetic pop tunes ever written, predating the birth of MTV.Horn launched his career as a…
If John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten) had only fronted the Sex Pistols, his place in pop music history would have still been secure. His restless creative spirit, keen intelligence, unique vocal style, and aggressive stage presence made him one of the most recognized faces on the planet as the band rose to prominence in the late '70s. Though they only…
Art Garfunkel's angelic voice has been part of the American musical landscape since "The Sound Of Silence," his first hit as half of Simon And Garfunkel, went to No. 1 in 1965. The soaring high notes he delivered during the coda of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" remain one of pop's transcendent moments and earned the duo GRAMMYs for Record Of…
Taj Mahal has been blending world music with blues ever since he started performing more than 50 years ago. The two-time GRAMMY winner developed his own inimitable style by incorporating jazz, African music, reggae, soul, Hawaiian rhythms, rock, and R&B elements into his sound. On his current World Blues tour, he continues to underline the connections between African-American roots music…
(Taking place throughout 2012, the Woody Guthrie Centennial Celebration is designed to salute Woody Guthrie's extraordinary impact on American music. The GRAMMY Museum has been an active participant in the celebration, co-producing a tribute concert on April 14 in Los Angeles. For more information on the celebration, visit www.woody100.com.)Songwriter Steve Earle has often acknowledged how artists such as Guy Clark…
An early pioneer of smooth jazz, eight-time GRAMMY-nominated saxist Dave Koz released his self-titled debut album in 1990, which climbed to No. 4 on Billboard's Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart. He followed with several releases that charted in the Top 5 on the jazz chart, including Lucky Man (1993), Off The Beaten Path (1996), December Makes Me Feel This Way…
"We're the 'Antiques Roadshow' of rock and roll," says Robert Reynolds, "only we don't wait for people to bring us their stuff. We actually go on the road to find our antiques."Reynolds, the bass player for GRAMMY-winning country rock band the Mavericks and a self-described fanatical collector of rock and country music memorabilia, is one-half of the team featured on…
Country singer/songwriter Ernest Tubb never took his fans for granted and was an artist who went the extra mile to show them his gratitude for their support. Case in point, in 1947 Tubb started an informal concert radio show from his record store on 720 Commerce Street in Nashville with the idea of presenting an intimate experience as a contrast…
Hip-hop's roots can be traced to an underground movement created by young African-American artists, rappers, dancers, and club DJs in the Bronx in the '70s. Its innovative combination of street-level poetry and high-tech beats underlined its potential accessibility. In 1988 The Recording Academy instituted a Best Rap Performance GRAMMY category in acknowledgement of the genre's growing impact. By the '90s,…
Cheech & Chong are among the preeminent comedy duos of all time. Richard "Cheech" Marin and Tommy Chong began performing together in the late '60s at the comedy club Chong owned in Vancouver, British Columbia. After trying to form a band, the duo settled for comedy, honing their act as a pair of clueless, marijuana-addled hippies. They moved to Los…
When "Get Down Tonight" came blasting out of car radios and home stereos in 1975, there was nothing else like it on the air. The cascade of glittering keyboards and guitars sparkled like the noontime sun on a tropical ocean. Then the thumping drums, booming bass and delirious hand clapping came in to lift you out of your seat. It…
George Jones has remained one of the more dominant male vocalists in country music since beginning his career in East Texas more than six decades ago. His contributions have been staggering. He's charted nearly 80 Top 10 Billboard Country Songs hits, including "He Stopped Loving Her Today," which reached the top of the chart and earned Jones his first GRAMMY…
GRAMMY-nominated Southern rock band Gov't Mule are set to release their new studio album, Shout!, on Sept. 24. Ahead of the double album's release, GRAMMY.com has your exclusive first listen to two versions of "When The World Gets Small," one featuring Gov't Mule and the other featuring GRAMMY winner Steve Winwood on lead vocals. In addition to the track debut,…
One of the singer/songwriters who had to contend with being called the "new Dylan," Scotland's Donovan emerged in the mid-'60s to create his own unique body of work. His musical diversity — his style was marked by elements of folk, jazz, rock, world music, and pop — marked him as an original, with lyrics heavily influenced by the bardic tradition,…
When Don Was, co-founder of the Detroit funk/pop band Was (Not Was), was offered the position of president and chief creative officer at Blue Note Records, he was as surprised as anyone. "I was in New York [producing] a John Mayer record and had breakfast with Dan McCarroll, president of Capitol [& Virgin Label] Group, who is an old friend,"…
Touted as America's longest-running weekly Beatles radio show, "Breakfast With The Beatles" celebrated its 30th anniversary in December 2013. The broadcast airs Sunday mornings from 9 a.m. to noon on Los Angeles radio station KLOS-FM. Created by DJ Deirdre O'Donoghue in December 1983, the show features the music of the Beatles, both as a band and as individual solo artists, obscure…
The late Englishman John Peel is one of the most influential DJs in the history of music. He got his start spinning records on the pirate station Radio London in 1967 and his eclectic taste and antiestablishment ethos continued as his trademark even after he began working for the BBC's pop channel, Radio 1. Peel's shows were a mix of…
When Mike Stoller met Jerry Leiber in 1950, rock and roll hadn't been invented yet. The duo — pianist Stoller and lyricist Leiber — wanted to write songs for blues artists they admired. After a few small hits, including "Hound Dog" by Big Mama Thornton and "Black Denim Trousers And Motorcycle Boots" by the Cheers, their fortunes changed dramatically. In…
