Melissa Blazek is a Recording Academy/GRAMMY.com contributor.
(The following is an excerpt from a feature published in the "Health & Fitness Issue" of GRAMMY magazine. Read the complete feature here.)Yes, that's a group of Elvis Presley imitators running 26.2 miles.In the last decade, rock and roll has invaded the world of competitive endurance sports and in the process has infused competitions with a Lollapalooza-like festival spirit. Live bands dot the…
The 54th GRAMMY Awards Pre-Telecast presented trophies in nearly 70 categories Sunday afternoon. The Foo Fighters took four GRAMMYs, while Kanye West and electronic act Skrillex won three each. Artists taking the stage to accept awards during the Pre-Telecast included Taylor Swift, Tony Bennett, the Civil Wars, and Tedeschi Trucks Band.The GRAMMY Pre-Telecast awards presentation event has come into its…
From somewhere in the darkness, the strong and triumphant sound of New Orleans rang out. The clarion call from Leslie Drayton's trumpet set the tone for the GRAMMY Foundation's 8th annual Music on Film Preservation Project event on Saturday, and it tacitly told the audience that the Crescent City and its resilient people will rise again. And as the New…
When the topic of "America's music" is brought up, we usually preen about jazz or rock and roll — two of our most pervasive and influential creative inventions. But country music — a humble blend of influences including Celtic and Appalachian folk, Delta blues and soul-wrenching gospel — is also a purely American musical form. Last night's 9th Annual GRAMMY…
