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GRAMMYs

Dave Grohl

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Dave Grohl Tells The Story Of Jamming With Prince dave-grohl-tells-story-jamming-prince-talks-growing-his-records

Dave Grohl Tells The Story Of Jamming With Prince, Talks Growing Up To His Records

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Foo Fighters' tribute to the Purple One, plus many more, will air on CBS on April 21 as part of "Let's Go Crazy: The GRAMMY Salute To Prince"
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Apr 6, 2020 - 10:01 am

There probably isn't a musician on Earth who hasn't dreamed of jamming with the one-and-only musical force of nature known as Prince. For Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, this dream came true during Prince's now-famous 21-night residency at The Forum in Los Angeles in 2011.

Dave Grohl Tells The Story Of Jamming With Prince

Prince's L.A. takeover kicked off on April 14 that year and also included intimate performances at the Troubadour, House Of Blues. The town was abuzz, as tickets for the Forum shows were only $25, a nice gift to his fans. But even local rock stars took note of the special occasion.

"He did this 21-night run at the Forum in Los Angeles, so of course me and my friends are like, 'of course we've got to go to at least one show,'" said Grohl backstage at "Let's Go Crazy: The GRAMMY Salute To Prince."

So naturally, Grohl and his friends piled into a party bus to head down to Inglewood, taking advantage of L.A. traffic to have a few (too many) drinks. When they arrived, Grohl's security person, who also worked with Prince had some news for Dave.

According to the story, his security guard told him, "'Hey, he knows your here, he's gonna call you up to jam,'" Grohl recalled. "And I was like, 'no no no no no, I've had one too many already, I'm not going up there with Prince like this. Anybody else I would jump up on stage and make a mess, but Prince? No way."

https://twitter.com/RecordingAcad/status/1243282329772199940

The #Prince tribute concert will air on April 21, the four year anniversary of his passing, with an all-star lineup including @GaryClarkJr, @common, @EarthWindFire, and more. 💜🎶 https://t.co/xrhrbPZoPD

— Recording Academy / GRAMMYs (@RecordingAcad) March 26, 2020

After the show, Grohl would be led back behind a velvet curtain to meet Prince and the great Sheila E., a double thrill. Prince asked him when he wanted to jam, then told him to come back the next week on Friday. To arrange the details, Grohl's manager gave Prince Dave's phone number.

"I sat with that phone in my hand for a week, on vibrate, sleeping with it near my head, the whole thing, waiting for him to call, and he never called," Grohl said.

By the time that Friday came around, Grohl showed up at the Forum not knowing quite what to expect.

"I walk out into the arena... it's empy. I'm talking to my guitar tech and all of a sudden, just like that 'SNL' skit with Maya Rudolph, he just appears," Grohl said. "He goes, 'you wanna jam?'"

Grohl then recalled sitting behind the drum kit as the band started joining in with Prince on bass. After the first song, everyone is high-fiving and Prince told him he had a heavy foot, a compliment Grohl took to heart.

"Then he picks up a guitar and starts playing 'Whole Lotta Love' by Led Zeppelin," Grohl said. "And it was awesome. It sounded so good, amazing. We do that for like eight minutes and I'm like, 'Oh god, this is the best band I've ever been in."

Dave Grohl Lauds Prince Ahead Of Tribute Special

Due scheduling conflicts, Grohl never got to join Prince on stage during a show, though he was invited back. Unfortunately, he never saw Prince again, but the experience is that of a dream and one Grohl will never forget.

"I'm an '80s kid, so I grew up with all of his records, and as a popular musician, he was the most talented of anybody," Grohl said. "He was the best bass player, he was the best guitar player, he was the best drummer, he was the best singer, he was the best dancer. He was just the best."

You can catch Foo Fighters' tribute to the Purple One, plus many more, can be seen as part of "Let's Go Crazy: The GRAMMY Salute To Prince." airing on Tuesday, April 21, the four-year anniversary of Prince's death, from 9–11PM ET/PT on CBS and streaming on CBS All Access.

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"Let's Go Crazy: The GRAMMY Salute To Prince" To Air April 21 On CBS Featuring John Legend, H.E.R., Usher & More

 

Chris Martin & Susanna Hoffs at "Let's Go Crazy: The GRAMMY Salute To Prince"

Chris Martin & Susanna Hoffs

Photo: Monty Brinton/CBS/Getty Images

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Here's Who Rocked The GRAMMY Tribute To Prince foo-fighters-her-chris-martin-mavis-staples-heres-who-rocked-grammy-prince-tribute

From Foo Fighters To H.E.R., Chris Martin To Mavis Staples, Here's Who Rocked The GRAMMY Prince Tribute

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Earth, Wind & Fire, St. Vincent, Beck, John Legend, Common, The Time, The Revolution and more also brought purple power to "Let's Go Crazy: The GRAMMY Salute To Prince"
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Apr 21, 2020 - 8:20 pm

"To me, Prince is music. To love Prince is to love music," "Let's Go Crazy: The GRAMMY Tribute To Prince" host Maya Rudolph said as the GRAMMY special aired on Tuesday, April 21. "He said so much, so well, for so long, and then was gone too soon."

On the fourth anniversary of the seven-time GRAMMY winner and cultural icon's death, the Recording Academy and some very special celebrity friends celebrated his life and musical treasure trove. The shimmering Prince tribute concert, "Let's Go Crazy: The GRAMMY Salute To Prince," featured powerhouse numbers from Foo Fighters, Beck, Common, Earth, Wind & Fire, H.E.R., Mavis Staples, St. Vincent, John Legend, Miguel, Coldplay's Chris Martin, the Bangles' Susanna Hoffs and many more. The latter pair sang a stripped-down piano rendition of "Manic Monday," the Bangles' hit penned by Prince, while Dave Grohl led the Foo Fighters in a rocked-up covers of "Pop Life" and "Darling Nikki," the latter complete with growls and shrieks.

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Mavis Staples and The Revolution perform at "Let's Go Crazy: The GRAMMY Salute To Prince" | Photo: Monty Brinton/CBS/Getty Images

Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis and Sheila E. served as musical directors for the show, and all performed during it. Jam and Lewis, who got their start as part of Prince-formed act the Time, brought the moves with that classic group, while Sheila served up her epic drumming during the majority of numbers, as the bandleader of the powerhouse backing band. Prince's very own GRAMMY-winning backing band The Revolution also served up major purple realness during the show, performing "Delirious" with Rudolph and her duo Princess, "Purple Rain" with Staples and a joyful, star-studded finale of "Baby I'm a Star."

Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis Tease Morris Day & The Time's Prince Tribute Medley For "Let's Go Crazy"

In case you missed its airing on CBS/CBS All Access, or in case you couldn't Shazam some of the deeper cuts quickly enough, let's take a trip back to a time filled with "Purple Rain," before the coronavirus crisis stopped us all in our tracks (the show was safely and miraculously taped before the pandemic rocked the States).

H.E.R. Celebrates No. 1 Influence Prince

Opening the festivities were fellow GRAMMY winners and guitarists Gary Clark Jr. and H.E.R., who performed the night's titular bop, "Let's Go Crazy." The "Hard Place" singer rocked a fabulously shiny, iridescent white jumpsuit with a color-coordinating electric guitar, while the "This Land" artist stylishly contrasted her in a matte black suit and brown woodgrain guitar.

H.E.R. Celebrates Prince At "Let's Go Crazy" Tribute: "It's Gonna Be A Party!"

Miguel Honors Prince With "I Would Die 4 U"

Miguel Praises Prince, Talks About Performing "I Would Die 4 U" For "Let's Go Crazy: The GRAMMY Salute To Prince"

Next up was R&B angel Miguel, who brought sexy, Princely swagger—complete with white lace and eyeliner—to Purple Rain track "I Would Die 4 U."

John Legend Performs "Nothing Compares 2 U"

"He set the stage for all of us who follow," said EGOT-winner Legend, who wore a fierce, fitted dark grey suit. He sang a rousing rendition of "Nothing Compares 2 U," Prince's GRAMMY-nominated song originally performed by Sinead O'Connor.

GRAMMY-winning polymath St. Vincent followed, donning a lavender ruffled bodysuit and white go-go boots. Before she calmly slayed "Controversy," she told a story of Prince attending one of her shows, which "scared her to death." "Prince's music means so much to all of us," she added.

Juanes Takes Us Back To "1999" In Prince's Honor At "Let's Go Crazy: The GRAMMY Salute To Prince"

GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY winner Juanes, wearing a maroon crushed velvet top, rocked out with a lively rendition of "1999." The Colombian rock star was introduced by the Purple One's longtime friend, Naomi Campbell. He was followed by another song from H.E.R., this time with dancer and Prince collaborator, Misty Copeland. Her gorgeous dance moves brought a powerful energy to H.E.R.'s electric performance of "The Beautiful Ones." Sitting at a space-age white Roland piano, H.E.R. hit alll the high notes with a commanding, graceful power.

Naomi Campbell On GRAMMY Salute To Prince: "I Really Wanted Him To Have The Celebration He Deserved"

Next on deck during the show was another act featuring beautifully articulated choreography, this time by FKA Twigs and Usher, from their slick 2020 GRAMMY performance (watch above) of "Little Red Corvette," When Doves Cry" and "Kiss." Martin and Hoffs brought us back down to earth with lovely duet of "Manic Monday," with Martin playing the piano.

GRAMMYs

The Time perform at "Let's Go Crazy: The GRAMMY Tribute To Prince" | Photo: Monty Brinton/CBS/Getty Images

Not wanting to keep the audience in their seats too long, Morris Day, Jam, Lewis and The Time brought the energy back up with a medley of some of The Time's biggest bops written by Prince: "Jungle Love," "Cool" and "The Bird." They all still dance like it's 1984 and Ice Cream Castle just hit the airwaves—apparently an active diet of Prince music keeps you young and fresh.

Morris Day Pays Tribute To His Friend Prince At "Let's Go Crazy: The GRAMMY Salute To Prince"

Dave Grohl Tells The Story Of Jamming With Prince

Dave Grohl, meanwhile, shared a story (watch the clip above) about the time he jammed with Prince in an empty L.A. Forum. He also spoke about how Foo Fighters used to perform "Darling Nikki" in their early days. Their hard-rocking slayage of the sexually explicit Purple Rain track was the first time they'd played it in over 20 years. Host Rudolph then kicked it over to the legendary GRAMMY winning-soul group Earth, Wind & Fire for a rolicking cover of Sign 'O the Times cut "Adore."

GRAMMY-winning rapper/actor/activist Common followed with a modern update on the 1987 album's socially charged title track, "Sign O' The Times."

Watch Common Perform "Sign 'O' The Times"

Next, GRAMMY-winning alt-rock stalwart Beck sang ubiquitous Prince catalog classic, "Raspberry Beret," complete with the music video's cartoon clouds dancing in the background. 

Beck Performs Prince's "Raspberry Beret"

Clark Jr. returned to the stage for a special duet with Sheila E., of another Sign 'O the Times deep cut, "The Cross."

Gary Clark Jr. On His Admiration For Prince: "He's The Best Guitar Player In The World"

Gary Clark Jr. Sings Prince Deep Cut "The Cross"

Comedian/actor/musician Fred Armisen then took the stage to introduce the evening's true star, Sheila E., who'd already changed into another bold ook. She then led a medley of "America," "Free" and "The Glamorous Life," tracks she recorded with the icon himself.

Sheila E. Honors Prince's Unmatched Musical Legacy: "There's Only One Prince"

Armisen returned to introduce one his "best friends," Maya Rudolph, who'd also changed into another look for her performance with her Prince cover band, Princess, who slayed "Delirious" with The Revolution, Prince's powerhouse backing band.

The Revolution stuck around to rock out with the one and only Staples for a incredibly moving rendition of "Purple Rain." Finally, they lead a packed stage for a very star-studded, lively take of "Baby I'm a Star," bringing out all the amazing performers who channeled Prince's royal energy during the show.

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Dave Grohl Tells The Story Of Jamming With Prince, Talks Growing Up To His Records

Naomi Campbell

Naomi Campbell

Photo: Recording Academy

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Naomi Campbell Remembers "Great Friend" Prince naomi-campbell-grammy-salute-prince-i-really-wanted-him-have-celebration-he-deserved

Naomi Campbell On GRAMMY Salute To Prince: "I Really Wanted Him To Have The Celebration He Deserved"

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Tomorrow, on the fourth anniversary of the iconic purple one's passing, "Let's Go Crazy" The GRAMMY Salute To Prince" celebrates his life and unparalleled music catalog with a star-studded cast, including his long-time friend, supermodel Campbell
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Apr 20, 2020 - 12:21 pm

Legendary British supermodel and philanthropist Naomi Campbell sat down with the Recording Academy backstage at "Let's Go Crazy: The GRAMMY Salute To Prince" to talk about her longtime friend Prince and what celebrating his life—four years after we lost his light—means to her.

"I knew Prince since I was 17, I met him in Paris, and we had some fun all over the world," Campbell said. "I just loved and adored him, [he was a] great friend."

She presents during the star-studded show, airing tomorrow evening on CBS/CBS All Access, which features Princely performances from The Time, Gary Clark Jr., Miguel, Juanes, H.E.R. and many more, with a band led by Prince collaborator and protégé Sheila E.

Naomi Campbell Remembers "Great Friend" Prince

"It's a celebratory night," she added. "The initial shock [of Prince's death] is over, but we still miss him. I really wanted him to have the celebration he deserved, so I'm really happy they did this."

Don't forget to tune in to CBS (or stream on CBS All Access) tomorrow Tues., April 21 from 9:00–11:00 p.m. ET/PT to hear more from Campbell, as well as all the powerhouse covers lovingly selected from Prince's musical treasure chest.

You can also expect fierce looks—with plenty of shimmer, purple and gold—from the star-studded cast that also includes The Revolution, St. Vincent, Chris Martin, John Legend, Dave Grohl with the Foo Fighters, Earth, Wind & Fire and other musical greats.

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Sheila E. Honors Prince's Unmatched Musical Legacy: "There's Only One Prince"

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Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis

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Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis Talk Prince Tribute Medley jimmy-jam-terry-lewis-tease-morris-day-times-prince-tribute-medley-lets-go-crazy

Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis Tease Morris Day & The Time's Prince Tribute Medley For "Let's Go Crazy"

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The five-time GRAMMY-winning production duo also reveal one of Prince's favorite songs and how they plan to honor him at the tribute special, airing Apr. 21 on CBS
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Apr 17, 2020 - 1:02 pm

With "Let's Go Crazy: The GRAMMY Salute To Prince" just days away, airing on Apr. 21, we hear from two legends, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.about the special tribute medley they have planned to honor the great Prince. with their legendary funk band, Morris Day and The Time.

Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis Talk Prince Tribute Medley

"Well for the medley we thought, 'We've gotta give people what they want,'" said Jimmy Jam backstage during the filming, teasing some of the songs they choose, including one of Prince's favorite songs of The Time's from back in the day, "Cool."

As a production duo, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis have won five GRAMMY Awards and worked with some of the biggest names in music. But on this special evening, it's all about Prince, and the gravity of the gathering was not lost on the two music legends in their own right. 

"It's totally emotional to be here tonight anyway, not just with our group, but with The Revolution...with Sheila E.," said Lewis. "It's just an awesome feeling to get us all in the buiilding, in same room, on the same stage."  

Catch their special performance, plus many more, as part of "Let's Go Crazy: The GRAMMY Salute To Prince." airing on Tuesday, April 21, the four-year anniversary of Prince's death, from 9–11PM ET/PT on CBS and streaming on CBS All Access.

Miguel Praises Prince, Talks About Performing "I Would Die 4 U" For "Let's Go Crazy: The GRAMMY Salute To Prince"

GRAMMYs

Sheila E.

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Sheila E. Honors Prince's Unmatched Musical Legacy sheila-e-honors-princes-unmatched-musical-legacy-theres-only-one-prince

Sheila E. Honors Prince's Unmatched Musical Legacy: "There's Only One Prince"

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The GRAMMY-nominated percussion pioneer's tribute performance, plus many more, will air on CBS on April 21 as part of "Let's Go Crazy: The GRAMMY Salute To Prince"
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Apr 15, 2020 - 12:41 pm

Backstage at "Let's Go Crazy: The GRAMMY Salute To Prince," Sheila E. jokes about serving the music in more ways than one. But for someone who not only spent so much time with the musical legend during his life but also built a remarkable career as an artist, serving the music comes naturally.

Sheila E. Honors Prince's Unmatched Musical Legacy

"To be able to play his music, it's his legacy. It's what he left us. That's really important," she said backstage. "To be able to share this with the next generation of people is just amazing. It's awesome."

The tribute concert special will feature a star-studded lineup of performers, including Earth, Wind & Fire, Foo Fighters, H.E.R, Juanes, John Legend, Miguel, among others.

"We're not trying to duplicate what Prince did, becuse no one can," Sheila E. said. "There's only one Prince. All we're doing is sharing how we feel and our interpretation."

The GRAMMY-nominated percussion pioneer's tribute performance, plus many more, as part of "Let's Go Crazy: The GRAMMY Salute To Prince." airing on Tuesday, April 21, the four-year anniversary of Prince's death, from 9–11PM ET/PT on CBS and streaming on CBS All Access.

Dave Grohl Tells The Story Of Jamming With Prince, Talks Growing Up To His Records

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Some of the content on this site expresses viewpoints and opinions that are not those of the Recording Academy. Responsibility for the accuracy of information provided in stories not written by or specifically prepared for the Academy lies with the story's original source or writer. Content on this site does not reflect an endorsement or recommendation of any artist or music by the Recording Academy.