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Roberta Flack

Roberta Flack at the 1974 GRAMMYs

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Roberta Flack Wins Record Of The Year In 1974 grammy-rewind-roberta-flack-wins-record-year-killing-me-softly-his-song

GRAMMY Rewind: Roberta Flack Wins Record Of The Year For "Killing Me Softly With His Song"

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For the latest episode of GRAMMY Rewind, we revisit the iconic soul singer's second Record Of The Year GRAMMY, for "Killing Me Softly With His Song" at the 1974 GRAMMYs
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Oct 2, 2020 - 12:17 pm

For the latest episode of GRAMMY Rewind (watch below), we revisit the iconic Roberta Flack's second Record Of The Year GRAMMY, for "Killing Me Softly With His Song" at the 1974 GRAMMYs.

Looking '70s chic in a lime green dress and natural makeup, she accepted her award with a simple yet sincere message: "I'd like to thank the world."

Roberta Flack Wins Record Of The Year In 1974

The soulful classic/No. 1 hit (which hit No. 1 again when the Fugees covered it in 1996) also won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance that year. The emotive song is from Flack's 1973 album Killing Me Softly, which was also nominated for Album Of The Year that year.

The year prior, at the 15th GRAMMY Awards, Flack won her first two GRAMMYs, Record Of The Year for "The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face" (yes, she won it two years in a row!) and Best Pop Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group Or Chorus for "Where Is The Love" with Donny Hathaway, from their 1972 duet album.

Watch & Learn: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: Watch The Recording Academy's Inspiring "Change Music" Summit In Full

This year, the "Tryin' Times" singer's powerful voice and countless classics will be celebrated at the GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends, where she joins the prestigious group of Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award honorees. Along with Isaac Hayes, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, John Prine and several others, she joins the 2020 class.

Tune into the Special Merit Awards 2020 celebration on Oct. 16 on PBS to hear music from the honorees sung by artists they've inspired.

Watch: Lalah Hathaway Honors Late Father Donny Hathaway In Moving GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends Performance

Stevie Wonder, Lula Mae Hardaway, Chuck Berry, Little Richard at the 1974 GRAMMYs

Stevie Wonder with his mom, Lula Mae Hardaway, and others at the 1974 GRAMMYs

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GRAMMY Rewind: Stevie Wonder Shares His First GRAMMY Win With His Mom

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In the latest episode of GRAMMY Rewind, rock 'n' roll icons Chuck Berry and Little Richard present Wonder—and his beaming mother—with the GRAMMY for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for "Superstition"
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Jul 10, 2020 - 10:11 am

In the latest episode of GRAMMY Rewind, GRAMMY.com takes a journey back to the 1974 GRAMMY Awards when a then-23-year-old Stevie Wonder took home his first four GRAMMY wins for music for his classic albums Talking Book (1972) and Innervisions (1973).

The soulful musical legend had already earned six GRAMMY nominations during four prior shows, beginning at the 1967 GRAMMYs for his 1965 hit, "Uptight (Everything's Alright)." Just seven years later, he'd take home his first of many golden gramophones.

In March 1974, rock 'n' roll icons Chuck Berry and Little Richard presented Wonder—and his beaming mother—with his first-ever GRAMMY, winning the Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male category for "Superstition," an iconic track from Talking Book.

Watch Stevie Wonder Win Best R&B Vocal Performance

Immediately before Berry and Richard jokingly fought over the microphone to announce the "Higher Ground" singer's name, the two dynamic forces of rock performed a high-powered medley of their music on the GRAMMY stage. Wonder, rocking a perfect afro puff and an embroidered earth-toned shirt-and-pants set, brought up his mother, Lula Mae Hardaway, who looked glamourous in a magenta gown and big feather boa.

"First of all, I'd like for you all, please, not to give this to me, but to my mother," Wonder announced, as Berry handed the golden gramophone to Hardaway. "My mother is going to accept the award for me. I am so very happy; you don't even know how happy I am," he said with a huge smile.

"I would like to thank you all for making this the sunshine of my life tonight," a radiant Hardaway said, nodding to her son's song, "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life," which would also win a GRAMMY that evening.

Read: More Innervisions: Stevie Wonder On Music, Politics & Love

The groovy "Superstition," released in October 1972 on Tamla/Motown as the lead single to Wonder's 15th studio album, Talking Book, won for Best Rhythm & Blues Song that night. "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life," the album's second and only additional single, won for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male. 

Later in the night, Wonder's next album, Innervisions, released in August 1973, less than a year after Talking Book, would win the prestigious Album Of The Year gramophone, rounding out an epic run at the 1974 GRAMMYs.

Stevie Wonder Wins Album Of The Year

His next two (also classic!) albums, Fulfillingness' First Finale (1974) and Songs In The Key Of Life (1976), would also win the Album Of The Year award, at the 17th GRAMMY Awards and 19th GRAMMY Awards, respectively, along with three additional wins each year.

To date, Wonder has earned 25 GRAMMYs, in addition to his six recordings inducted into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame. He received the Recording Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996 and was named MusiCares Person Of The Year in 1999, among many other career accolades.

I Met Her in Philly: D'Angelo's 'Brown Sugar' Turns 25

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Whitney Houston at 1987 GRAMMYs

Whitney Houston at 1987 GRAMMYs

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Watch Whitney Houston Sing "Greatest Love of All" grammy-rewind-watch-whitney-houston-sing-greatest-love-all-1987-grammys

GRAMMY Rewind: Watch Whitney Houston Sing "Greatest Love of All" At The 1987 GRAMMYs

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The inspirational No. 1 hit was recorded for her 1985 self-titled debut album (which also went to No. 1) and was originally recorded by fellow GRAMMY-winning Arista artist George Benson in 1977
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Oct 9, 2020 - 12:06 pm

For the latest episode of GRAMMY Rewind (watch in full below), witness six-time GRAMMY-winning pop/R&B queen Whitney Houston dazzle the 1987 GRAMMYs audience with a show-stopping rendition of "Greatest Love Of All."

Just 23 at the time, she looked glamourous in a cream sequin dress as she offered up her warm, angelic vocals and stage presence to the whole room.

Watch More: Flashback To Whitney Houston's 1985 Hit "Saving All My Love For You" | For The Record

The inspirational No. 1 hit was recorded for her 1985 self-titled debut album (which also went to No. 1) and was originally recorded by fellow GRAMMY-winning Arista artist George Benson in 1977.

The song, released as the seventh single from Whitney Houston, was nominated for Record Of The Year during the 29th GRAMMY Awards that year.

The prior year at the 1986 GRAMMYs, the vocal powerhouse earned her first golden gramophone, for "Saving All My Love For You" and, at the 30th GRAMMY Awards, she earned her second, for "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)."

GRAMMY Rewind: Watch Whitney Houston Win Best Female R&B Vocal Performance At The 2000 GRAMMYs

B.B. King at 1971 GRAMMYs

B.B. King at 1971 GRAMMYs

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Watch B.B. King Win His First GRAMMY In 1971 grammy-rewind-watch-blues-legend-bb-king-win-his-first-grammy-1971

GRAMMY Rewind: Watch Blues Legend B.B. King Win His First GRAMMY In 1971

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In the latest episode of GRAMMY Rewind, witness the King of Blues accept his first of 15 career GRAMMYs
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Oct 30, 2020 - 11:08 am

There is a moment in every legend's life when the world begins to really witness the mastery of their artform. For B.B. King, there was no turning back from his fate to become the King of Blues after releasing "The Thrill Is Gone" in 1969. His reimaging of Roy Hawkins' jazzy 1951 R&B hit would remain one of his biggest songs—and the highest-charting, hitting No. 15 on the Hot 100.

At the 1971 GRAMMYs, the classic blues bop would also earn him his first of 15 career GRAMMY wins.

Legend B.B. King Wins His First GRAMMY In 1971

More B.B. King, "Auld Lang Syne": For The Record

For the latest edition of GRAMMY Rewind, we revisit this first-ever GRAMMY win for the guitar great. Above, watch a humbled, dapper King accept the golden gramophone for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.

Gabe Roth Of The Dap-Kings Talks Sharon Jones Legacy & New Covers Album

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Gladys Knight & The Pips; 1974 GRAMMYs; 16th GRAMMY Awards

Gladys Knight & The Pips at the 1974 GRAMMYs

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Gladys Knight Performs "Midnight Train To Georgia" grammy-rewind-watch-gladys-knight-pips-perform-midnight-train-georgia-16th-grammy

GRAMMY Rewind: Watch Gladys Knight & The Pips Perform "Midnight Train To Georgia" At The 16th GRAMMY Awards

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The iconic soul and R&B act earned their first two golden gramophones that night at the 1974 GRAMMYs
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Jan 17, 2020 - 2:18 pm

Back in 1973, pivotal Atlanta soul and R&B group Gladys Knight & The Pips released their powerful No. 1 hit "Midnight Train To Georgia." The following year, they performed a rousing rendition at the 16th GRAMMY Awards, with Knight stunning in a shimmering gown and The Pips showing off their perfect "Soul Train"-ready dance moves.

Watch: GRAMMY Rewind: Watch Isaac Hayes Win Best Original Score Written For A Motion Picture For 'Shaft'

The former Motown act earned their first two golden gramophones that night: Best R&B Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group Or Chorus for "Midnight Train" and Best Pop Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group Or Chorus for "Neither One Of Us (Wants To Be The First To Say Goodbye)."

Above, in our latest edition of GRAMMY Rewind, watch the Empress of Soul Knight perform "Midnight Train To Georgia" with The Pips at what was clearly a magical 1974 GRAMMYs.

Watch TLC Perform Their Hit "Waterfalls" At the 38th GRAMMY Awards | GRAMMY Rewind

The song was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame in 1999. Another one of their classic tracks, "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," released via Motown in 1967, earned a GRAMMY Hall Of Fame induction in 2018.

The Atlanta group went on to earn several more GRAMMY nominations over the years and one more win, at the 31st GRAMMY Awards in 1989 in the Best R&B Performance category again. This award went to "Love Overboard," the fabulously synthed opening track to 1987's All Our Love. Knight has earned a total of seven golden gramophones to date, most recently in 2006 for her gospel album One Voice.

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Behind The Board: Mike & Keys On Their Special Relationship With Nipsey Hussle, Working With Gladys Knight & More

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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.