Judy Collins

Photo by: Daniel Mendoza / The Recording Academy

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Judy Collins On Gender Equality In Music: "Whatever You Say, Whatever You Do, We Are Not Going Away" | Newport Folk 2019

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The GRAMMY-winning folk icon stopped by to chat with the Recording Academy about the first time she attended Newport Folk in 1963, rubbing shoulders with Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell, what the fest means to her and more
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Jul 30, 2019 - 11:53 am

Folk hero Judy Collins has seen it all. At a thriving 80 years old, the beloved GRAMMY-winning performer, who is arguably best known for singing the Joni Mitchell-penned "Both Sides Now" and being the subject of Crosby, Stills & Nash's "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes," Collins remembers attending Newport Folk Festival all the way back in 1963, back when major music stars like Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Peter, Paul & Mary, Leonard Cohen and Pete Seeger were rising, and relatively unknown voices. 

Collins, who still writes, records and tours extensively, remembers hanging with the aforementioned names like it was yesterday. "We'd get drunk and stay up all night and sit out listening to Son House and Mississippi John Hurt," she tells the Recording Academy. "It was very different in those days. It was very exciting, but simpler. There were often stages where the stage was filled with great singers, Dylan and Pete and Odetta. Just so many, many, many, many, many artists been here."

The living legend attended this year's Newport Folk Festival, where she had quite a lively experience, teaming up with Brandi Carlile, The Highwomen and Dolly Parton onstage for multiple duets. The Recording Academy sat down with Collins to chat more about her long, storied history with the fest, how she keeps up the creativity decade after decade and what we have left to do in terms of achieving equal pay and equal rights for women in the music industry. 

Judy Collins Recalls Her First Newport Folk Fest

What has this festival meant for you and your career, and why is Newport special?

The first time I was at Newport was 1963, I think. From after that I've been on I was here with Peter, Paul and Mary, with [Bob] Dylan before the electric. One of the first big festivals and times when I saw Dylan and Joni [Mitchell], I think, it was '63 and there's lots of footage of that. We'd get drunk and stay up all night and sit out listening to Son House and Mississippi John Hurt. And the tents, the workshops were just incredible full of all kinds. The staples were here, the family. Pete was here, Pete Seeger was always here. John Cohen and Ramblin' Jack Elliott are still here today. They're doing shows at the museum, I think, today, again. So I've been here with so many people. In '67 I put together a show with Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen, who were here for the first time that afternoon.

It was an afternoon singer/songwriter on one of the lawns. I mean, I still think I'm old school, but it was very different in those days. It was very exciting, but simpler. There were often stages where the stage was filled with great singers, Dylan and Pete and Odetta. Just so many, many, many, many, many artists have been here. I was on the board of directors with George Wein in the '60s in 1963, '64, '65. Pete was on that board and you would talk about the shows every summer, what they were going to be, who was going to be on them. And I just saw George Wein when I came in the other day. Of course, he's still around. He's still kicking. He's a wonderful man. And it was his genius that put this whole thing together for us. He started with the jazz festival, of course, and then something piqued his interest. I don't know who it was. Maybe it was Pete.

Joan was on that first one in 1959 and she and I are still friends. 2009, which was my last until today, my last appearance here, we sang together, Joan and I in the rain, we sang one of her songs, "Diamonds And Rust." So it's part of my history. I've been here. I've sung here. I've had workshops here. I've introduced artists who were unknown to the public, like Joni Mitchell, and Leonard Cohen and others. And today I'm here with a young artist that I discovered a few years ago with Ari Hest. He's going to be part of my set at the museum today, and we'll sing together. He'll sing alone and we'll do some things. We had an album that we put out two years ago, which was nominated for a GRAMMY. And it was my first GRAMMY nomination in 40 years. I now hold the record for the time between GRAMMY nominations. The runner-up was Gloria Gaynor who had 23 years between her nominations for a GRAMMY.

You shattered the record. Wow. Well, I think that's one thing that strikes everybody about you. It's been 10 years since you've been here and you've been extremely active. For a lot of artists as they get older they lose the fire. What has kept you so productive and creative in this stage of your career?

I landed in the right career when I was 19, and I was 19 when I started doing this, so I've had 60 years to figure out why I love it. I love it because it provides me with an avenue to write songs, to choose songs. I've just made an album with a wonderful bluegrass group called the Chatham County Line, which is coming out in November. In the last five or six years I've had a duets album where I sang with Jackson Browne, and Michael McDonald, and Willie Nelson and done albums with [Stephen] Sondheim, the Sondheim songs I love. Duets where I took Ari's song, which we're going to sing today, "Strangers Again," and added to it other great singers and songwriters. It excites me. What I do is fantastic for me and for my audiences. Imagine being able to do 120 shows a year. Last year I did 115 of those shows with Stephen Stills. I was out with him on the road all over the country, and next year we're going to tour with Arlo Guthrie. It never stops.

In your career you've chosen incredible songs to interpret and sing by other people. What do you look for in a song to make it your own?

It has to be something that I fall in love with immediately, or else I never want to hear it again. So the first six years of my recordings in '61 when I began, first I sang traditional songs, one of which I'm going to sing today, "John Riley." Then I didn't write any songs in that first few years.

I was brought up on all kinds of music. My father was in the radio business. He sang Rodgers And Hart. I knew all those songs. I knew the traditional songs like "Danny Boy." Then when I started to learn folk music, I learned all the traditional songs there, but I never thought about writing songs. There was no reason to. There were so many great songs that I learned from other singers.

The year that I found "Both Sides Now," Joni Mitchell sang it to me on the telephone, which I said last night in front of everybody. She was hanging out with Al Kooper who started Blood, Sweat and Tears, and he put her on the phone and she sang to me "Both Sides Now," which is why this whole thing happened. It was that year in '67 also that Leonard, whom I also recorded his first songs that he ever wrote, he said to me, "I love it. I want you to always record my songs," which I have, but he said, "I don't understand why you're not writing your own songs." So I went home and wrote "Since You've Asked," and I've been writing ever since. I'm going to sing a brand-new one today called "The Grand Canyon."

It's never stopped for me. It's always creative. It's always energy going both to continue to be healthy. I mean, that's one of the things that I'm so grateful for because I have great health. I'm sober for 41 years in case anybody wants to know that there is a solution if you have that kind of a problem. We rock with 12-step programs. They're free, by the way. You don't even need health care to go to a 12-step program, and there are hundreds of them for every problem you might have. So I was lucky because by that time I could then focus on my work, on my health, on eating right, on thinking right, on what's the next creative thing to do, but there's a price for all of it, and part of it is you've got to stay healthy. And we all know that there are lots of people who don't have that good fortune. So I'm grateful for that because it allows me to be able to keep on doing it.

You've been such an activist in your career, especially through music with the songs that you've written, and I think being here at Newport we're reminded that music can create a change. Having been through decades of fighting the good fight when you look back, what do you think music can do? How powerful is it to create change? What have you seen?

A couple years ago I wrote a song called "Dreamers" and I've recorded it. It's about the immigration problem. It's become a problem since people can allow others to direct them to do the wrong thing about immigration. And when I sing "Dreamers," I've been singing it now for about a year and a half, and as I said, I do 120 shows a year, so I have an opportunity to hear and to experience what people think. I think I can hear them thinking because it gets very quiet. I'm going to sing that song today in my show at the museum with Ari.

I don't think I'm making this up. I think when I'm singing the song, I can almost hear people thinking, "Okay, so what do I do? What could be an action that I could take that one person can take?" One person can vote. One person can give money to a candidate that's doing the right thing. One person can go and march. One person can change their entire life, really, if they wish to. And I hear that going on. Of course, then when the song is finished there's a silence and then this incredible wave of people screaming and yelling, standing up, and chanting and hollering, and wanting somehow to do something right this minute.

Oh, it gives me chills and that's exactly how it happens and how it makes change. I'd also love to ask you about gender equality in music. I think this year's festival has a very strong feminine power behind it with last night's headliner, we had The Highwomen in here yesterday. In your career, what progress do you think has been made towards a level playing field for all musicians? And what do you think we still have left to do when it comes to gender equality and music?

Well, equal pay for equal work is the thing that comes to mind. I mean, we are breaking all kinds of glass ceilings. I was so impressed with Brandi [Carlile] what she did last night. She really gave her time. My husband and I were talking about she gave up her spotlight to include all these women, and to make it into something which really showed, oh, well, here we are. Whatever you say, whatever you do, we are not going away. We are here to stay. And we are going to get equal pay for equal work one of these days. It's not happened yet in all these years.

I mean, my husband and I, the first time we met we were at an equal rights amendment fundraiser in 1978. Everybody hollered and yelled. I think we were one vote short. I mean, we really came close to getting this passed, and I think that's where we are now. I think the equal rights amendment has to pass and equal equality. I mean, we've got the gender equality. We've got the financial equality to work on, but it's moving, it's happening. I think that there's every reason to believe that [women] hold up half the sky. I can't remember who it was who said that. I don't think it was a woman. [Editor's note: Mao Zedong first said "Women hold up half the sky."] 

You mentioned "Both Sides Now" and the GRAMMY. What memories do you have of finding out that you'd been nominated for a GRAMMY Award 50 years ago?

Well, I was very out of it in those days. I mean, I was very present. I never canceled a date. I always showed up on time, but I was a little foggy. I was thrilled. Well, first of all, I fell in love with Joni Mitchell's songs, many of them, because I recorded "Both Sides Now." I recorded "Michael From Mountains." I recorded "Song About The Midway." I recorded others of hers and I'm singing in concerts. I'm singing others of her songs, but she just dazzled me always. So when I heard that it was nominated, well, and then I had a GRAMMY for it that was very good news, but on the other hand I had a show to do the next night. I had places to go, luggage to pack, drinks to get, you know? It was all about keeping the whole show going. It was thrilling because I think it made it clear that I was serious about what I was doing.

Maren Morris, Natalie Hemby & Amanda Shires Of The Highwomen Are "Redesigning Women" | Newport Folk 2019

Ozomatli 

Photo: Jordan Strauss/WireImage.com

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Ozomatli To Host Family-Friendly 'OzoKids' Event At GRAMMY Museum Latin Gallery Opening

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The band's program, inspired by their 2012 album of the same name, comes to the GRAMMY Museum on Nov. 18
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Nov 15, 2019 - 3:53 pm

In 2012, Los Angeles' own Ozomatli recorded their very first kid's album, Ozomatli Presents OzoKidz.

Previously, the two-time GRAMMY-winning band had been known for meshing cumbia, salsa, hip-hop, funk and more in an upbeat, danceable fusion unique to growing up Latinx in L.A. Songs like "Cumbia del Muerto," or "Cumbia Of The Dead," off their 1998 self-titled album, was easily the soundtrack of Latin bi-cultural America during that time. Now, the song is a cumbia-American classic, continuing to bring Ozomatli's legacy to the next generation of Latinx in the U.S. 

OzoKidz - Plans For Children's Album

But as time went by and the band began to notice that their fans were starting to have kids, they saw an opportunity to connect with an even tinier generation.

"I think one of the great things about it for us is that we were able to really look at songwriting as a way to really get into characters," vocalist and guitarist Raul Pacheco tells the Recording Academy. "We just sat around and talked about things we went through as a kid or things you were into and just kind of associated certain styles of music with those subjects."

The 2010s album, which would become a GRAMMY-winning album, kept the band's sonic essence but also contained songs meant to teach kids how not be afraid of water, skateboarding and germs. Ultimately, the album taught the band something, too.  

"It actually helped our songwriting, [to] kind of not have to be stuck to what it meant to be an adult," Pacheco said. 

Now, Ozomatli are bringing their program—inspired by the OzoKidz album experience—to the Recording Academy's GRAMMY Museum on Nov. 18, the same day the Latin Music Gallery at the museum in Los Angeles is set to launch. Pacheco says the program will only continue to build the relationship Ozomatli has with the museum, the GRAMMYs and the Recording Academy. 

The Recording Academy spoke with Pacheco more about how the album helped the band evolve, their workshop at the Latin Gallery unveiling, being a part of the GRAMMY Museum history, music education and more. 

You are going to be a part of a kids workshop during the GRAMMY Museum Latin gallery opening. But this isn't your first rodeo with kids. Why connect with kids via an album?

We all grew up in public school systems where we learned and were introduced to music. I think that experience for us as young people is super impressionable, something we all talk about a lot, the importance of that experience for us. It really kind of makes playing music not some unattainable thing that you only see someone do in pictures or on TV or whatever. It's always been something very important to us.

I think we've always had a connection. As we've gotten older and have our own children, we got to a point where a lot of our fans were having kids ... So the idea came up to make a kid's record and we went for it. I think one of the great things about it for us is that we were able to really look at songwriting as a way to really get into characters. It actually helped our songwriting, [to] kind of not have to be stuck to what it meant to be an adult. We could just... create these different kinds of impressions that we were trying to focus on what it meant to be a kid. It was really cool to all these different kinds of subjects you go to just in a natural way as a child. I think we tried to make a record and songs that the parents wouldn't get sick of listening to a thousand times.

Was it only the themes you felt changed?

Yeah, because on that record there's a song about going to the movies, there's a song about germs that's just kind of funny. It's a little scary and funny. There's a song about being afraid to go into the water, and don't be afraid of it, just jump in. There's a song about skateboarding. So there's all these different subjects. We just sat around and talked about things we went through as a kid or things you were into and just kind of associated certain styles of music with those subjects. 

What kind of experience with music did you have at school?

My first real experience with music was in the school choir and I had a very, very important teacher, Mrs. Hubbard. She was one of those teachers that was so influential in terms of really introducing children to music and she was so good at it. You don't really realize that until you're old and you can kind of go like, "Wow, this lady used to wrangle all of these kids and get them to do something some of them didn't even think they could do." There's a kind of a profound thing in that, that a lot of teachers probably experience in terms of just introducing kids to concepts or to the experiences to help them do the work that it takes to have an outcome. I think for me it was also understanding, without knowing it at the time, it takes work to do what you want to do.

You have to show up, you have to practice, you have to rehearse, you got to prep and then you got to perform. And the better you get at all that it really allows you to have better presentation. Those concepts, which you're not really sure that you're not even really aware that you're learning that, it's kind of really important ... I went on to be in a boys' choir because of her. Then I just got into rock guitar as a teenager and that kind of led to other stuff. But that first experience from her was super important.

Why work with the museum on this workshop now?

We've had a long relationship with the GRAMMY Museum. [We] performed there many times. We did a kids' presentation there ourselves. We got to perform with Booker T. there. I've seen numerous presentations there. So we have a relationship with the GRAMMYs. Doing MusiCares, which we performed at, to Harold Owens who runs MusiCares, to people who work at the GRAMMY Museum. We've won GRAMMYs. I think that all kind of makes us part of that family so we know that there's certain things that they can ask us that we're always willing to do, if possible. This is one of those things.

What can you tell us about the event on Monday?

I know that it's an important presentation. There's going to be important items there with the idea of Latino music and we're going to grab the family. We're a part of that history. We have some stuff there that they asked us to bring. I have a Tres guitar, which is a Cuban guitar, that's going to be there. That was one I played at one of the Latin GRAMMYs. They asked for a bunch of stuff from some performances that we had. For us, it's just important to be a part of that whole moment and that presentation and we're honored that they asked us. Doing what we do is just, [it's] not really work. We're going to have to show up and do what we do.

For people not aware of what Latin music is today, and specifically in Los Angeles, what is the significance of the Latin gallery opening up at the museum and specifically in L.A.?

I think that there's always been a correct criticism in terms of the separation of those worlds, [between L.A. and Latinos]. To me, to this day, it's a little hard to understand the strict separation that we have in our daily lives even though that there's all kinds of people that live in Los Angeles. When it comes to Latino L.A. and non-Latino L.A., I know there's plenty of integration in our game, but somehow in our hearts and our heads, it still seems different. I'm hoping that this is a continuation of a progress into recognizing some very obvious things about the city of Los Angeles, its own history, its own adversity, and continue to create that kind of awareness in all institutions, not just music.

I get that this is important to kind of continue that evolution of thinking, of how we look at the city. This particular showcase is going to be about music, popular music. And because it's in Los Angeles, directly is how it affects L.A. There's a lot more integration that ... [brings into] recognition of basic things that we all share and ultimately don't need to be kind of segregated in that way. I'm really very happy to be a part of the progress of that.

GRAMMY Museum Reveals Flor de Toloache, Angela Aguilar & More As Special Guests For Opening Of Latin Music Gallery

Bad Bunny

Photo: Rich Fury/Getty Images

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Bad Bunny, Rosalia, Juanes & More: 5 Unforgettable Moments From The 2019 Latin GRAMMYs

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Here's what you may have missed from the Biggest Night In Latin Music
Jennifer Velez
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Nov 15, 2019 - 12:52 pm

The Biggest Night in Latin Music proved to be exactly that last night, Nov. 14, as the Latin GRAMMYs celebrated 20 years of Latin music excellence at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and brought together musical stars from all over the world and of many genres. Ricky Martin, Roselyn Sanchez and Paz Vega hosted the night that saw 26-year-old Spanish superstar and flamenco ambassador Rosalia take the coveted Album Of The Year award, a Metallica surprise for Latin GRAMMY Person Of The Year honoree Juanes and performances that included something for every generation. 

Here are some moments you  may have missed:

Rosalia Wins Album Of The Year 

The Spanish "Con Altura" singer kicked off the night with a win in the Best Contemporary Pop Vocal Album category for El Mal Querer and Best Urban Song for "Con Altura," with J Balvin but that was only the beginning. Rosalia, who has been using reggaeton, R&B and hip-hop inspired beats to bring Spain's flamenco influence to the world, ended her night with the most renowned award of the show: Album Of The Year. The moment came as a surprise to the 26-year-old sporting grillz and a black blazer, bra and skirt. "I'm serious, I'm in shock," she said after accepting the award. "This is the last thing I expected."

While she took three wins, her album El Mal Querer also won Best Engineered Album and Best Packaging. The singer put down her golden gramophones before her last win to do a performance of a medley featuring "Con Altura."

The Fernandez Dynasty Leave The Room Standing With Performance 

The Latin GRAMMYs celebrates generations of music and nothing represented the sentiment more than a performance by three generations of ranchera music singers. Mexico's Vicente Fernandez, the most iconic living ranchera singer in the world, performed alongside his son, renowned pop-ranchera singer, Alejandro Fernandez, and his rising ranchera singing grandson, Alex Fernandez in a medley performance that ended with a standing ovation and the room in Vegas asking for an encore. The Fernandez are known for singing Mexico's most traditional music genres: mariachi and ranchera. They awed the crowd, each with their own powerhouse vocals and ended together with Vicente's "Volver Volver."

Vicente, who was awarded the President's award at the end of the medley and was nominated for Best Mariachi/Ranchera Album category which also included his grandson Alex, has been a key figure in bringing Mexican traditional music to the world. In his acceptance speech, he recognized Latin America's embrace. "[Thanks] to my fans, which I feel are like family," he said. "All of South and Central American and the U.S., who know will stay [in my heart] until the day I die."

Metallica's Lars Ulrich Surprises Juanes 

That Look on a superstar's face when one of his heroes walks on stage to present him with an award. Right after Latin Recording Academy Person Of The Year Juanes finished his epic performance on the show last night, a voiceover announced Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich, who walked out on stage to a roar of applause and an unforgettable reaction from Juanes.

A little backstory: Juanes has been a Metallica fan for a long time, something Ulrich learned when the two first met years ago in Mexico. But as the Danish drummer presented the Colombian singer/songwriter with the Person Of The Year Award, he honored his friend and fellow musician, saying "Tonight, we've come full circle. I proclaim myself a Juanes fan!"

The magical moment was sealed by a big hug between Juanes and Ulrich, perhaps the biggest hug on the Biggest Night In Latin Music. 

Alicia Keys Joins Miguel, Farruko And Birthday Boy Pedro Capó 

The big GRAMMY news this week was that 15-time GRAMMY winner Alicia Keys will return as host for the 62nd GRAMMY Awards on Jan. 26 on CBS. But last night in Vegas, she lit up the stage, joining Miguel, Farruko and Pedro Capó.

Together they performed a medley of "Show Me Love" and "Calma," which earned Capó Song Of The Year honors with the song's co-writers, Gabriel Edgar González Pérez and George Noriega. The best part? It all happened on Capó's birthday!

Bad Bunny Brings It Home

Not long after Puerto Rican rising star Bad Bunny won Best Urban Music Album for his debut album, X 100Pre, and performed alongside GRAMMY winners Ricky Martin and Residente, he was back on stage to close the 20th Latin GRAMMYs.

In his larger-than-life fashion, the recent first-time Latin GRAMMY winner went big for the show's finale, enlisting a full orchestra to perform a medley leading into "Callaíta." The fully covered Bad Bunny still managed to deliver a passionate performance through the mask, and his intoxicating closing act served as the perfect nightcap for Latin Music's Biggest Night.

Poll: Which 2019 Latin GRAMMY Performance Was Your Favorite?

Feist on "Sesame Street" in 2008

Photo courtesy of PBS

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"Sesame Street" Turns 50: Remembering The Series' Greatest Musical Parodies

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From Feist's "1234" to Norah Jones' "Don't Know Y," here are 10 parodies of other people’s songs that the fantastic songwriting crew at "Sesame Street" have lovingly made their own through the years
Ron Hart
GRAMMYs
Nov 15, 2019 - 11:04 am

The two most enduring and unshakable attributes of "Sesame Street"'s 50 years on the air have been multicultural unity and education in the creative arts. And it was music that’s proven to be the quintessential conduit connecting these two primary factors in the program's half-century of success throughout its entire run on television. 

Whether it was the creative use of analog synthesizers at the beginning of the very first episode aired on Nov. 9, 1969 to the Pointer Sisters’ pinball song to the guest appearances from such superstars as Stevie Wonder, Tony Bennett, Cher, Cab Calloway, Chaka Khan, Linda Ronstadt and so many more on through to the numerous GRAMMY Awards the show's music department has won over the decades, music has always been the nucleus that keeps the power charged at 1234 Sesame Street. 

But perhaps the most appealing aspects of the show’s lifelong love affair with recorded sound has been the virtual songbook that’s been created through the years of Sesame’s world famous song parodies—utilized to put a child-friendly and educational spin on a current hit song of the day. 

Here are 10 parodies of other people’s songs that the fantastic songwriting crew at "Sesame Street" have lovingly made their own through the years.

"Two Princes" by The Spin Doctors

"I happened to be watching television one day and as I flipped through the channels I saw Peter Sellers on 'Sesame Street,'” recalls Spin Doctors frontman Chris Barron to the Recording Academy about the band’s appearance on Episode 3450 in Feb. 1996. "'Classic,' I thought, and I watched the rest of the segment. Peter Sellers was followed by Aretha Franklin, Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Bruce Springsteen. I called my agent and asked her to call them and see if they wanted Spin Doctors. They got right back and said they'd love to have us.

"Standing on my mark with Telly, the Muppet, I confided to him that I had never worked with puppets before. He put his paw on my forearm, leaned it conspiratorially, and said, 'To tell the truth, neither have I.'"

The show has an amazing creative department who came up with the 'cooperation' version 'Two Princes.' When we arrived on the set, I tweaked a few of the lines to make them sing a little bit better. Standing on my mark with Telly, the Muppet, I confided to him that I had never worked with puppets before. He put his paw on my forearm, leaned it conspiratorially, and said, 'To tell the truth, neither have I.' 

You can see that I’m laughing at the beginning of the clip as I walk on camera. I’m very proud to have been a part of that show. Not only because of the great people who have also made appearances, but to be a part of some of the greatest educational programming ever, not to mention, 'Sesame Street' was a big part of my childhood."

"Happy, Furry Monsters" by R.E.M.

It’s hard to really pinpoint what makes this "Sesame Street" version of what many R.E.M. fans consider the group's biggest sonic faux pas so wonderful upon its premiere on Episode 3829 in 1998. Maybe "Daysleeper" from their then-new album Up didn’t jibe with the Muppets. Perhaps it was all centered around that Muppet version of Kate Pierson of the B-52's. When we asked the men themselves, however, this even shinier, happier version of their 1991 hit single had always made sense as a "Sesame" song.

"We might not have done other songs with the Muppets but that one fitted," Mike Mills told the Sun in 2016. "They had already rewritten it as 'Furry Happy Monsters' and we said, ‘All right, why not?’ It’s not as if we were tarnishing its legacy.” That same year, Michael Stipe told NBC's Willie Geist, "It was a song written for children, and it’s still enjoyed in elementary schools around the world as far as I know.

"1234" by Feist

In the Aug. 22, 2019 edition of the New York Times, Leslie Feist spoke at length with writer Melena Ryzik about how her 2007 indie-pop smash "1234" has become more renowned among preschoolers than hipsters in the decade since the tune received its Muppet makeover in 2008 on Episode 4161, the first episode of the show's 39th season that year.

"Do you mind, my 3-year-old has watched it 7,000 times," Feist told the Times in regards to the countless instances she’s been stopped by parents for an autograph. "And I say yes, but I always joke: You notice me because you’re a grown-up—the 3-year-olds are really only interested in the puppets. And without fail, the kids are just sort of looking at me like, who is this weird lady in the airport?’" 

But the proof is in the viewer numbers on YouTube. As it stands at press time, the "Sesame" version of "1234" has 281,064,113 views, while the original is capped at 13 million.

"Wrong" by Waylon Jennings

"Sesame"'s first foray into movie theaters with 1985's "Follow That Bird" indeed teemed with heavyweight cameos by such comedy legends as Chevy Chase, John Candy and Sandra Bernhardt. But for young music heads, it was the appearance of the late, great Waylon Jennings as a truck driver who picks up Big Bird along the way, and the two sing a duet together on a song called "Ain’t No Road Too Long" written by the songwrtiting team of Jeff Pennig, Jeff Harrington, and Steve Pippin with additional vocals by Gordon, Grover, Olivia and the Count.

But it was in 1990 when Jennings made his official debut on the Street, appearing on episode 2850 to perform "Wrong," a song from the country great’s then-new album The Eagle, retooled to encourage Big Bird to build a properly standing block tower. Waylon and Big Bird puppeteer Carroll Spinney became pals, with Spinney going on tour with Jennings in the early '90s, where he'd make a cameo as Oscar the Grouch, the other main character he controlled. "It was more like rock 'n' roll than country," Spinney told the Muppets-based blog Tough Pigs. "And when we were in Nashville, he asked me to have Oscar ask him, 'Hey Waylon, what's the best thing about Garth Brooks?’ And then I’d answer him, 'He ain't here!'"

"Just The Way You Are" by Billy Joel

"You hear the song and then you get the piano," Billy Joel assures Oscar the Grouch when he guest starred on Episode 2533 alongside actress Marlee Matlin, mere months removed from her role as a member of the cast for Alex Cox's 1987 Joe Strummer-soundtracked masterpiece Walker. That was the deal the Piano Man set for the Grouch in order to let the beloved garbage monster keep the keys, and Oscar then begrudgingly sat through Joel serenading him with a sweet version of his 1977 hit ballad "Just The Way You Are" as Matlin translated the lyrics in American Sign Language.

Joel's appearance in 1988 came at a time when he had installed a bit of a moratorium on "Just The Way You Are," following his 1982 divorce from first wife Elizabeth Weber. But given he had a little three-year-old Alexa Ray Joel was undoubtedly an avid viewer of the show must have surely cajoled him into changing his tune.  

"Don’t Know Y" by Norah Jones

“You came!” smiled Norah Jones to the Letter Y after leading a chorus of all the surviving members of the original "Sesame Street" cast through a welcome song that brought in HBO's 50th Anniversary special on Veteran's Day weekend 2019. It was the perfect little cherry on top of an already impossibly endearing segment that lovingly harkens back to her first appearance on the show on Episode 4081 in May 2004 when she serenaded Elmo with a vowel-friendly version of the song rewritten by longtime "Sesame Street" songwriter Christine Ferraro. "I was supposed to meet my friend today, the Letter of the Day," she told Elmo before breaking into the song. "But Y never showed up." Then they start reflecting on all the "Y" words they know until the penultimate letter in the alphabet finally showed up.

"Hold My Hand" by Hootie & The Blowfish

Even the most ardent Hootie hater cannot help but get the feels for this insanely sweet reworking of their biggest hit, effortlessly rewiring it into a song about—what else?—practicing safety when crossing the street. "I don't know how that came together, but it was really fun," recalls guitarist Mark Bryan, speaking to the Recording Academy. "And they re-wrote the lyrics, not us. We were working off of an instrumental track so we had to re-sing everything, backgrounds and all. On set, I got to pop up through Oscar's trash can, and sit in Big Bird's nest. Literally felt like a little kid."

"There was a palpable magic being on the set of 'Sesame Street' that morning, even as an adult," adds Hootie's chief songwriter, multi-instrumentalist Jim Sonefeld. "It was only slightly dulled by the physical state I was in after another late night in Manhattan. This was a big stretch to have someone change our lyrics this drastically, especially after three self-penned platinum albums. The only reason we did it was the special place in our hearts we all still held for 'Sesame Street.' I remember the producers being grateful for our willingness and ability to adjust to the new lyrics so quickly. They did not have the same level of thanks after seeing our acting skills."

"Barn In The U.S.A." by Bruce Stringbean And The S Street Band

This farm animal singalong from Episode 2991 in 1991 highlights the talents of "Sesame Street"'s longtime in-house lyricist Emily Perl Kingsley, who worked on the show from 1970 to 2015 when she retired having one 21 Emmy Awards for her efforts through the years. As one YouTube viewer commented, this version of the Bruce Springsteen anti-war anthem has a little darkness on the edge of its town in this version led by "Bruce Stringbean And The S Street Band" featuring performances by such Sesame power players as show songwriter Christopher Cerf, the Voice of Elmo himself Kevin Clash, Elmo's World creator Jim Martin and Avenue Q puppeteer Rick Lyons, among others. The song would also be featured on the Children’s Television Workshop album Sesame Street: Born To Add. 

"Letter B" By The Beetles

Many "Sesame Street" viewers might not immediately know the name Richard Hunt without Googling. But they will most certainly know many of the beloved Muppets he had voiced in his all-too-short life after succumbing to an AIDS-related illness in 1992. Scooter, Janice, Statler, Beaker and Junior Gorg from "Fraggle Rock" were just some of the characters he portrayed through the years. But one of his truly best works just turned 40 this year when he captained an insect beat group called The Beetles through a rewiring of the title track to the Fabs' 1970 swan song to celebrate everyone's favorite first consonant in the alphabet. You can really hear the Harry Nilsson influence in Hunt’s voice as he sings as well, allowing the song to seamlessly survive ear appeal beyond the visual aspect, giving light to his immense talent taken from us far too soon.

"Don't Take Your Ones To Town" by Johnny Cash

One of the more harrowing gunfighter ballads in the Johnny Cash canon is the cautionary tale "Don't Take Your Guns To Town" from the Man in Black's 1958 LP The Fabulous Johnny Cash. But in 1991, Cash saw his classic tune retold on Episode 2982 into "Don't Take Your Ones To Town," penned by in-house lyricist Christopher Cerf. The "Sesame Street" version finds Big Bird playing "Birdie-Big," a cowpoke who counts to 1 all over town in lieu of Cash's warning until he meets the Count and the Countess, who teach him to count higher.

Revitalized Sesame Street Records Is Stepping Into The Streaming Age

Taylor Swift

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GRAMMY Rewind: Watch Taylor Swift Win Album Of The Year For 'Fearless' In 2010

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"This is for my dad. This is for all those times that you said I could do whatever I wanted in life. And my mom, you're my best friend," the pop performer said at the time
Rachel Brodsky
GRAMMYs
Nov 15, 2019 - 10:00 am

In 2010, pop powerhouse Taylor Swift was just beginning to come into her own as a household name, with ultra-catchy singles like "You Belong With Me" and "Love Story," among others, from her sophomore 2008 album, Fearless.

Swift took home four trophies that night at the 52nd GRAMMY Awards, one of which was for Album Of The Year. Re-experience her acceptance speech below for this latest edition of GRAMMY Rewind:

Taylor Swift Wins Album Of The Year In 2010

"I just hope that you know how much this means to me... that we get to take this back to Nashville!" she said onstage. "Our families are freaking out in their living rooms! My dad and my little brother are losing their minds in our living room right now.

"This is for my dad," she continued. "This is for all those times that you said I could do whatever I wanted in life. And my mom, you're my best friend. This is the story all of us when we're 80 years old and we are telling the same stories over and over again to our grandkids and they're so annoyed with us, this is the story we're going to be telling over and over again in 2010 that we got to win Album Of The Year at the GRAMMYs."

Watch Swift's thank you speech above, and look out for more Friday editions of GRAMMY Rewind!

GRAMMY Rewind Returns With History-Making Performances, Acceptance Speeches & More