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GRAMMYs

The Kingston Trio

Photo: Alfred Eisenstaedt/Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images

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Lifetime Achievement Award: The Kingston Trio

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Peter, Paul And Mary's Peter Yarrow on the transcendence of 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award recipients The Kingston Trio's contributions to popular folk music
Peter Yarrow
GRAMMYs
Dec 2, 2014 - 4:06 pm

In addition to the GRAMMY Awards, The Recording Academy presents Special Merit Awards recognizing contributions of significance to the recording field, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, Trustees Award and Technical GRAMMY Award. Each year, The Academy invites friends and colleagues of Special Merit Awards recipients to pay tribute to the honorees' career accomplishments, while also adding colorful anecdotes and personal accounts. In the days leading up to the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards, GRAMMY.com will present the tributes to the 12 Special Merit Awards recipients for 2011.

When I was at Cornell as a freshman I was a nerd, an outsider and a square. I was immersed in (perhaps obsessed with is the right phrase) traditional folk music. Yet, when I heard the undeniable joy and pleasure of three voices, meeting in midair to create the sound of the Kingston Trio, all of a sudden I was no longer out of step. In an insensitive, biased, selfish era, and a highly stratified society, these three bridged the gap between the wealthy and the rest of us who had to be satisfied with leftover scraps until, and unless, we bootstrapped our way out.

The Kingston Trio transcended this clearly dismal aspect of those times without moralizing, without philosophizing and without preaching. They brought us together by simply being comfortable in their skin, and being together, united as friends. They offered a more hopeful, brighter path to me and, I suspect, to many others.

Their music was a balm to the growing angst of a generation that was soon to turn our country and our world upside down. They tossed off renditions of song gems that felt effortless yet genuine, cool yet caring, sympathetic yet "no big ting." Sometimes they were wistful, as in "Sloop John B"; sometimes they sang a great, happy joke, as in "M.T.A."; sometimes they were oddly, at least for men in those times, sensitive, as in "Tom Dooley"; and sometimes they were wonderfully cutting-edge "hip," as in Bob Shane's classic rendition of "Scotch And Soda."

In college, I imagined them, only a very few years older than me, to be devoid of malevolence or unkindness. And I was right. I met the Kingstons for the first time with Noel Paul and Mary at our first club gig outside of New York, at Boston's mainly jazz club Storyville, owned by George Wein. We were opening up for the immortal Josh White.

I was self-conscious, and secretly blown away by the fact that they had come to see us perform. They were, all three of them, somewhat shy, gracious and oh so just plain nice.

Ah, we were all so young then. We were wide-eyed and green. Singing together was intoxicatingly wonderful. And the Kingston Trio had come to see us perform. Wow!

History has a way of allowing the truth of each era to become trivialized and marginalized, as the "gods" of the next thing obscure what has come before. However, we of the folk family know what we know. We know how much we learned from each other, how we inspired one another, and how indebted we are to those who brought us along in our similar paths.

Let us take our hats off to the Kingston Trio and the wonderment of a new chapter of American life to which they brought us closer. They showed us a very special and never-out-of-style path to love, life, music, and joy. Like the sound of a banjo, their music will always remain one of the best ways, ever, to announce that we are, indeed, a family.

(Peter Yarrow, a former Recording Academy New York Chapter Governor, is a member of Peter, Paul And Mary, who have earned five GRAMMY Awards, including four for "If I Had A Hammer" and "Blowin' In The Wind." In 1999 he founded Operation Respect, a nonprofit dedicated to creating safe school environments, an effort that was recognized by a congressional resolution in 2003.)

The Lifetime Achievement Award, established in 1962, is presented by vote of The Recording Academy's National Trustees to performers who, during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording. To view a complete list of Lifetime Achievement Award recipients, click here.

Lifetime Achievement Award: Julie Andrews, Roy Haynes, Juilliard String Quartet, Dolly Parton, Ramones, George Beverly Shea
Trustees Award: Al Bell, Wilma Cozart Fine, Bruce Lundvall
Technical GRAMMY Award: Roger Linn, Waves Audio Ltd.

 

GRAMMYs

Bob Shane

Photo by Henry Diltz/Corbis via Getty Images

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Bob Shane Of The Kingston Trio Dies At 85 bob-shane-folk-pioneer-co-founder-kingston-trio-dies-85

Bob Shane, Folk Pioneer & Co-Founder Of The Kingston Trio, Dies At 85

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The "Tom Dooley" singer led the group during folk's rise in popularity of the '50s and '60s, and, at one point, the group had four albums in the Top 10
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Jan 29, 2020 - 5:19 pm

GRAMMY-winner and the last surviving original member of The Kingston Trio, Bob Shane, died on Sunday, Jan. 26 in Phoenix, according to his longtime agent, Craig Hankenson. He was 85.

Shane sang lead on most of The Kingston Trio's songs through their heyday of the '50s and '60s. At one point in 1959, the group had four albums in the Top 10, and they ulitmately played a key role in folk music's rise to pop prominance, paving the way for a surge of successful folk artists in the '60s.

Shane was born in Hawaii in 1934, and his interest in music blossomed when he began learning songs of the Polynesian Islands on the ukelele. He attendded the famous Punahoa private school, where he met and formed a duo with Dave Guard. Shane and Guard, along with Nick Reynolds, moved to Northern California after high school, where they eventually formed the Kingston Trio in 1957.

The following year, the group landed their first No. 1 hit with "Tom Dooley," which featured Shane's deep voice in the lead.  Over the next seven years, The Kingston Trio landed five No. 1 albums and a total of 14 albums in the Top 10.

At the very 1st GRAMMY Awards, The Kingston Trio won Best Country & Western Performance for "Tom Dooley." The group won their second GRAMMY the following year in the newly instituted Best Performance - Folk category and go on to be nominated fo six other GRAMMY Awards in first five years of the Awards' existence.

In 2011, The Kingston Trio were honored by the Recording Academy with the Lifetime Achievement Award. 

“Bob Shane was, in my opinion, one of the most underrated singers in American musical history,” George Grove, Kingston Trio member since 1976 said back in 2015. “His voice was the voice, not only of the Kingston Trio but of an era of musical story telling.”

Shane is survived by his wife and five children. He will be remembered for music he made and the distinctive mark he left on popular music.

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Diana Ross

Diana Ross

Photo: Mike Marsland/WireImage.com

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A tribute to Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Diana Ross

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A tribute to one of the most successful female artists of all time
Crystal Larsen
GRAMMYs
May 15, 2017 - 2:36 am

In 1969, when Diana Ross, with the Supremes, joined the Temptations to sing "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me," the song was truly an understatement. She had already won the world's heart as the leader of music's most successful girl group, though even she likely didn't know the extent to which she would ultimately own our collective affection.

Through her role as the lead voice of America's top singing group, a solo music career that resulted in a number of signature hits, and a film and Broadway career that proved she was a multidimensional talent, Ross became a beacon of hope and possibility not just for young African-American women, but for any woman aspiring to prove her worth in a professional world stacked against her.

Ross and friends Florence Ballard, Barbara Martin and Mary Wilson formed the Supremes (originally the Primettes) in the Brewster housing projects in Detroit. The group didn't emerge as stars immediately, and after their first few mid-chart singles, Martin left. But starting with "Where Did Our Love Go?" in 1964, the Supremes would ultimately chart 12 No. 1 pop singles with Ross.

That might have been enough for mere mortal singers, but Ross went solo in 1969 and started a hit-making run of her own that rivaled the Supremes. No less than "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" launched her with a No. 1 hit in 1970. Her first leading movie role came in 1972 with Lady Sings The Blues, which resulted in a Best Actress Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe Award. The role led to 1975's Mahogany — for which Ross even designed some of the costumes — and a No. 1 hit for "Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)." Major hits continued into the '80s with such No. 1s as "Upside Down" and the smash movie theme "Endless Love" with Lionel Richie.

Among Ross' list of other achievements are 12 GRAMMY Award nominations, three recordings inducted into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame (with the Supremes), two Hollywood Walk of Fame stars (one with the Supremes and one as a solo artist), and a Kennedy Center Honors recognition. And most of all, the status of being arguably, as the Guinness Book Of World Records stated in 1993, the most successful female artist of all time.

In addition to the GRAMMY Awards, The Recording Academy presents Special Merit Awards recognizing contributions of significance to the recording field, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, Trustees Award and Technical GRAMMY Award. Each year, The Academy invites friends and colleagues of Special Merit Awards recipients to pay tribute to the honorees' career accomplishments, while also adding colorful anecdotes and personal accounts. In the days leading up to the 54th GRAMMY Awards, GRAMMY.com will present the tributes to the 2012 Special Merit Awards recipients.

Follow GRAMMY.com for our inside look at GRAMMY news, blogs, photos, videos, and of course nominees. Stay up to the minute with GRAMMY Live. Check out the GRAMMY legacy with GRAMMY Rewind. Keep track of this year's GRAMMY Week events, and explore this year's GRAMMY Fields. Or check out the collaborations at Re:Generation, presented by Hyundai Veloster. And join the conversation at Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

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The Recording Academy Announces Special Merit Award Honorees

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Julie Andrews, Roger Linn, Dolly Parton, Ramones, and George Beverly Shea among Special Merit Awards recipients
Crystal Larsen
GRAMMYs
Dec 2, 2014 - 4:06 pm

(For a complete list of 53rd GRAMMY Awards nominees, please click here.)

The Recording Academy today announced its 2011 Special Merit Award recipients. This year's Lifetime Achievement Award honorees are Julie Andrews, Roy Haynes, Juilliard String Quartet, the Kingston Trio, Dolly Parton, Ramones, and George Beverly Shea; this year's Trustees Award honorees are Al Bell, Wilma Cozart Fine and Bruce Lundvall; and Roger Linn and Waves Audio are this year's Technical GRAMMY Award honorees.

The special invitation-only ceremony will be held during GRAMMY Week on Feb. 12, 2011, and a formal acknowledgment will be made during the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards telecast, which will be held at Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2011, and broadcast live at 8 p.m. ET/PT on the CBS Television Network.

"It is a great honor to recognize and celebrate such a distinguished and dynamic group of honorees who have been the creators of such timeless art," said Recording Academy President/CEO Neil Portnow. "These influential performers and brilliant innovators have been of great inspiration to our culture and industry. Their legendary work has left a lasting impression and will continue to influence generations to come."

The Lifetime Achievement Award honors lifelong artistic contributions to the recording medium, while the Trustees Award recognizes outstanding contributions to the industry in a non-performing capacity. Both awards are determined by vote of The Recording Academy's National Board of Trustees. Technical GRAMMY Award recipients are determined by vote of The Academy's Producers & Engineers Wing Advisory Council and Chapter Committees as well as The Academy's Trustees. The award is presented to individuals and companies who have made contributions of outstanding technical significance to the recording field.

For more information on this year's honorees, click here.

Tune in to the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards live from Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2011, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. For updates and breaking news, please visit The Recording Academy's social networks on Twitter and Facebook, and on YouTube.

GRAMMYs

Julie Andrews

Photo: ©CinemaPhoto/Corbis

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Lifetime Achievement Award: Julie Andrews

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Carol Burnett on the unsurpassed talents of 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Julie Andrews
Carol Burnett
GRAMMYs
Dec 2, 2014 - 4:06 pm

In addition to the GRAMMY Awards, The Recording Academy presents Special Merit Awards recognizing contributions of significance to the recording field, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, Trustees Award and Technical GRAMMY Award. Each year, The Academy invites friends and colleagues of Special Merit Awards recipients to pay tribute to the honorees' career accomplishments, while also adding colorful anecdotes and personal accounts. In the days leading up to the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards, GRAMMY.com will present the tributes to the 12 Special Merit Awards recipients for 2011.

Julie and I met for the first time in 1960, when mutual friends of ours brought Julie to see me in an off-Broadway show I was doing, "Once Upon A Mattress." She had already done "My Fair Lady," and I was pretty much in awe. After the show that night, we all went to a restaurant where we had Chinese and those poor guys who were with us didn't have a prayer. Julie and I never stopped yapping. It was as if I had found my long-lost twin, and some evil being had stolen her at birth and stuck her over there, somewhere in England. That evening kicked off what was to be (so far) a 50-year relationship…professional, and best of all…personal.

We did our first television special in 1962. We began calling each other "Chum." During our rehearsal breaks, we talked about the men in our lives and our careers and our futures.

In the '70s, we did another special, and during our rehearsal breaks we talked about our husbands, our children and schools.

Then we got together for yet another special in the '80s, and during those rehearsal breaks we talked about hot flashes, hormones and "vit"-amins.

If we ever do another one, we'll most likely be delving into the mysteries of Metamucil.

Julie has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Screen Actors Guild, she won a GRAMMY in 1964 for her work in the classic Mary Poppins (for which she also won a best actress Oscar), and she has won three Tony Awards. She has earned her renown as a singer, actress and one of the greatest all-around entertainers with whom I've had the pleasure of working. In addition to Mary Poppins, her classic works include The Sound Of Music and Victor Victoria, both of which she made her own on film and on Broadway.

This Life Achievement Award is so very much deserved. Julie has constantly given us her all. And her "all" is awe-inspiring. Her talent is unsurpassed. She's a consummate actress, and her voice is a gift from the gods. She is a great "Dame" in every good sense of the word.

Congratulations, Chum.

(Entertainer Carol Burnett won an Emmy Award in 1963 for her performance in "Julie And Carol At Carnegie Hall." Her hit variety show, "The Carol Burnett Show," ran from 1967–1978. She earned her first GRAMMY nomination this year in the Best Spoken Word category for This Time Together: Laughter And Reflection.)

The Lifetime Achievement Award, established in 1962, is presented by vote of The Recording Academy’s National Trustees to performers who, during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording. To view a complete list of Lifetime Achievement Award recipients, click here.

Lifetime Achievement Award: Roy Haynes, Juilliard String Quartet, The Kingston Trio, Dolly Parton, Ramones, George Beverly Shea
Trustees Award: Al Bell, Wilma Cozart Fine, Bruce Lundvall
Technical GRAMMY Award: Roger Linn, Waves Audio Ltd.

 

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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.