GRAMMYs

Vince Gill

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Vince Gill Tackles The Tough Conversations On His New Album 'Okie' & Recalls First GRAMMY Win

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The Recording Academy sat down with the 21-time GRAMMY winner to talk about driving real conversations with his latest batch of songs Behind the Scenes at the GRAMMY Museum
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Sep 24, 2019 - 4:25 pm

Country singer/songwriter and guitar-slinging legend Vince Gill has done it all, and yet his new album Okie sitll manages to cover vast amount of uncharted territory. After over 40 years in music and 21 GRAMMYs, perhaps it isn't surprising the Oklahoma native feels and sounds more comfortable in his own skin tha n ever. And with Okie, Gill not only reclaims an old slur with its title, but redraws the boundaries of taboo in its songs. 

Behind The Scenes: Vince Gill On 'Okie'

"You shouldn't be afraid of conversations about anything. Whether it's race, or it's religion. There's a song about teen pregnancy. There's a song about sexual abuse... There's a ficticious song about a guy killing his dad to protect his family," Gill told the Recording Academy Behind the Scenes at the GRAMMY Museum. "I mean, yeah [these topics are] not the norm. But in a sense they really are the norm of what's really going on with people when they struggle."

Gill hopes tackling these tough subject matters head-on will inspire listeners to do just that: listen. 

"If you can have a decent conversation without judgement, without people drawing lines in the sand," he said, "It's amazing to me how devisive we've gotten with each other, so hopefully these kinds of songs can maybe make someone who doesn't agree with that listen with a different heart."

Gill also reflected on his very first of a 21 GRAMMY wins, which came back in 1990 for Best Country Vocal Performance, Male for his song "When I Call Your Name."

Hear more about the spirit of Okie, how Gill identified Ken Burns' new series "Country Music" as a great connector between some of his new material and Jimmie Rodgers and more in the video above.

Maggie Rogers On Her Rapid Rise To Fame, Singing With Sheryl Crow & Songwriting Catharsis

GRAMMYs

Ricky Martin and the Blue Man Group performing at the 8th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards
Photo: courtesy of the GRAMMY Museum

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GRAMMY Museum To Celebrate 20 Years Of Latin GRAMMY Excellence With New Exhibit

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The inaugural exhibit on the Museum's newly constructed third floor will open with a special event and ribbon-cutting ceremony on Nov. 18 in Los Angeles
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Oct 21, 2019 - 3:19 pm

The GRAMMY Museum has teamed up with the Latin Recording Academy to present Latin GRAMMY: 20 Years Of Excellence, showcasing a variety of iconic moments and performances from two decades of the prestigious Latin GRAMMY Awards. 

From the tuxedo Juan Gabriel wore during his memorable 40-minute performance at the 10th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards to the outfit Luis Fonsi wore during his performance of "Despacito" at the 18th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards, Latin GRAMMY: 20 Years Of Excellence is the Museum's inaugural exhibit on its newly constructed third floor.

Taking visitors on a walk through two decades of unforgetable moments that shaped our culture, the exchibit will also feature instruments played by Latin GRAMMY and GRAMMY winners, including Lila Downs, Alejandro Sanz, Julieta Venegas, and more, plus the paint-stained shirt Ricky Martin wore at his performance with the Blue Man Group at the 8th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards.

“Latin music is a worldwide influence and we are honored to partner with the GRAMMY Museum to showcase the talented musicians, monumental Latin music moments, and significant milestones that have contributed to its popularity,” said Gabriel Abaroa Jr., President/CEO of The Latin Recording Academy. “With the exhibit opening the week after this year’s Latin GRAMMY Awards, we can’t think of a better way to highlight the importance of our 20th anniversary celebration and look to the future to showcase our beautiful art form.”

The exhibit serves as the first in the new Latin music gallery, which is a result of The Latin Recording Academy committing more than half a million dollars over a three-year period to expand the Museum's Latin music-focused exhibits and education programs and toward the hiring of a Latin music curator.

"Our expanded partnership with The Latin Recording Academy will significantly increase the GRAMMY Museum’s impact by creating a consistent presence dedicated to celebrating the many genres of Latin music," said Michael Sticka, President of the GRAMMY Museum. "Latin GRAMMY, 20 Years Of Excellence and our newly renovated third floor will greatly amplify the Museum's mission to educate, inspire, and share the significance of all forms of music."

The new exhibit will kick-off with a full day of programming on Nov. 18, including an education program for students, live performances and special ribbon-cutting ceremony with Abaroa Jr. and Sticka. The evening portion of the event is free to the public, including entry to the Museum on a first-come, first-served basis.

The GRAMMY Museum's new third floor also includes a refreshed On The Red Carpet exhibit, including GRAMMY Awards fashion articles from BTS, Rihanna, Nipsey Hussle, Alicia Keys, Miranda Lambert, Lang Lang, Maren Morris, Michelle Obama, Rita Ora, Carlos Santana, Kanye West, and Amy Winehouse. Additionally, the Mono To Surround interactive will be upgraded to a Mono To Immersive experience and the interactive GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY timeline will now have user-controlled capabilities, giving new and treturning music fans many resons to visit.

Latin GRAMMY: 20 Years Of Excellence will open to the public on Nov. 20 and run through spring 2020. For tickets and more info, visit the Museum's website.

GRAMMY Museum Announces Arcadia High's Heather Moore As 2019 Jane Ortner Education Award Recipient

 

GRAMMYs

Sheryl Crow

Photo: Richard Ehrlich/GRAMMY Museum

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GRAMMY Museum Announces 'Face The Music' Richard Ehrlich Photography Exhibit

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The new exhibit features photographs of Michael Bublé, Sheryl Crow, Iggy Pop, RZA, Esperanza Spalding, Ringo Starr, and many more
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Aug 22, 2019 - 9:43 am

Music and photography will come together in a powerful way in the GRAMMY Museum's newly announced exhibit, Face The Music, featuring the work of Richard Ehrlich. The collection of 41 facial images will showcase the transcendent influence music has on human emotion and include artists such as Dee Dee Bridgewater, Michael Bublé, Kenny Burrell, Sheryl Crow, Gustavo Dudamel, Quincy Jones, Iggy Pop, RZA, Esperanza Spalding, Ringo Starr, and many more.

"It was an incredibly fulfilling once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, personally and professionally, to capture some of the world's most iconic musicians while they listened to their favorite songs," said Ehrlich. "It is a dream come true to now showcase these photographs at the GRAMMY museum."

Some of Ehrlich's favorite moments from this project include capturing Wayne Shorter exuding an aura of calm, grace and mystery; Herb Alpert listening to Pavarotti with eyes closed and lost in reverie; Herbie Hancock, Michael Bublé, Rosanne Cash, and LeAnn Rimes all shedding tears during their listening session; Lars Ulrich's exuberant and emotional facial expressions while listening to Rage Against The Machine; and Iggy Pop shouting during Link Wray's "Rumble." These moments and more are discussed in the exhibit along with the music each musician was listening to, paired with each photo on display.

"As an education institution, the GRAMMY Museum aims to bring a variety of artistic mediums to best experience and learn more about the universal power of music," said Michael Sticka, GRAMMY Museum President. "The portraits on display as part of our Face The Music exhibit visually capture the undeniable influence music has on human emotion."

To purchase tickets for Face the Music, please visit the GRAMMY Museum website.

David Crosby On 'Remember My Name': "It's An Opportunity To Tell The Truth"

GRAMMYs

Andrea Bocelli

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Andrea Bocelli & His Son Matteo With Bob Ezrin Talk New Album 'Sì' & More | GRAMMY Museum

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Go behind-the-scenes at the GRAMMY Museum to hear from Italian Opera legend and his son, as well as the GRAMMY-nominated producer, about their latest collaboration
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Jul 4, 2019 - 10:30 am

For his first ablum in 14 years, Sì​, Andrea Bocelli pulled out all the stops. Bocelli called upon GRAMMY-nominated producer and legend in his own right Bob Ezrin for the project, as well as a high-profile list of collaborators from the pop world including Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran and Josh Groban, plus his own son, Matteo Bocelli.

Andrea Bocelli, Son Matteo & Bob Ezrin Talk 'Sì'

We caught up with Andrea, Matteo and Bob backstage at the GRAMMY Museum to talk about the new album and hear what it was like for Andrea to hear have his son join him on stage for the first time.

"Success is always, and I mean always, determined by the audiece," Andrea said. "In the end it's the audience and no one else that decides who can and can't do it. When Matteo came on stage with me I saw such a strong, passionate and affectionate reaction by the audience for the first time I said, 'who knows, maybe he can do it.' [laughs]"

GRAMMYs

Andrea Bocelli, Bob Ezrin and Matteo Bocelli
Photo: Rebecca Sapp/WireImage

Still a student, Matteo reveals he'll be finishing his studies before diving into a music career. But he enjoyed being featured on "Fall On Me" as well as "Ven a Mi" on his father's new album. "For me," Matteo explained, "it's somehting pretty natural because I've been singing with him since I was a little boy."

"The relationship between the two of them is so loving and so warm," added Ezrin. "and that this song just happened to come along that was a perfect expression of something that was already there, and hearing them sing together was so natural."

Kool & The Gang On 50 Years, The Joy Of "Celebration" & Songwriters Hall Of Fame

Kool & the Gang

Kool & the Gang

Photo: Alison Buck/WireImage | Design: F Inomata/Recording Academy

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Kool & The Gang On 50 Years, The Joy Of "Celebration" & Songwriters Hall Of Fame

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"It's a blessing to be around for 50 years; some groups can't make it for 50 days. We did 50 years, that's an accomplishment," founding member Robert "Kool" Bell told the Recording Academy
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Jun 14, 2019 - 12:59 pm

2019 marks the 50th anniversary of GRAMMY winners Kool & the Gang, the group responsible for such everlasting, dance party-ready hits as "Celebration," "Ladies Night" and "Get Down On It."

They are also one of the most sampled artists of all time; the horns from their 1973 funky jam "Jungle Boogie" horns can be heard on over a hundred other songs, including rap classics like Luniz's "I Got 5 On It" and the Beastie Boys' "Hey Ladies."

"It's a blessing to be around for 50 years; some groups can't make it for 50 days. We did 50 years, that's an accomplishment," founding member Robert "Kool" Bell said.

"The gang was Kool, and we still cool, hopefully," group member Dennis Thomas added, laughing

Kool & The Gang On Turning 50, "Celebration," More

More At The Museum: Lenny Kravitz On His Biggest Influences, Love, Creativity & More

Earlier this month, the iconic funk/R&B group was honored with Philadelphia's prestigious Marian Anderson Award, joining the ranks of past recipients that include Quincy Jones, Berry Gordy, Oprah Winfrey and Maya Angelou. Last year, they were given the high honor of joining the Songwriters Hall Of Fame.

Before they took the stage at the GRAMMY Museum's Clive Davis Theater, the Recording Academy caught up with the Gang to learn more about the magic—and the masters—behind the hits. The special event, part of the Museum's star-studded programming, led to a lively conversation celebrating their 50 years that dove deep into the creation, genesis and legacy of the group.

Backstreet Boys Talk GRAMMY Museum "Experience," 'Millennium' Legacy & Touring