The Recording Academy and Grammy Museum held the second-ever Grammy Corridor of Fame Gala on the Beverly Hilton Friday evening, the place iconic recordings together with Cat Stevens’ Tea for the Tillerman, Santana’s Supernatural and Jay-Z’s Affordable Doubt and Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine’s “Conga” have been all formally inducted, whereas John Mellencamp, John Batiste, Conan Grey and Emmylou Harris have been among the many evening’s performers.
Mellencamp and Grey carried out as a tribute to Republic Data, which was chosen as this yr‘s label honoree for the occasion.
“They advised me to not say something about politics, so I received’t say something about how terribly the nation’s being run,” Mellencamp quipped to cheers and applause as he took the stage towards the top of the night, earlier than performing his 1985 track “Small City.”
Mellencamp additionally carried out “Longest Days” earlier than ending together with his basic “Jack and Diane,” teasing the gang as some began singing the refrain too early earlier than he sang even the second verse. Grey preceded Mellencamp with a efficiency of his hit “Heather.”
13 recordings have been formally inducted for Friday’s ceremony: Tea for the Tillerman, Supernatural, Affordable Doubt, “Conga,” Emmylou Harris’s Wrecking Ball, Luther Vandross’s By no means Too A lot, Eddie Floyd’s “Knock on Wooden,” Geeshie Wiley’s “Final Type Phrases Blues,” J.D. Crowe & The New South’s J.D. Crowe & The New South, Massive Star’s Number one Document, Fela Kuti’s Zombie and Clara Ward’s “How I Bought Over,” and Linda Martell’s “Shade Him Father.”
Friday’s occasion marked the Recording Academy’s second yr holding a Corridor of Fame Gala after launching the initiative final yr on the Novo in downtown Los Angeles. Like final yr, the previous longtime Grammy producer Ken Ehrlich produced the occasion, whereas CBS Information journalist Anthony Mason Hosted.
These in attendance Friday evening have been Republic founders Monte and Avery Lipman, longtime Republic govt Wendy Goldstein, Common Music Enterprises CEO Bruce Resnikoff, Jimmy Jam, John Legend and Charlie Puth, amongst others.
Past Mellencamp and Grey, singer Ledisi kicked off the performances with a canopy of “How I acquired Over,” Leslie Odom Jr. honored Vandross, and Harris carried out a number of Wrecking Ball songs along with her producer Daniel Lanois and drummer Brian Blade earlier than accepting her album’s induction in individual Floyd carried out “Knock on Wooden” with Massive Star’s Jody Stephens.
Whereas Carlos Santana wasn’t current, his spouse and drummer Cindy Blackman carried out “Easy” with Santana collaborator Andy Varga, whereas guitarist Orianthi stuffed in for the guitar legend. The Bangles’ Susanna Hoffs coated Cat Stevens’ “Wild World” after Stevens accepted the distinction with a pre-recorded video. Gloria Estefan accepted “Conga’s” induction in individual, simply after Latin Grammy nominee Leslie Grace coated the track whereas she watched from the gang. Estefan recalled writing the track on a aircraft going from Holland to England.
“We went again residence and began performing it earlier than recording it, and other people would reply that it was already a success,” Estefan stated. “We’re appreciative to the Academy and all of the followers that also play since and dance the conga.”
In the meantime, Batiste earned a standing ovation together with his virtuosic piano in a soulful cowl of Ray Charles’ “Georgia on My Thoughts,” a becoming decide as he was chosen as the primary ever recipient of the Ray Charles Architect of Sound award.
“It’s past phrases to say what it means to inherit [Charles’] genius and his lineage,” Batiste stated, thanking his dad and mom for championing his musical profession. He recalled listening to Ray Charles for the primary time in a Pepsi business. “[Charles] discovered a strategy to communicate the reality of one thing that’s greater than all of us. And I hope that I can proceed to have the ability to be in that lineage and simply to proceed to make use of my God-given items and skill to shine mild on forgotten individuals in a time the place, on this planet, we have to love one another extra.“
After his efficiency, Mellencamp, signed a lifetime cope with Republic a decade in the past and headed to the rostrum to provide an informal speech honoring the Lipman brothers.
“I feel it’s odd for me to be giving an award to document firm presidents. I shoved a document firm president as soon as, I’ve stubborn them out, I’ve had a tough time with them,” Mellencamp advised the gang. ”However Monte and Avery, they’re within the music enterprise. They like music. Additionally they like enterprise. However they like music first. So many occasions I’ve had document firm presidents who simply thought they have been the fucking stars. For those who’re a document firm president you’ll be able to’t be extra necessary than the celebs.”
The Lipman brothers then took the stage for a fast speech earlier than Batiste got here out for an outro efficiency. “My coronary heart is so full,” Monte Lipman stated, naming a protracted record of members of the family who all got here to the occasion Friday. He recalled he and his brother rising up poor, and entertaining one another by singing songs they heard on the radio, partly as a result of they didn’t have a tv.
“My biggest accomplishment of all is the truth that I did this with my brother,” Monte Lipman stated.
Avery Lipman spoke final, thanking UMG CEO Lucian Grainge, the Republic employees, and the artists they’ve labored with since beginning Republic within the ‘90s. “All of the artists we work with, most had decisions, and the very fact they selected us, I used to be at all times in awe,” Avery Lipman stated. “These are their careers and goals they usually selected us. We at all times take that duty so significantly day-after-day.”
