Tag: Grammy Awards

Sturgill Simpson and the Dap-Kings: “All Around You”

Simpson Dap-Kings

The 2017 Grammy Awards had several highlights.  While much of the buzz is rightfully upon amazing performances by the likes of Beyoncé, Adele, and A Tribe Called Quest, one wonderful performance that did not get so much attention was Sturgill Simpson and the Dap-Kings performing Simpsons’ “All Around You.”

Simpson and the Dap-Kings make a perfect fit.  And, they were not thrown together by the Grammy folks as an attention-getting pairing.  The Dap-Kings, who attended the Grammys for a tribute to their former lead singer Sharon Jones, played on Simpson’s 2016 album A Sailor’s Guide to Earth.

Check out Simpson and the Dap-Kings kicking it at the Grammys on “All Around You,” a song Rolling Stone described as “a tale of uplift in the face of adversity.”

“All Around You” is from Simpson’s A Sailor’s Guide to Earth. Simpson wrote the album as a letter home from a man to his wife and newborn son. Working on the album, Simpson was inspired by his own time in the Navy, his separation from his own newborn while touring, and in a letter his grandfather wrote.  A Nirvana song also helped develop the album’s themes.

Simpson’s performance was not the only highlight for him last night. He also took home the Grammy for Best Country Album. And then, after the show, he celebrated with a stop at In-N-Out-Burger.

What was your favorite performance at the Grammys? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Brandy Clark “Hold My Hand” At Grammys

    Hold My Hand Grammys

    One of the highlights of the recent 57th annual Grammy Awards occurred when Best New Artist nominee Brandy Clark appeared on a side stage with Dwight Yoakam to perform “Hold My Hand.” The two gave one of the small-stage emotional moments on a night usually dominated by big production numbers.

    Check out the video of Clark and Yoakam performing “Hold My Hand,” a song about relationship insecurities that Clark wrote with Mark Stephen Jones.

    “Hold My Hand” is from Clark’s album, 12 Stories. Although she did not win Best New Artist or Country Album of the Year, the Internet loved her performance and hopefully sharing the spotlight with Dwight Yoakam will make sure we hear more from her in the future.

    What was your favorite performance at the Grammy Awards? Leave your two cents in the comments.

  • Milli Vanilli’s Grammy Win
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  • Sturgill Simpson and the Dap-Kings: “All Around You”
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    Milli Vanilli’s Grammy Win

    Milli Vanilli Album On February 22, 1990, Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus appeared on the Grammy Awards as Milli Vanilli. The duo performed their hit “Girl You Know It’s True” from their debut album of the same name, and then they accepted the award for Best New Artist. By the end of the year, though, the public discovered that the duo did not sing on their record and that they had been lip syncing the song.

    Although the two had not come up with the idea about the lip syncing and were at least partially manipulated by others in the business, the scandal effectively ruined their successful careers. The two men, who were sued for their role in the misrepresentation, later tried releasing music with their real voices. But Morvan and Pilatus found no success with their new music, perhaps because the public was still mad at being duped.

    The downfall was especially hard for Pilatus, who was found dead of an alcohol and drug overdose in April 1998. Morvan continues to make music.

    And, in 2016, Morvan became a pitchman for KFC’s “#BeReal” campaign, which highlights his Milli Vanilli past (2016 Update). KFC’s 3-minute “documentary” on Morvan is both funny and touching. Check it out.

    Although I remember when their songs were constantly on the radio, today I rarely hear “Girl You Know It’s True” or other Milli Vanilli’s hits like “Blame It On the Rain.” The whole mess still seems unfair to Morvan and Pilatus. People loved the music so much when they thought the singers danced like Morvan and Pilatus, but after the scandal broke, people would not embrace the real singers or the real dancers. Yet, the music was always the same. I am not sure whether we were mad at Morvan and Pilatus or we were mad at ourselves for being fooled, or both.

    But at least for a time, both Milli Vanilli and the fans had a good time. It is just too bad that we got to move on but Morvan and Pilatus could not. So, for today, suspend your memory and just enjoy watching Morvan and Pilatus dancing on the Grammys and picking up the award, which they would have to give back by the end of the year.

    For more about Milli Vanilli, check out this 2015 interview with Fab Morvan. For more on the voices behind Milli Vanilli, check out this short video on YouTube.

    Will you admit you liked Milli Vanilli? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Grammy Awards: Eminem and Bob Dylan?

    Rumors are circulating that Bob Dylan will perform at tonight’s Grammy Awards with Eminem. If true, it is almost guaranteed to be an exciting collaboration. [Update 2/14/10: It turned out not to be true. Dylan ended up playing with Mumford and Sons and the Avett Brothers. See video toward end to see where Dlyan joins the bands for “Maggie’s Farm.” It’s a fun performance.]

    Eminem Marshall Mathers

    It will be hard to top Eminem’s collaboration at the Grammy Awards on February 21, 2001. Was it really a decade ago?! At the 2001 show, Eminem performed with Elton John. In light of homophobic lyrics in some of Eminem’s songs, it was great to see the two perform together and hug at the end, reinforcing Eminem’s claim that the offending lyrics in his recent CD, The Marshall Mathers LP, should not be taken seriously.

    The 2001 performance was certainly a classy act, especially on the part of Elton John, who showed us that the best force against hate, ignorance, and prejudice is usually a little love. It is the kind of force we saw in action this week, when peaceful protesters were able to topple a corrupt dictator in Egypt. Of course, the 2001 performance by Eminem and Elton John did not change the leadership of the country and did not end prejudice in general or homophobia specifically. And it did not necessarily undo damage Eminem had done with his songs. But it did show the power of music to heal a little bit. It was a lesson the U.S. would need again less than nine months after the 2001 Grammys.

    Eminem and John have remained friends through the years, and the rapper even turned to John for help when he was dealing with a prescription drug addiction. Also, in the decade since the Grammy performance, views on issues such as gay rights, civil unions, and gay marriages have progressed in the U.S., especially among the younger generations. Did the 2001 performance have a little to do with that? I don’t know, but I like to think so.

    What do you think? Leave a comment.

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