Grammy Awards

Tonight was the 52nd Grammy Awards broadcast on the 52nd Street network, CBS.

Good show, great performers. I especially enjoyed Dave Matthews' performance of You And Me. The appearance by Michael Jackson's children was genuine and must have been hard for them to accept a lifetime achievement award on his behalf, knowing he won't be around to see the rest of theirs. 

Beyonce won song of the year for Single Ladies but I thought it should have been Black-Eyed Peas I Gotta Feeling. 

Lady GaGa was all the 3D I could tolerate tonight (and that is with or without the glasses.)

• Be My Baby
• Da Doo Ron Ron
• Leader Of The Pack
• River Deep, Mountain High
• Do Wah Diddy Diddy
• Tell Laura I Love Her
• Baby, I Love You
• Then He Kissed Me
• Hanky Panky
• I Can Hear Music
• Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
• Neil Diamond

How many of the above do you recognize? Even ‘if you can’t recall the singer, you can still recall the tune.” And if you do recognize any or most, you probably had no idea that one person was entirely or largely responsible for creating these masterpieces of the American Popular Song.

Ellie Greenwich, a Tin-Pan Alley alum who died of a heart attack in August 2009 at the age of 69, was noted as passing during the tributes tonight. Greenwich either wrote or co-wrote them all and, in 1966 along with husband at the time Jeff Barry, discovered and launched the career of one Neil Diamond.

• Jimi Hendrix
• Eric Clapton
• Jimmy Page
• Slash
• Ace Frehley
• Billy Gibbons
• Jeff Beck

How many of the above do you recognize? None of the above would have careers and Rock & Roll as we know it would not exist if it weren’t for another American icon who also passed away in 2009 – Les Paul, the inventor of the electric guitar back in 1950. Several of the artists above also have the honor of special edition Les Paul guitars named after them. Les was also responsible for many technological advances in recording, including overdubbing and multi-track recording.

And finally, Taylor Swift won album of the year – a well-deserved award for a fearless artist who just had the best day ever.

Soundtrack For Today: Bridge Over Troubled Water – Andrea Bocelli & Mary J. Blige

The song was performed at tonight’s Grammy Awards. Download now available at iTunes where it is noted: “Apple, the label, and the artists are donating their proceeds to American Red Cross Haiti Relief and Development Fund.”