The Grammys have set October 16th for their PBS show saluting this year’s Lifetime Achievement winners with Special Merit Awards.
The winners this year were Chicago, Roberta Flack, Isaac Hayes, Iggy Pop, John Prine, Public Enemy, and Sister Rosetta Tharpe. There are also trustee awards for famed composer Philip Glass, former Grammy producer Ken Ehrlich, and Frank Walker. George Augspurger was recognized with the Technical GRAMMY® Award. Mickey Smith Jr. will also accept the Music Educator Award™ as this year’s recipient.
The show on PBS is exceptional. The great record producer and racounteur Jimmy Jim Harris is hosting. R&B legend Sam Moore is singing his Sam & Dave hits all written by Isaac Hayes. Other performers include Laurie Anderson, Philip Bailey, Brandi Carlile, Cynthia Erivo, Chris Isaak, Jason Isbell & Amanda Shires, Cyndi Lauper, Leslie Odom, Jr., and Yola. Presenters include Rhiannon Giddens, Joe Mantegna, John Legend, LL COOL J, Greg Phillinganes, Henry Rollins, and Don Was.
Greg Phillinganes is the music director extraordinaire. (If it weren’t for Greg, Rickey Minor, and Narada Michael Walden, we would really be nowhere up a river in a canoe without paddles, kids.)
Last year’s show was held in the Dolby Theater in Hollywood with many honorees performing along with their pals. Remember how Garth Brooks flew in to honor Sam Moore? This year, with the pandemic, the show was pre-taped. But I know for a fact that the producers spent a lot of time to make into something memorable. BTW, watch out for Yola. She sang at this year’s MusiCares back in January. She’s about to break out star-wise.
