Here’s some good news: Bonnie Raitt, the Talking Heads, Salt-n-Pepa, and Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds are in the new class of Lifetime Achievement honorees from the Grammys.
They’ll be inducted on January 30th, in L.A., the night before the Grammy Awards.
Other honorees who will also receive Special Merit Awards include Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, Lionel Hampton, Selena, Ed Cherney, Benny Golson, Daniel Weiss, very much alive opera great Marilyn Horne.
No one deserves the award more than Bonnie Raitt. Not only she is a legacy performer and songwriter, Bonnie is also the most reverent pop star when it comes to saluting music’s history. As far back as the 70s, when she was a young, hot act, Bonnie toured with blues legend Sippie Wallace. She’s done so much to honor the music and musicians that infuenced her and came before her.
I had the personal privilege years ago of witnessing BB King — who I was speaking with on stage at Radio City during a rehearsal — compliment Bonnie. He told her in front of my “you are the best slide guitarist ever.” Bonnie nearly fainted. It was an incredible moment.
Talking Heads— well, they’ll have to get David Byrne off the stage of his hit Broadway show, “American Utopia” to give him the award. Unfortunately, he doesn’t speak to the band anymore and vice versa so who knows what will happen with Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth, and Jerry Harrison. Chris wrote a book last year that pretty much cemented a wall between the trio and Byrne. But you never know.Â
Nevertheless, Talking Heads remain one of the most inventive and long lasting bands of all time, creating new sounds and using influences from all over the world. Bravo to them!
