On February 8th some of the biggest names in music including Pink, Willie Nelson, Miley Cyrus, Brandi Carlile, Kacey Musgraves and others honored the legendary Dolly Parton as Musicares "Person Of The Year". The annual gala and concert took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center and kicked off Grammy Weekend in fine form. Musicares provides a safety net of critical assistance for music people in times of need and the event raised nearly 7 Million Dollars for the organization.
“I wanted to thank you for this night,” said Parton. “I truly am honored to be the MusiCares’ Person of the Year. And, the first country music artist to be honored. That’s a great honor.”
Parton was recognized by the Grammy Foundation and Musicares for her Imagination Library program which is a book gifting program she started in 1995 that mails free, high-quality books to children from birth until they begin school, no matter their family’s income.
Dolly explained...“I started that program because of my dad who could not read nor write,”. “But he was one of the smartest people because of that. But, it was kind of crippling to him. I’ve often wondered what my daddy might of been if he had been able to read and write.” She continued “When I started it, I thought it was going to just be in our home county, maybe a couple of counties over but it turned out that we took it all over Tennessee and it went on into Canada, and now we’re all over different parts of the world.”
Pink started off the night with a stunning version of "Jolene", while Brandi Carlile and Willie Nelson quickly followed with “Everything’s Beautiful (In Its Own Way),” which Parton originally recorded with Nelson in 1982. Other highlights included Don Henley and Vince Gill teaming up on “Eagle When She Flies", Norah Jones rendition of "The Grass Is Blue" and Yolanda Adams powerful version of "I Will Always Love You". Dolly closed out the evening with a heartwarming performance of "Coat of Many Colors" accompanied by producer/songwriter Linda Perry on guitar. It was truly a tremendous evening for everyone in attendance.
On January 26th at Radio City Music Hall, Fleetwood Mac became the first group to receive the Musicares "Person Of The Year" Award. MusiCares provides a safety net of critical assistance for music people in times of need. MusiCares' services and resources cover a wide range of financial, medical, and personal emergencies, and each case is treated with integrity and confidentiality. MusiCares also focuses the resources and attention of the music industry on human service issues that directly impact the health and welfare of the music community. On this particular evening over 7 Million Dollars was raised for this tremendous organization that does so much for so many people.
A large group of musicians including HAIM,Harry Styles, Zack Brown Band, Miley Cyrus, One Republic, Keith Urban and others gathered to honor the legendary band known for such chart topping albums as "Rumors" and "Tusk". My favorite performance of the evening was Lorde's take on the bands classic B-side "Silver Springs".
Soon Fleetwood Mac would gather on the stage to receive their award which was highlighted by a very emotional speech from Stevie Nicks were she reflected on the loss of fellow musician and close friend Tom Petty who was Musicares Person Of The Year in 2017.
“The loss of Tom Petty has just about broken my heart,” she said, gesturing to his daughter Adriana, who was in the audience. “He was not only a good man to go down the river with, (as Johnny Cash once said about Petty), he was a great father and a great friend ...he was one of my best friends. My heart will never get over this. He was honored at MusiCares last year and he spent a lot of time after that night talking to me about how important it was to him. And maybe he was talking about it because he was ill. He fought his way through that last tour — he should have canceled and gone home and gone to the hospital. But not Tom, he was gonna go down that river. So, God bless him, he finished his tour at the Hollywood Bowl with three shows, and one week later he died. But he got down the river.” “So Tom, I know you’re standing next to me. As you always have been for so many years. And he loved MusiCares.”
Harry Styles then joined the band for a rendition of "The Chain" which was followed by an exclusive Fleetwood Mac 4 song mini set which included "Little Lies", "Tusk", "Gold Dust Woman" and "Go Your Own Way".
U2's Adam Clayton received the Stevie Ray Vaughn Award from MusiCares and The Recording Academy on June 26th at The PlayStation Theater in New York City. MusiCares provides a safety net of critical assistance for music people in times of need. The award is given to musicians who have helped other musicians struggling with addiction. Clayton who has now been sober for 19 years started his speech by saying "I’m not used to achieving anything on my own…this is very unusual!”
Clayton talked about getting help and encouragement when battling his way through addiction from rock legends Eric Clapton and Pete Townshend. After two significantly long benders he received a call from Clapton who told him enough was enough. “He didn’t sugar coat it. He told me I had to change my life and that I wouldn’t regret it,” said Clayton. “He gave me the name of a treatment centre and the power to make the call to them.”. Once in treatment he got a call from Townshend who visited him and helped give him the courage to see things through. “These two talents were enough to get me started”, he said. “And to convince me my life wasn’t over, but that I was at the start of a long journey to learn to love myself.” He also thanked his fellow band mates for being there for him during the dark times. "I was lucky because I had three friends that could see what was going on and loved me enough to take up the slack of my failings.We have a pact with each other. In our band, no one will be a casualty. We all come home or none of us come home. No one will be left behind. Thank you for honoring that promise and letting me be in your band."
The event was fueled by an all star list of guest performances. Highlights included The Lumineers heartfelt rendition of U2's "One" which was followed by a riveting mini set from British singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jack Garratt.The amazing Macy Grey performed a jazz like version of "My Way" as well as an extended version of her signature hit "I Try" followed by U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For".
The evening closed with U2 performing a short three song set starting with “Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of” from their 2000 album "All That You Can't Leave Behind". Up next was an uplifting version of "Vertigo" which quickly brought the crowd to their feet as Bono prowled the stage with animal grace while Clayton and drummer Larry Mullen Jr, showed why they are one of rock's all time best rhythm sections. Just when we though things were over the band launched into the classic "I Will Follow". To hear The Edge play his Gibson Explorer through his vintage EHX Memory Man was a real treat. After the set Clayton stated "Maybe now I can go back to bass playing." Overall an incredible evening for a truly amazing organization that helps so many amazing people.
CMM was in Los Angeles for the 59th Annual Grammy Awards and the celebrations that carried on throughout Grammy Weekend. It was 3 days of non stop excitement, pageantry and of coarse music. Here's our in depth rundown on the weekends events.
TOM PETTY HONORED AS MUSICARES PERSON OF THE YEAR
Friday evening Tom Petty was honored by The Grammy Foundation as MusiCares Person Of The Year for his charitable work to help with the homeless population in Los Angeles. The evening featured performances from the likes of Stevie Nicks, Gary Clark Jr., Foo Fighters, Don Henley, Norah Jones, Kings Of Leon and more. “Tom burst into our musical consciousness and never let go,” said Neil Portnow, President and CEO of MusiCares, “His brand of rock and roll benefits from a celebratory rebelliousness, infectious rhythms, and unforgettable lyrics that are incised in our imaginations. His artistic talents coupled with his quiet philanthropy make him a great MusiCares Person of the Year honoree, and we are very fortunate to have the support of our Board, past honorees, and the musical community around this special event.”
Soon Petty took the stage to address the crowd made up of long time friends, fellow musicians and family members. “I am so very pleased to be honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year. I have so much respect for this organization, which really does care about the people in our industry,” said Petty. “I myself know many people who MusiCares has aided in desperate situations. Again, let me say this is a true honor.”
BECK PERFORMS AT THE HOLLYWOOD PALLADIUM AS PART OF THE NEW CITI SOUND VAULT CONCERT SERIES
Later Friday evening Beck performed as part of the Citi Sound Vault Concert Series that also included performances from Sting and Metallica. The show was incredible as the 2 plus hour set opened with "Devils Haircut" followed by glorious renditions of "Loser" and "Black Tambourine". The mood came down a bit during passionate renditions of "Go It Alone" and "Lost Cause" before ramping it up again for high energy takes on recent single "Wow" and other fan favorites "Girl" and "E-Pro". The crowd was going absolutely ballistic which brought the band back out for an encore that featured an infectious version of "Paper Tiger" follwed by an extended performance of "Where It's At" that also ventured into sections of "Billie Jean" "Takin' It To The Streets" and "China Girl". Hands down one of the best performances I've seen in years. Look for a brand new Beck album very very soon.
FAMILY, FRIENDS AND FELLOW MUSICIANS GATHERED AT THE TROUBADOUR FOR A PRE-GRAMMY TRIBUTE TO LORETTA LYNN
Saturday night The Americana Music Association put on their annual Pre-Grammy Salute at The Troubadour. This year Lori McKenna, Robbie Folks, Kesha, Leslie Stevens, John Carter Cash, Patsy Lynn Russell and many others celebrated the career of the legendary Loretta Lynn as the All Star ensemble delivered inspiring renditions of Loretta Lynn classics throughout a truly delightful evening.
Nashville native Kesha offered an incredible rendition of "Hello Darlin’,” which was written by Conway Twitty but according to Kesha "the first time I ever heard it Loretta was singing it. That’s the way I fell in love with this song.” she added “I’ve only practiced it about half a time, so if I fuck up whatever!”. My personal favorite performances where Leslie Stevens take on “Silver Threads and Golden Needles" and Brandy Clark's feisty version of “You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man)”. Later singer/producer Joe Henry did a captivating version of "Whispering Sea" which was as heartfelt as it was intense. He then introduced John Carter Cash, who co-produced Lynn’s latest album. as "a man I just met moments ago, but I spent my entire life imagining I was a member of his tribe.” Patsy Lynn Russell, Loretta's daughter then joined Cash on the classic “Everything It Takes”.
Patsy then reflected on her mother's songwriting process “One of the things my mom has always told me is ‘I’m a songwriter, then a singer", "She didn’t even have to hire a psychiatrist, because her story was told through her songs. It didn’t matter what my dad was doing, because that was her biggest inspiration. And the cool thing about my dad is he let my mom write songs like ‘You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man)’ and ‘Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ On Your Mind)’ and ‘Fist City.’ I think he kind of liked it!” She also read a letter from her Mother expressing her gratitude for everyone who came out to the night's celebration. Brandy Clark then returned to close out the evening with the Loretta Lynn staple "Coal Miners Daughter" followed by a group rendition of “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” that featured all of the evenings artists.
QUINCY JONES AND RUSSELL SIMMONS HONORED AT THE 2ND ANNUAL CITY GALA
The 2nd Annual City Gala took place on Sunday night at The Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall following the 59th Annual Grammy Awards. Entrepreneur Magazine with sponsors Daniely Design Group and Allure Events and Catering, presented awards to 27 time Grammy winner Quincy Jones and to hip hop music legend and co-founder of Def Jam Records, Russell Simmons.
John Paul DeJoria, founder of Paul Mitchell hair products and Patron Spirits, presented Quincy Jones with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his commitment to philanthropy. The Quincy Jones Listen Up Foundation has built more than 100 homes in South Africa and provided intensive support in technology, education, culture and music for South African youth. Reflecting on Jones award DeJoria said “I consider Quincy Jones to be a good friend to everyone, and am especially honored to present him with the 2017 Lifetime Achievement award. Even more than his record of 27 Grammy wins, his devotion to philanthropy through the Quincy Jones Foundation and in efforts to address cancer, malaria, and as an activist for children makes him the ideal recipient of the Lifetime Achievement award.”
Simmons’ was honored for his tireless work in support of the arts, animal rights, ethnic understanding and other core causes, including equality of marriage and gay rights. "Whether promoting the arts, education and entrepreneurship, or working to end discrimination and increase understanding, I try to use my platform to uplift and empower others,” Simmons said. “I am honored to be recognized by this group of individuals who are so deeply committed to celebrating our collective good deeds.”
Musicians, Producers, Actors and Friends came together at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Saturday February 13th to honor Lionel Richie as Musicares 2016 "Person Of The Year". Musicares provides a safety net of critical assistance for music people in times of need and the event was a benefit to raise money for the organization.
"I'm really very proud of this," said Richie. "As far as I'm concerned, this is the highest honor in our music business because it means you have a career. You've survived the journey, if you will. The people who have been there defy categories. When you say Barbra Streisand, Bob Dylan and Paul McCartney — are you kidding me? When I got in this business I wanted to be like them. When you get recognition like this, it's everything. It really is the top of the mountain when it comes down to what your industry gives as recognition for great work, and the opportunity to help raise funds to sustain MusiCares' critical safety net of programs for members of the music community is momentous to me."
Standout performances included Lenny Kravitz energetic take on "Running With The Night", Chris Stapleton's intense version of "Lady" and Pharrell and The Roots "Richie" medley that featured crushing renditions of funky Commodore's classics like "Brick House" and "Slippery When Wet" highlighted by guest vocals from Gary Clark Jr.
Next the legendary Stevie Wonder put his own incredible stamp on the timeless "Three Times A Lady" which brought the audience to their feet. However the surprise performance of the night came from Foo Fighters front man Dave Grohl who offered up a heart warming performance of Richie's 80's pop hit "You Are" that got Lionel out of his seat dancing and singing along with much delight. .
Overall the evenings festivities raised more than 7 Million Dollars for Musicares, which is a record for the event. You can learn more about Musicares at www.grammy.org/musicares
The MusiCares MAP Fund provides financial and supportive assistance for music people in need of addiction recovery services. Their 11th annual Map Fund Benefit concert took place this past Thursday May 28th at The Best Buy Theatre in NYC. Bruce Springsteen, Roger Daltrey, Joan Jett, Billy Idol, Mix Master Mike, Willie Nile and others gathered to honor Pete Townshend and longtime Who manager Bill Curbishley.
Springsteen presented Townshend with the Stevie Ray Vaughn award for his dedication and support to the Musicares Map Fund. He called Townshend "the greatest rhythm guitarist of all-time" and went on to tell an incredible story of seeing The Who as his first rock concert on their first U.S. tour opening for Herman's Hermits in the late 60's. Springsteen raved
"The Who came out and they played for probably a little more than 30 minutes. Pete, in a cloud of smoke, demolished his guitar bashing it over and over into the floor and his amplifier." he continued "All I knew was for some reason this music and the demolishing of these perfectly fine instruments filled me with incredible joy and I never looked back". Springsteen said he was so blown away that it inspired him to try to duplicate their style as a 16 year old kid playing a High School dance with his band The Castiles. "I went out and I bought a smoke bomb and I bought a strobe light and I brought them to the gig." "At the end of the night, I lit the smoke bomb in the Catholic school basement, I turned on the strobe light and I climbed on top of my amp holding a vase of flowers I'd stolen from one of the upstairs classrooms,". "As the nuns looked on with horror, I reached up and smashed them onto the dance floor."
A grateful, humble and good spirited Townshend then came out to a big round of applause from the fans, friends and fellow musicians that made up the audience of over 2,000. He talked about experimenting with pot and acid in his art school days but said his real struggles where with alcohol. "I was doing like three bottles of brandy a day". "I think I don't look too bad for someone that drank cognac for fifteen years" which brought a rousing collection of laughs from the crowd. "But the secret for me to be able to do this tour with The Who, this 50th anniversary tour, and still kind of put on a reasonable show has been because of the 30 years I've been clean".
Daltrey, Townshend and Springsteen then bashed through "My Generation" highlighted by Pete's signature guitar playing and the undeniable presence of The Boss. Other stand out moments included Joan Jett's high energy performances of "Can't Explain" and "Summertime Blues", Willie Nile capturing the magic of "Substitute" and "The Kids Are Alright" and Billy Idol's powerful delivery of "The Real Me" and "Who Are You". Performance of the night went to Daltrey for his crushing rendition of Mose Allison's "Young Man Blues". The evening ended with everyone joining in on The Who classic "Won't Get Fooled Again". A truly incredible evening for such an important cause.
The European leg of The Who's 50th anniversary tour begins June 21st in Belfast and returns to the U.S. September 14th running through November 4th. For more information on Musicares visit www.grammy.org/musicares
