Last night was an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime event: the Recording Academy® and GRAMMY Museum®’s inaugural GRAMMY Hall Of Fame® Gala, live at The Novo in LA Live. There was an amazing red carpet and VIP reception on the Ray Charles Terrace at the GRAMMY Museum followed by a one-of-a-kind concert at The Novo, hosted by veteran CBS broadcaster Anthony Mason.
The inaugural Grammy Hall Of Fame Gala, presented by City National Bank, honored the 2024 GRAMMY Hall Of Fame inducted recordings on its 50th Anniversary, with 4 albums and 6 singles that exhibit qualitative or historical significance, and are at least 25 years old.
The 2024 GRAMMY Hall Of Fame Inductees were: De La Soul’s 3 Feet High And Rising, Guns N’ Roses’ Appetite For Destruction, Buena Vista Social Club’s Buena Vista Social Club, and Lauryn Hill’s The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill, as well as recordings by Donna Summer, Charley Pride, Wanda Jackson, Kid Ory’s Creole Orchestra, the Doobie Brothers and William Bell.
To pay tribute to these music legends there were some amazing singing performances by other music legends, and current music stars and Grammy Award Winners: William Bell, Hanson, Elle King, Andra Day, Ravyn Lenae, Shinedown, and The War and Treaty, who we just saw recently perform at the Grammy Awards!
The Gala also gave an amazing tribute to iconic record label Atlantic Records, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary, and has over 38 recordings already inducted into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame!
By an amazing coincidence, when we were checking into the show to get our VIP tickets we met Supermodel Cindy Crawford! During the 1980s and 1990s, she was among the most popular supermodels and a ubiquitous presence on magazine covers and runways, as well as fashion campaigns. She subsequently expanded into acting and business ventures. In the above photo our TV Show Host: Margie Rey told Cindy that she uses her skincare products, which made Cindy very happy, and in the above photo Entertainment Today and Entertainment & Sports Today TV Producer: Steve Taylor told Cindy that he met her at The Oscars when Cindy was still married to the award winning actor: Richard Gere from 1991 to 1995, and they both posed with Steve backstage at the Oscars- which Cindy happily remembered! Cindy still looked as young and beautiful as when I first met her at the Oscars about 30 years ago! You can see this for yourself, as you can compare last night’s above photo of Cindy to the below photo of Cindy with me at the Oscars from 3 decades ago. Let me know what you think:Entertainment Today and Entertainment & Sports Today TV Producer: Steve Taylor, and TV Show Host: Margie Rey on the red carpet at the VIP reception on the Ray Charles Terrace:where we both met Music Legend Jimmy Jam: who was born on 6 June 1959 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. He is a Music Legend, Grammy Winner, Record Producer, Composer, and Actor, known for the 64th Grammy Awards Premiere Ceremony. He worked as a Producer for Prince.He has been married to Lisa Padilla since 25 June 1994. They have three children. One of the bars in the VIP Reception: On this show you will see some clips from the amazing musical performances during the concert.
2024 GRAMMY Hall Of Fame Inductees: The fantastic tributes to the 10 new inducted recordings were:
3 FEET HIGH AND RISING the Album by De La Soul
APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION the Album by Guns N’ Roses
BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB the Album by Buena Vista Social Club
“ORY’S CREOLE TROMBONE” the Single by Kid Ory’s Creole Orchestra
Atlantic Records was honored, with speeches by Chairperson/CEO Julie Greenwald and Chairman/CEO Craig Kallman.
Lauryn Hill was in attendance with her entire family(see below photo) including YG Marley, and took photos with several of the performers, including Margie Rey, and Steve Taylor. Andra Day performed Lauryn Hill’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” – that was a hit song of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Lauryn Noelle Hill was born May 26, 1975, and is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. She is regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, as well as one of the most influential musicians of her generation. She is often credited for breaking barriers for female rappers, popularizing melodic rap, and pioneering neo soul for mainstream audiences. In addition to being named one of the 50 Great Voices by NPR, Lauryn Hill was listed as one of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time by Rolling Stone. In 2015, she was ranked as the greatest female rapper by Billboard. Her other accolades include eight Grammy Awards—the most for any female rapper. Lauryn Hill was so kind to pose for a photo with Margie Rey: Her debut solo album: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998), was met with widespread critical acclaim. The album made her the first female rapper to both debut atop the Billboard 200 and receive a diamond certification by Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA); it remains one of the best-selling albums of all time worldwide and was ranked number one on Apple Music’s 100 Best Albums list. Its lead single, “Doo Wop (That Thing)” debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and was listed as a Song of the Century by the RIAA. Its follow up singles, “Ex-Factor” and “Everything Is Everything” peaked within the top 40 on the chart. At the 41st Grammy Awards, she set the record for the most nominations in one night for a female, and became the first rapper to win Album of the Year! So you can see why Lauryn Hill’s album “THE MISEDUCATION OF LAURYN HILL” was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame! We were honored to meet her, and she was so nice to take the time to pose for photos with us: William Bell performed his Single song “You Don’t Miss Your Water” William Bell (né Yarbrough) was born July 16, 1939, and is an American soul singer and songwriter. As a performer, he is probably best known for his debut single, 1961’s “You Don’t Miss Your Water” – that he was inducted into this year’s GRAMMY Hall Of Fame for! Then 1968’s top 10 hit in the UK “Private Number”, a duet with Judy Clay; and his only US top 40 hit, 1976’s “Tryin’ to Love Two”, which also hit No. 1 on the R&B chart. Upon the death of Otis Redding, Bell released the well-received memorial song “A Tribute to a King”. At the VIP Reception William Bell was so kind to pose for a photo with Steve Taylor: Grammy Winning: The War and Treaty performed Country Music Legend: Charley Pride’s Single: “Kiss An Angel Good Mornin” that was a 2024 GRAMMY Hall Of Fame Inductee. The War and Treaty are an American husband and wife duo consisting of singer-songwriters Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter.
Andra Day performed Donna Summer’s Single: “I Feel Love” that was a 2024 GRAMMY Hall Of Fame Inductee:
4 time Grammy Nominee, singer, musician, songwriter, and actress: Elle King performed Country and Rockabilly legend: Wanda Jackson’s Single: “Let’s Have A Party” that was a 2024 GRAMMY Hall Of Fame Inductee. Wanda LaVonne Jackson was born October 20, 1937, and is an American singer and songwriter. Since the 1950s, she has recorded and released music in the genres of rock, country and gospel. She was among the first women to have a career in rock and roll, recording a series of 1950s singles that helped give her the nickname “The Queen of Rockabilly”. She is also counted among the first female stars in the genre of country music. Elle King is posing for a photo with Steve Taylor below: Jackson began performing as a child and later had her own radio show in Oklahoma City. She was then discovered by country singer Hank Thompson, who helped her secure a recording contract with Decca Records in 1954. At Decca, Jackson had her first hit single with the country song “You Can’t Have My Love”. She then began touring the following year with Elvis Presley. The two briefly dated and Presley encouraged her to record in the Rockabilly style, and gave her a very expensive and beautiful ring! In 1956, Jackson signed with Capitol Records where she was given full permission to record both country and Rockabilly. The label released a string of Jackson’s rock singles, including “Fujiyama Mama”, “Mean Mehwvan Man” and the top 40 hit “Let’s Have a Party” – which is the song that she was honored for in this show- putting her into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame!
In the 1990s, her rock records were noticed again by American audiences and she began touring alongside fellow Rockabilly artist Rosie Flores. During this period, she released several commercially acclaimed albums in the rock and roll style, including Heart Trouble (2003) and I Remember Elvis (2006). Following her 2009 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Jackson collaborated with musician Jack White to record the commercially successful The Party Ain’t Over. In the above photo Margie poses for a photo with Singer Elle King, who has had roots in the entertainment industry long before her songs like “Ex’s & Oh’s” topped the charts. She is currently on a National Concert Tour, and is the daughter of actor and comedian Rob Schneider and model London King!All three Hanson brothers (Taylor, Isaac, and Zac) of the “Hanson” band were so extra kind to ask us to pose for photos together with all 3 of them at the same time!! :after their band performed the Doobie Brothers’ “What A Fool Believes” by Jeffrey “Skunk” Baxter, for this song that was inducted into the 2024 GRAMMY Hall Of Fame! On this show you can also see the Hanson brothers perform at a recent world concert of theirs, with 2 clips from this concert, including Get the Girl Back, and their signature hit song MMMBop. This concert was part of the Hanson brothers world tour, that was held in San Diego, California, on the beautiful and tropical: Shelter Island, at the beautiful picture postcard perfect Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay, that is it’s own little island surrounded by water, with the bay and Pacific Ocean. After five years and two independent albums, HANSON emerged on the world stage in 1997 with the ubiquitous smash single “MmmBop,” which was #1 in 27 countries simultaneously. Blending their influence of soul and rock n roll with a love of song craftsmanship, the brothers quickly earned stardom and also respect from their peers with three GRAMMY Nominations and millions of albums sold. Their major label debut, Middle Of Nowhere, had five consecutive top 40 singles, including “MmmBop,” “Where’s The Love,” “I Will Come To You” and “Weird.” Continuing the momentum, HANSON went on to release the critically acclaimed sophomore album This Time Around, followed by five more studio albums, two Christmas albums, and five live projects, all accompanied by extensive touring, performing concerts to over 3 million fans, and selling more than 16 million albums to date. The band launched their own independent 3CG Records label in 2003, a story which was chronicled in their acclaimed documentary Strong Enough To Break, a critical step in the band’s ability to maintain their coveted connection with their global fanbase.
The last five years have seen the “Middle Of Everywhere 25th Anniversary World Tour,” alongside a new greatest hits collection of the same name, which included the single “I Was Born,” infusing a piece of the future into the year’s reflective projects. The year concluded with a special Christmas album release and tour for the group’s Finally It’s Christmas album, which was among the most successful Christmas releases of 2017, and their most ambitious musical project to date, String Theory, a new album and tour that featured the band recording and performing with a full orchestra. The projects were some of HANSON’s most successful of their career, with sold-out concerts around the globe, highlighting their staying power and still strong connection with fans, more than a quarter century after they began in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Today the beloved band is in the midst of a 90-city world tour celebrating their 30th year performing together (25 since their major debut). Their current album, RED GREEN BLUE utilizes the inspiration of colors to reflect the unique creative voice of each brother, with a third of the album written and produced by each individual (Taylor’s Red, Isaac’s Green and Zac’s Blue). At the VIP Reception we were able to meet the Grammy Hall of Fame Inductee: “WHAT A FOOL BELIEVES” The Single by The Doobie Brothers, with Jeffrey Allen “Skunk” Baxter:who is an American guitarist, known for his stints in the rock bands Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers during the 1970s and Spirit in the 1980s. More recently, interestingly he has worked as a defense consultant and advised U.S. members of Congress on missile defense!
There was a great Atlantic Records tribute that included Ravyn Lenae performing Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly” and Brent Smith and Zach Myers of Shinedown performing Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway To Heaven.”
There were Speeches by Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr., and GRAMMY Museum President/CEO Michael Sticka.
The War and Treaty closed out the show with an incredible performance of “What’d I Say”– which was one of the mega hits of music Superstar, legend, Singer, Pianist, Composer, and Atlantic Record Giant: Ray Charles, with everyone going home happy, and having an experience they will always remember!
Charles Robinson Sr. was born on September 23, 1930 –and died on June 10, 2004, and was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential musicians in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as “The Genius”. Among friends and fellow musicians he preferred being called “Brother Ray”. Ray was blinded during childhood, possibly due to glaucoma. Ray Charles pioneered the soul music genre during the 1950s by combining blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, and gospel styles into the music he recorded for Atlantic Records. He contributed to the integration of country music, rhythm and blues, and pop music during the 1960s with his crossover success on ABC Records, notably with his two Modern Sounds albums. While he was with ABC, Ray became one of the first black musicians to be granted artistic control by a mainstream record company. Signature:
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