![]() ![]() In celebration of rock icon Elton John, the Recording Academy and CBS will broadcast. And Shawn Mendes and SZA - who performed John’s 1976 hit with Kiki Dee, “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” - is a duet we never dreamed we’d see. Miley Cyrus, John Legend, Kesha, and many more will perform at a special Grammys tribute on Tuesday, April 10. (He was quite funny about it: After the second miscue he said, “Let’s make this entire show about this song… and me!”) Deep cuts from John’s early albums, which bear the unmistakable rootsy influence of The Band, were rolled out by country stars Maren Morris (“Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters”) and Miranda Lambert (“My Father’s Gun”). ![]() Alessia Cara sang “I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues” with characteristic understated grace Lady Gaga donned some Elton-esque glasses for “Your Song.” Coldplay’s Chris Martin had to re-start “We All Fall in Love Sometimes” twice: once because “I f-ed it up!,” another time because the accompanying string section missed their cue. Ed Sheeran sang a lovely, unusually fast-paced version of “Candle in the Wind.” Sam Smith performed a gentle “Daniel” accompanied by John’s longtime guitarist Davey Johnstone on electric guitar, rather than the electric piano familiar from the recorded version. Miley Cyrus kicked things off by beginning “The Bitch Is Back” from an aisle in the middle of the crowd (we must admit we were transfixed by the sight of Sony/ATV exec Paul Williams clapping along in his seat, right next to Cyrus, at the start of the song). ![]() While John will perform at his tribute, Ehrlich would not say whether John will play at the Grammys two nights earlier, other than to add, “We definitely are discussing it.The show featured many memorable moments, not all of which are likely to be included in the broadcast version. The trio’s on-demand streams rose 71 percent and four Bee Gees compilations debuted or re-entered the Billboard charts. They have also proven to drive sales, especially last year’s entry, Stayin’ Alive: A Grammy Salute to the Music of the Bee Gees, resulted in the Bee Gees’ catalog increasing 669 percent in sales over the previous week. In addition to often winning their time slots, the past specials have been critically acclaimed: The Beatles: The Night That Changed America-A Grammy Salute, Stevie Wonder: Songs In The Key Of Life-An All-Star Grammy Salute and Sinatra 100-An All-Star Grammy Concert all won Emmy Awards. John’s longtime band will serve as the backing musicians for the evening, with his guitarist, Davey Johnstone, serving as musical director. “We try to balance out and make sure it’s representative of eras and tempo, but I’ve always believed that artists know themselves best and we should respect that.” “In most cases, the songs being done have been chosen by the artist,” Ehrlich says. While Ehrlich may suggest songs from John’s vast catalog to the evening’s performers, many acts come in with a particular tune in mind. In addition to his five Grammys, he is also an Oscar and Tony recipient. Since his first tour in 1970, John, born Reginald Dwight in England in 1947, has gone on to be one of pop music’s most legendary and charismatic performers, with 35 gold and 25 platinum albums. “I’m planning to try to sit down with them and pick up some interviews on the process -Bernie writing lyrics and sending them to Elton - on how unusual and wonderful it is.” That enduring relationship will be highlighted during the evening, Ehrlich says. ![]() In November, John released a greatest hits collection, Diamonds, which coincided with the 50th anniversary of John’s songwriting partnership with Bernie Taupin. "Sir Elton John is an international music legend who has captivated audiences across generations for more than five decades," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of the Recording Academy, in a statement. "His creativity, dynamic presence, and melodic virtuosity have positioned him as a cultural icon, and the Recording Academy is pleased to honor his immeasurable contributions to the music community." “They’re beautifully written lyrically and melodically.” “Elton’s songs are such classics,” AEG Ehrlich Ventures executive producer Ken Ehrlich tells Billboard. Among those slated to perform are Miley Cyrus, Kesha, Miranda Lambert, John Legend, Little Big Town, Chris Martin, Maren Morris, Sam Smith and Keith Urban. Like those concert tapings, the Elton John event will take advantage of the wide swath of talent in town for the Grammy Awards. The special, which will be broadcast later in 2018 on CBS, follows similar tributes to Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, Frank Sinatra and Bee Gees, presented by The Recording Academy, AEG Ehrlich Ventures and CBS. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |