GRAMMY AWARDS
Gearing up for Grammy
Which artists and acts will hit a high note with the music biz?
By Tom O'Neil, The Envelope
February 9, 2007
The stakes at the Grammy Awards are far bigger than than just who wins golden gramophones. Since these are the Oscars of the music biz -- decided by industry leaders who control all aspects of song creation to radio airplay -- voters will reveal judgments that'll have long-echoing impact.
For example: Justin Timberlake won two Grammys in the pop vocal categories back in 2003, but he's yet to claim one of the top categories. If he can win the race for best album of the year now with "Future Sex/Love Sounds," he might finally shake off the bubble-gum image he's been stuck with since 'N Sync days.
James Blunt broke through big time on the music scene this year with "You're Beautiful," but it was pooh-poohed as sappy by the grittiest music critics. Revenge will be Blunt's if he can now nab the approval of the industry with a win in the race for record of the year where he competes against Mary J. Blige, who's finally received her first-ever nomination in a top Grammy contest ("Be Without You") and is hungry for a win.
But the biggest Grammy drama of all surrounds the fate of the Dixie Chicks, who recently rebounded from the setbacks they suffered after criticizing President George W. Bush and the war in Iraq. Their new success has been limited, though. Many diehard Nashville fans still ditched the Chicks, who ended up discovering new fan bases in northern and western U.S. cities plus Canada while touring in 2005 and 2006.
The Chicks are the only music act nominated in all top three Grammy contests -- record, song and album of the year -- and it's significant that they're in the running for music about their political woes. A victory in any one of those high categories would give them the stamp of industry approval that they want desperately to cap off their dramatic comeback.
The Chicks' performance of best-record nominee "Not Ready to Make Nice" in front of thousands of their music peers will surely be one of the highlights of the live acts on stage during the Grammycast.
The Grammy show is famous for pairing up interesting music combos. This year those include Shakira and Wyclef Jean doing "Hips Don't Lie," while Lionel Richie and Smokey Robinson team up to do a tribute to R&B music legends of the past. Together Carrie Underwood with Rascal Flatts will salute country-influenced rock.
John Mayer, Corinne Bailey Rae and John Legend will provide a trio of top talent.
The Grammy show will open with a music blockbuster: the reunited Police jamming their classic "Roxanne."
Grammy chiefs are cranking up performance glitz in a heightened drive to draw back TV viewers. Last year the telecast moved out of its usual Sunday night slot in order to get out of the way of "Desperate Housewives," but ran up against even tougher competition on a Wednesday night. Worse, it was another music variety show: "American Idol." The amateurs on "Idol" ended up creaming the pros. The Grammys suffered their worst Nielsen ratings in history.
This year the Grammys moved back to a Sunday night and, in revenge, launched its own "American Idol"-styled music rivalry, inviting fans to compete for a chance to sing a duet with Justin Timberlake.
Voters judging the "My Grammy Moment" contest have whittled finalists to three so far. One is Africa Miranda, age 30, an Alabama-born music artist who works temp jobs in New York while trying to break into the music biz. Also in the run-off is Brenda Radney, 20, a self-described "freelance singer/songwriter" from Staten Island, New York, and Robyn Troup, 18, a Texas-reared gal now attending the University of Southern California.
The winner will not know her fate till midway through the ceremony at the Staples Center in Los Angeles when she'll be called to the stage for the performance.
"Anticipation will be high as millions watch the debut of a very deserving and talented new artist," promises Neil Portnow, president of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences.