One of the highlights of the recent 57th annual Grammy Awards occurred when Best New Artist nominee Brandy Clark appeared on a side stage with Dwight Yoakam to perform “Hold My Hand.” The two gave one of the small-stage emotional moments on a night usually dominated by big production numbers.
Check out the video of Clark and Yoakam performing “Hold My Hand,” a song about relationship insecurities that Clark wrote with Mark Stephen Jones.
“Hold My Hand” is from Clark’s album, 12 Stories. Although she did not win Best New Artist or Country Album of the Year, the Internet loved her performance and hopefully sharing the spotlight with Dwight Yoakam will make sure we hear more from her in the future. What was your favorite performance at the Grammy Awards? Leave your two cents in the comments.
On February 22, 1990, Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus appeared on the Grammy Awards as Milli Vanilli. The duo performed their hit “Girl You Know It’s True” from their debut album of the same name, and then they accepted the award for Best New Artist. By the end of the year, though, the public discovered that the duo did not sing on their record and that they had been lip syncing the song.
Although the two had not come up with the idea about the lip syncing and were at least partially manipulated by others in the business, the scandal effectively ruined their successful careers. The two men, who were sued for their role in the misrepresentation, later tried releasing music with their real voices. But Morvan and Pilatus found no success with their new music, perhaps because the public was still mad at being duped.
The downfall was especially hard for Pilatus, who was found dead of an alcohol and drug overdose in April 1998. Morvan continues to make music.
And, in 2016, Morvan became a pitchman for KFC’s “#BeReal” campaign, which highlights his Milli Vanilli past (2016 Update). KFC’s 3-minute “documentary” on Morvan is both funny and touching. Check it out.
Although I remember when their songs were constantly on the radio, today I rarely hear “Girl You Know It’s True” or other Milli Vanilli’s hits like “Blame It On the Rain.” The whole mess still seems unfair to Morvan and Pilatus. People loved the music so much when they thought the singers danced like Morvan and Pilatus, but after the scandal broke, people would not embrace the real singers or the real dancers. Yet, the music was always the same. I am not sure whether we were mad at Morvan and Pilatus or we were mad at ourselves for being fooled, or both.
But at least for a time, both Milli Vanilli and the fans had a good time. It is just too bad that we got to move on but Morvan and Pilatus could not. So, for today, suspend your memory and just enjoy watching Morvan and Pilatus dancing on the Grammys and picking up the award, which they would have to give back by the end of the year.
For more about Milli Vanilli, check out this 2015 interview with Fab Morvan. For more on the voices behind Milli Vanilli, check out this short video on YouTube.
Will you admit you liked Milli Vanilli? Leave your two cents in the comments.
Sunday night the 56th Annual Grammy Awards had various moments, including what was billed as a reunion of The Highwaymen. The two surviving members of the supergroup — Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson — were joined by Merle Haggard and Blake Shelton. But the performance was only partly a tribute to the band that released three albums and a recognition of its deceased members Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings, as most of the performance acknowledged the individuals on stage. That was okay, though, as it was good to see the three legends on stage with Blake Shelton giving the group a little shot of “youth.”
As you may see in the following video, the performance opens with the two surviving Highwaymen singing a little of the group’s hit “Highwayman,” a song about reincarnation written by Jimmy Webb. Then, they are joined by Haggard and Shelton, singing Haggrard’s “Okie from Muskogee” and “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys,” which had been a hit for Nelson and Jennings.
Many years ago, I saw the original Highwaymen perform at the Houston Astrodome. It was a memorable experience to see the country music legends all together, and at that performance they did a lot of individual songs too. So in a sense, the reunion continued that tradition of being more than just about songs by the Highwaymen. With Cash and Jennings gone, of course the band can never be the same. But like another Grammy sort-of reunion of another great quartet that had Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr playing together, we will take what we can get, while also remembering those who can no longer perform.
What was your favorite performance at the Grammys? Leave your two cents in the comments.
One of the highlights of this year’s Grammy Awards was Paul McCartney closing the show by singing the Beatles’ classic “Golden Slumbers”/”Carry That Weight”/”The End” set from Abbey Road (1969). Sir Paul also had some help on vocals and guitar from some other great artists, including Joe Walsh, Bruce Springsteen, and Grammy-winning Foo Fighter Dave Grohl.
The guitar work at the end is a treat, but the best part is the final strains of the lyrics where Grohl is standing behind McCartney singing. Grohl has no microphone, but with a smile on his face he sings anyway for the joy of it, the way many of us have done in our bedrooms as kids listening to the album. But Grohl gets to do it onstage with a look on his face that shows he is thinking, “I can’t believe I’m playing with Paul McCartney!” On a night tinged with sad tributes to Whitney Houston and Glen Campbell (who gave his final Grammy performance on stage as he succombs to Alzheimer’s disease), that image of Grohl captures perfectly the point that host LL Cool J made at the opening of the show: It’s all about the music.
“And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.”
[February 2013 Update: The entire performance is no longer available, but in the short clip below you may see Grohl singing behind McCartney.]
What did you think of last night’s Grammy Awards show and this closing set? Leave your two cents in the comments.
Don McLean revealed where he wrote and first performed “American Pie,” refuting a local legend.
In Grammy news, Adele, Kanye West, Bruno Mars, and Foo Fighters led the Grammy nominations. In other Grammy news, some pondered whether or not the Beach Boys will reunite at the Grammys. Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane was nominated for two Grammys and will compete with Tony Bennett and Barbra Streisand. Finally, Sugarland joined Lady Gaga for a rousing performance of “You and I” at the Grammy Nominations Concert this week.
Hanson (i.e., The Hanson Brothers) are developing a beer named. . . “MMMHop.” I’m guessing the beer will stay with you for a long time in the same way the catchy song does.
In touring news, George Michael cancelled the remaining dates of his tour to recover from pneumonia. Meanwhile, The Red Hot Chili Peppers announced their first U.S. tour in nearly five years, starting Jan. 25.
It’s “either a misprint or a satire.” — Elvis Costello, commenting on $339.98 box set of a Costello performance. The New York Times reviewed a new biography of Ahmet Ertegun, the great founder and president of Atlantic Records.
A new book recounts how actress Hedy Lamarr contributed to the cell phone technology we use today. The New York Times reviewed the new DVD and Blu-ray of the classic and controversial film, Birth of a Nation.
Ken Russell, the director of Tommy, The Devils, and Altered States passed away. Watching each of those films in the movie theater were memorable events for me. RIP Mr. Russell.
New pictures were released of the fictional Mars in the upcoming John Carter.
I was sorry to hear that Roger Ebert’s recent incarnation of At the Moviesis going on hiatus. I enjoyed the show.
—— Other Pop Culture News ——
The Waltons reunited on The Today Show for their 40th Anniversary.
In The Office news, now you may buy Dunder Mifflin copy paper. Also, Stanley from The Office (Leslie David Baker) made a music video. In sadder Office-related news, comedian Patrice O’Neal, who also appeared periodically on The Office, passed away last week from complications of a stroke. RIP.
The inventor of the Jenos pizza roll and Chun King canned Chinese food, Jeno Paulucci, died on Thanksgiving. Chun King was the only time I encountered Chinese food as a kid, and, well, I have enjoyed several meals of nothing but pizza rolls. RIP Mr. Paulucci.
What were your thoughts on the pop culture stories of the week? Leave your two cents in the comments.
