PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA, THE: THE GRAMMYS RETURN TO NEW YORK: 60 YEARS OF MUSIC HISTORY {LONG VERSION}
Summary
One in a series of evenings and special screenings presented at The Paley Center for Media in New York. This evening celebrates the annual Grammy Awards, which in 2018 will be held in New York City for the first time since 2003.
The program opens with an extended series of clips from Grammy performances from 1980 to 2017, including: Pink, Prince and Beyoncé Knowles, Eminem and Elton John, Simon and Garfunkel, Barbra Streisand, Usher and James Brown, Ricky Martin, AC/DC, Stevie Wonder, Rihanna, Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga and Metallica, Mary J. Blige and Andrea Bocelli, Jamie Foxx and Alicia Keys, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, U2, Tina Turner, the Broadway cast of "Hamilton," Jay-Z and Justin Timberlake, Coldplay, Faith Hill, Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, Lorde, Jennifer Hudson, Kanye West, Eric Clapton, Melissa Etheridge, Sting, Carrie Underwood, Christina Aguilera, Celine Dion, Shania Twain, Aerosmith, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Alan Jackson, Bette Midler, John Legend and Common, Lionel Richie, Marvin Gaye, the Rolling Stones, Adele, Ray Charles and Little Richard, among others.
Host Maureen Reidy (President and CEO, The Paley Center for Media) then takes the stage and offers opening remarks, introducing Scott Goldman (executive director, Grammy Museum). Goldman moderates the following panelists: David Wild (writer/producer, Grammy Awards); Chantel Sausedo (talent producer, Grammy Awards); Jack Sussman (executive vice-president of Specials, Music and Live Events, CBS Entertainment); Ken Ehrlich (executive producer, Grammy Awards); and Neil Portnow (president and CEO, The Recording Academy).
The panelists touch on such topics as: excitement about the upcoming 60th show, set to take place on Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018; how performing on the show is a "career-defining moment" for new artists; the decision to return to NYC after 14 years in Los Angeles; maintaining a sense of "unpredictability"; Wild's fond memories of the 2003 "London Calling" tribute to Joe Strummer, featuring Bruce Springsteen, Steven Van Zandt, Elvis Costello and Dave Grohl; why Sussman originally objected to the performance, the show's first "in memoriam" song; how the show's timing is affected by the Winter Olympic Games; the frustrating mandate preventing producers from booking performances until the nominations are announced, usually about two months beforehand; why they are not trying to "sell a single" with their choice of performers; the unusual calendar for eligible nominees and why they are not "beholden to the nomination process" in crafting the show; creating memorable and risky "Grammy Moments"; the artists' competitive desire to give the best performance of the night; Sausedo's role as "hostess of the greatest party in the world"; funny memories of Paul McCartney's excitement at watching other artists rehearse; the producers' differing agendas and unfiltered communication with one another; maintaining the integrity of the "Grammy brand"; the challenging experience of making rapid changes to the 2012 show when legendary artist Whitney Houston died one day before the ceremony, including host LL Cool J's request to open with a prayer; adjusting to a new venue after 14 years at Los Angeles' Staples Center; keeping the awards relevant and up-to-date with a "vibrant membership" of eligible voters; their favorite new artists, including SZA and returning favorite Kesha, who received her first nomination for her album "Rainbow"; why "water-cooler talk" about the show now happens in real time on social media; and their confidence that host James Corden will keep the show "spontaneous."
Questions from the audience then lead to a discussion of the following topics, among others: how Ehrlich creates unique duets and collaborations by finding various artists' "commonalities"; the import of engaging with young music fans through university programs; how independent artists can catch the Recording Academy's attention; the challenge of doling out tickets to the event, including the fact that Madison Square Garden holds fewer people than the Staples Center; the "jigsaw puzzle" process of narrowing down the hundreds of eligible nominees and performers; last-minute bookings, including Wild's fortuitous encounter with a popular artist on an airplane; and the origins of the Recording Academy, founded in 1957.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: November 30, 1999 6:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: N/A
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 131764
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Maureen Reidy … Host
- Scott Goldman … Moderator
- David Wild … Panelist
- Chantel Sausedo … Panelist
- Jack Sussman … Panelist
- Ken Ehrlich … Panelist
- Neil Portnow … Panelist
- AC/DC
- Adele
- Aerosmith
- Christina Aguilera
- Mary J. Blige
- Andrea Bocelli
- James Brown
- Ray Charles
- Eric Clapton
- Coldplay
- Elvis Costello
- Miley Cyrus
- Celine Dion
- Bob Dylan
- Eminem (see also: Marshall Mathers)
- Melissa Etheridge
- Jamie Foxx
- Aretha Franklin
- Art Garfunkel
- Marvin Gaye
- Dave Grohl
- Faith Hill
- Whitney Houston
- Jennifer Hudson
- Michael Jackson
- Jay-Z (see also: Shawn Carter)
- Elton John
- Kesha (see also: Kesha Sebert)
- Alicia Keys
- Beyoncé Knowles
- Lady Gaga (see also: Stefani Germanotta)
- Kendrick Lamar
- John Legend
- Little Richard (see also: Richad Penniman)
- Lorde (see also: Ella Yelich-O'Connor)
- Bruno Mars
- Ricky Martin
- Paul McCartney
- Metallica
- Bette Midler
- Lionel Richie
- Rihanna (see also: Robyn Fenty)
- Pink (see also: Alecia Moore)
- Prince (see also: Prince Rogers Nelson)
- Paul Simon
- Bruce Springsteen
- Barbra Streisand
- Taylor Swift
- SZA (see also: Solána Rowe)
- Justin Timberlake
- Tina Turner
- Shania Twain
- Carrie Underwood
- Usher (see also: Usher Raymond)
- U2
- Steven Van Zandt
- Kanye West
- Pharrell Williams
- Stevie Wonder