There have been several Grammy Awards held on this date. Here are a few highlights from three random Feb. 24 ceremonies:
1982's 24th Grammy Awards were big for Kim Carnes' one-hit-wonderful "Bette Davis Eyes," which won the Record and Song of the Year trophies. John Lennon won Album of the Year posthumously for Double Fantasy. Fun ones: Orson Welles won the Grammy for Best Spoken Word, Documentary or Drama Recording (?) for the radio version of Curt Siodmak's novel, Donovan's Brain; Sheena Easton was Best New Artist; and former knit-capped member of The Monkees, Michael Nesmith, won Video of the Year for Michael Nesmith in Elephant Parts, a collection of music videos and comedy sketches that helped further set the table for the creation of MTV. Watch Nesmith put his madcap Monkee skills to work all those years later:
At 1993's 35th Grammys, the big theme was death. Eric Clapton won the big three categories with his Unplugged album and "Tears in Heaven," a song for his late son. Celine Dion won Song and Record trophies for her ditty from a movie about one of the deadliest maritime disasters in history. Rap was more comfy in its role as a Grammys insider. Some might say Arrested Development (Best New Artist, Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group) was a safe act to hitch its wagon on, but Sir Mix-a-Lot won Rap Solo for "Baby Got Back." You know those Recording Academy voters — they're all about the African garb, conscious lyrics and slammin' booties.
Arrested Development are still going. Here's a performance for paste from a few years ago:
Lauryn Hill was the big story of the 41st Grammys, held this day in 1999. She pulled a rare Best New Artist/Album of the Year coup, and won three more, all for her stunning debut LP. Dance music-to-Pop producer David Morales scored the excessively titled Remixer of the Year, Non-Classical (no Classical Remixers made the cut). And Elvis Costello won a Grammy for his Burt Bacharach collaboration, "I Still Have That Other Girl."
Here's Elvis with a different duet partner, trusty sidekick Steve Nieve.
Click the jump for "Born This Day" featuring George Harrison's new iPad app.—-
Born This Day: Musical movers and shakers sharing a Feb. 24 birthday include soft rocking' pina colada aficionado Rupert Holmes (1947); late music biz game-changer Steve Jobs (1955); rockin' Blues champion George Thorogood (1950); and The Beatles' George Harrison (1943).
Actually, Harrison's real date of birth is debated, even though his birth certificate says "twenty fifth" of February (yes, Mr. Trump, I can produce it — blam!), his sister has said it was written in a family Bible he was born 10 minutes after midnight, Feb. 25, and every reference on Harrison's official website and social media profiles (run by his estate) declares his birthday Feb. 25. In what appears to have been started by a few repeated, unproven statements about Harrison learning he found later in life he was born 10 minutes before midnight, Feb. 24, the "new" birthday discovery is printed as gospel on many online resource outlets. Some people think Harrison just said it as a joke during an interview.
Let's build a wonderwall between the two days and just make it a twofer (it's not like we have to bake a cake or anything). Harrison is making news on what would have been his 69th birthday-o-rama. His son Dhani Harrison, also a talented musician, has worked to develop a cool iPad app that gives an interactive tour of his dad's extensive (and historic) collection of guitars. It really looks gorgeous, though the $9.99 price tag means most of those who get to experience it are hardcore Beatles/Harrison maniacs or guitar-heads who want to get a closer look at the vintage collection. Techies into app innovations might get it, too; it seems like an almost Apple-like (as in Steve Jobs, not Corps) example of fine craftsmanship in the digital realm.
The app — called "The Guitar Collection: George Harrison" — went on sale Wednesday. Here's a look at some of the features:
The Guitar Collection: George Harrison from George Harrison on Vimeo.
