The Grammy Awards

I stayed up too late last night watching the Grammy Awards. I thought it was a better than average show. Most of the time I don’t watch these awards because I am usually unfamiliar with most of the artists who are being recognized. Last night there seemed to be something for everyone. Although I am an old rock and roller, I enjoyed much of the music that was performed by artists of the younger generation. I especially liked the performance of Bruno Mars who did a great job mimicking many of the classic moves of James Brown, one of my favorite artists. Of course, the show was made more poignant because of the sudden and unexpected death of Whitney Huston. Admittedly, I was never a big fan of hers but I thought she had a lot of God given talent. Last night’s show meant a lot to me for other reasons. There was a tribute to the Beach Boys. God knows they looked like they are one step from the nursing home. However, the Beach Boys were the very first rock and roll band I ever saw in a live concert. It was in the early 60’s. I was barely a teen-ager and they were probably in their early 20’s. Another of my favorite bands, the Allman Brothers Band, received a lifetime achievement award. I have seen the Allman Brothers Band more often than any other band over the last 40+ years. Finally, the Grammy Awards show closed with a performance by Paul McCartney, one of the Beatles. Although I like many bands, the Beatles are my all-time favorite band. I never saw them when they were together but I did finally see Paul McCartney in the early 2000’s and his performance brought tears to my eyes. Music is one of life’s most pleasurable and meaningful creations. It brings great joy to many and I believe it may be the most unifying forces in all of life. As David Crosby once sang, "Music is Love".