In Memoriam:
Bill Withers - singer-songwriter, musician; Betty Wright - r&b singer, songwriter, producer; K.T. Oslin - country singer; Tony Rice - bluegrass guitarist; Little Richard - rock & roll legend; (Bruno Mars and Anderson Paak - Little Richard "Good Golly Miss Molly" and "Long Tall Sally."); Eddie Van Halen - guitarist, songwriter, musician; Mary Wilson - the supremes; Bonnie Pointer - pointer sisters, solo artist; Mac Davis - country/pop singer-songwriter; Helen Reddy - pop singer, songwriter; McCoy Tyner - jazz pianist; Charlie Daniels - country/rock artist, musician; Kenny Rogers - country/pop super star (Lionel Richie - "Lady"); Chick Corea - jazz legend; Bucky Pizzarelli - jazz guitarist; Ellis Marsalis - jazz educator; Jan Howard - country star; Johnny Nash - reggae, pop singer; Johnny Pacheco - salsa legend; Sophie - avant-garde producer, musician; Charley Pride - groundbreaking country singer; John 'Ecstasy' Fletcher - rapper, whodini; Bruce Swedien - recording engineer; Jim Weatherly - singer, songwriter; Johnny Mandel - composer, arranger, conductor; Adam Schlesinger - singer-songwriter, film/tv composer; Ennio Marricone - composer, orchestrator, conductor; Armando Manzanero - legendary mexican balladeer; Jimmie Rodgers - rock/pop singer; Trini Lopez - folk/pop singer; 'Toots' Hibbert - reggare lege; Prince Markie Dee - rapper, the fat boys; Florian Schneider - kraftwerk; Sylvain Sylvain - the new york dolls; Paul Barrere - member of the feat; MF Doom -rapper, record producer; Peter Green - guitarist, fleetwood mac; Leslie West - rock guitarist, mountain; Emitt Rhodes - singer-songwriter, producer; Pop Smoke - rapper, singer, songwriter; Steve Priest - bassist, the sweet; Ronald Bell - founding member, kool & the gang; Ari Gold - recording artist, LGBTQ activist; Julian Bream - classical guitarist; John Prine - cultural singer-songwriter (Brandi Carlile - I Remember Everything); Jeffrey Greenberg - producer, entertainment attorney; Spencer Davis - leader, spencer davis group; Rupert Neve - audio recording icon; Bunny Wailer - original member, the wailers; Hal Willner - record producer; Gerry Marsden - singer-songwriter, Jerry and the pacemakers; Quinn 'Spicoli' Coleman - A&R executive; Jerry Jeff Walker - Texas singer-songwriter; Harold Reid - the statler brothers; Rita Houston - radio executive, personality; Joseph Shabalala - ladysmith black mambazo; Billy Joe Shaver - country outlaw singer-songwriter; Joe Diffie - country singer; Keith Olsen - producer, sound engineer; Andre Harrell - producer, record executive (Brittany Howard with Chris Martin - You never walk alone; walk home
Walter C. Miller - Director of Grammy Awards Telecasts 1980-2009 (1926-2020)
Mickey Guyton - Black Like Me
Miranda Lambert - Bluebird
John Mayer and Maren Morris - Good Bones
Best Melodic Rap Performance - Lockdown Anderson Paak
Best Latin Pop or Urban Album - YHLQMDLG Bad Bunny
Song of the Year - I can't Breathe HER
Megan Thee Stallion - Savage
Cardi B - Up
Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B - WAP appearance by Post Malone
Billy 'Mr. Apollo' Mitchell Apollo Theater Tour Director presented Best Rap Song to Savage - Megan Thee Stallion with Beyonce
Post Malone - Record of the Year Nominee - Circles
Post Malone - Hollywood's Bleeding
Jhene Aiko and Jacob Collier presented Best Pop Vocal Album to Future Nostalgia Dua Lipa
Baby Face and Jimmy Jam presents Best R&B Performance to Beyonce who breaks the record of the most Grammy Awards!!!!!
Record of the Year Nominee Doja Cat - Say So
Candice Fox - Hotel Cafe Bartender presented Album of the Year Award to Taylor Swift, Folklore
Record of the Year Nominee Billie Eilish Everything I Wanted
BTS - Dynamite
Special Merit Honorees:
Music Educator Award to Dr. Jeffrey Murdock
Producer of the Year to Andrew Watts
Record of The Year Nominee - Beyonce Black Parade
Ronnie Rich -
Lifetime Achievement Honorees:
- Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five; Lionel Hampton; Marilyn Horne; Salt-N-Pepa; Selena; Talking Heads;
Trustees Award - Ed Cherney; Benny Golson; Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds;
Technical Grammy Award Recipient - Daniel Weiss
Ringo Starr presents the Record of The Year Award to:
Billie Eilish
Unfortunately, something I've been feeling that I've been having a hard-time juggling these days is the time factor. Granted, even though it's nothing I should really be complaining about these days but I've been so busy with work (where the hours fit so perfectly with my own timeframe) that I've recenly noted to my bestie that where I used to find time to email 'novels' to her with updates, I now have have not been able to maintain this. Due to the nature of my current job, I'm not able to literally waste time as I have to track every moment...
For me, this isn't an actual problem as I've always been OCD on planning what I do with my time but it's unnerving that it feels like 'big brother is watching'.
Therefore, my time management has been sharpened and my priorities have had to be constantly updated. Sleep has taken a hit as well. Luckily, my napping skills with earplugs and eye-mask strategies have really become handy.
Which leads to another downfall that even though I'm excited to see the outcome to this first ceremony in the awards circuit, I've had to make a list as to what to catch up and update watching on Netflix. I've only watched 7 episodes of season four (the season featuring Diana, Charles and Camilla) of The Crown (most nominated Golden Globe show). Yet, I've lined up to watch the new Ginny & Georgia (supposed Gilmore Girl-esque drama) as well as Firefly Lane, The Queen's Gambit, New Amsterdam, Grace and Frankie and Emily In Paris, to name a few.
This is all on top of my normal daily shows I also catch...something that I used to be able to multitask in my previous jobs.
Nope, STILL refuse to complain...:) This is where social media is helpful when used correctly!
Had a nice WhatsApp texting chat with Winnie yesterday where we both shared some exciting news! Change is in the air...We're both waiting on the warm weather to arrive so we can catch up in the outdoor park area again!!!
Also caught up on a call with a past George Brown College pal, Vic today. It was nice to touchbase since he lives up in Barrie and neither of us drive! It's interesting that this is the second pal who's contacted me recently to share some of their writings with me. I don't mind reading material but I find the topics out of my normal topical interests. Ah well, why not go out of my normal topical areas.
The Weeknd pulled off a safe and in-built stage type of halftime show!
DISCLAIMER revealing names coming up...
Considering I knew who the winner was, the unmasking of the sun (Leann Rimes) was not a surprise. HOWEVER, I was pleasantly surprised to find out who the crocodile (Nick Carter, BSB) and mushroom (Aloe Blacc) were at the unmasking! Wow, fantastic!!!
Also spent the day binge-watching First Man - 2018 with Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Kyle Chandler, Ad Astra - 2019 with Brad Pitt and A League of Their Own - 1992 with Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Madonna. I haven't seen this movie since it first came out during the Blue Jays world series. What a nice refreshing reminder of how good it is!!! With the likes of Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Rosie O'Donnell, Madonna, Bill Pullman and other phenomenal actors! SUCH a FEEL-GOOD MOVIE!!!!
Had a quick chat with Ling in Oz this arvo (Wednesday morning for them) where she sent me several photos of the kids where one looked like they were all snapping their fingers...but apparently (when I brought it up) they were making they were making 'love hearts' similar to how they're done from Korean shows (that I DO NOT watch. Case in point...details...)
- Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom featuring Viola Davis & Chadwick Boseman
- PLAY ON (from Dec 15) that Celebrated the Power of Music to Make Change. Hosted by Kevin Bacon & Eve with performances from Bon Jovi - American Reckoning, Yola ft The HighWomen & Sheryl Crow - Hold On, Gary Clark Jr. - Feed the Babies, LL Cool J ft DJ Z-Trip - Illegal Search, Sheryl Crow - Beware of Darkness, Ziggy Marley & Andra Day - Justice/War/Get up, Stand up, Machine Gun Kelly - Forget Me Too/Bloody Valentine, Maren Morris - Better Than We Found It, Sara Bareilles, Jon Batiste, Emily King & Steve Jordan w/ Pedrito Martinez, Chris Bruce & Meshell Ndegeocello - People Get Ready
Appearances were also made by: Bruce Springsteen, Ringo Starr, John Legend, Noreen Springstead (Executive Director - WhyHunger) & Sherrilyn Ifill (President & Director - Counsel NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund) and Micheal Bloomberg.
- Also finished watching season 2 recordings of Songland. The composer in me LOVES this show as people come in with songs that a variety of artists sit around, brainstorm and creatively change towards a larger goal!
For example, the episode with Bebe Rexha, who originally (pre-pandemic) was looking for a song towards the 2020 Tokyo olympics (that’s now been pushed to July 23, 2021). I was especially ecstatic in seeing how the song, Miracle was put together through a collaboration of two original & different songs that Bebe had the foresight to see and combine together. Definitely brought me back to To my musical theory days of harmony and counterpoint…
I also relished the season finale episode where Usher was the recording artist considering the song he would record. It's so fascinating to get a glimpse into the background of making songs!
- Garth & Trisha Live! A Holiday Concert Event last night who's song request list included 'What I'm Thankful for', 'Little Drummer Boy', 'Silent Night', 'Santa Baby', 'Belleau Wood', 'Mary Had A Little Lamb', 'Ugly Christmas Sweater', 'Oh Holy Night', 'Frosty The Snowman', 'Wish You A Merry Christmas', 'Hard Candy Christmas', 'Feliz Navidad', 'Shallow' (from A Star is Born), 'Baby Jesus Is Born' and 'Same Auld Lang Syne'
- Also last evening's The 22nd Annual A Home for the Holidays hosted by Gayle King with performances from Josh Groban (Celebrate Me Home & Angels), Miranda Lambert (Bluebird), Andrea Bocelli (I believe), Leslie Odom Jr. (Heaven and Earth & Snow) and Meghan Trainor (It's Beginning to Look Like Christmas). It's a great way to motivate people in the push towards adoption!
- Tonight's Sketchy Times With Lilly Singh (I miss her 'A Little Late With Lilly Singh' show)
Soooooo extremely helpful to help curb my sweets intake...(a leftover Afternoon Tea treat from Ames) :)
Personally, I totally enjoyed this fun, feel-good movie that achieved it's goal of distracting me life in general. Even though I'm disappointed that people aren't able to put judgement aside to find offense in it, I choose to disregard and to take in the joy of my own prom flashbacks (that weren't as dramatic)!
Also watched Debbie Allen's (from Grey's Anatomy as Catherine Fox - she's the mouse in the image...😉) documentary 'Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker' that in a sense, rescue's Christmas 2020 with it's original and inspirational dance take on the traditional Nutcracker.
The parade lineup included: Mother Goose, Polar Bear on ice, Phillipine Heritage Band, The Tooth Fairy, CTV holiday sleigh-in with DJ Tyrone and his daughter, Toronto All Stars Steel Orchestra, Molly Maid, BMO Bear, Power of Sport (MLSE), Snow Day (Canada Protection Plan), E.L. Crossley Secondary School Marching Band, The Dalton Owl (The Dalton School), TD Music (TD Bank Group), Winter Forest (McDonald's Canada), Hitmen Drumline, Mr. Peanut (Planters Peanuts), Imagination Starts Here (Indigo and Chapters), Holiday Treats (Metro Grocery), Penguin Pizza Party (Pizza Pizza), #FILLUPWITHLOVE (Dairy Farmers of Ontario), Go Bear (Go Transit), Automotive Partner: Volkswagen, All Christmas Music (98.1 CHFI)
Appearances from: Tyra Banks, Shay Mitchell, Paris Jackson, Lily Aldridge, Sting, Sam Smith, Bebe Rexha, Hannah Gadsby, Ruth B, Mayim Bialik, Iain Armitage, Giacomo Gianniotti, Matt Bomer, Shaggy, Joyeuses Fetes, Kelly Ripa & Ryan Seacrest, Jason Priestly & Cindy Sampson, Pentatonix, Johnny Orlando, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Brett Kissel, The Reklaws, James Barker, Scott Helman, Jullian Shea Spaeder, Kalen Allen, Tyler Shaw, Saweetie, Mrs. Claus, Jose Feliciano and last but not least...Mr. Claus himself!
Performances with Meghan Trainor - "Holidays", Ruth B - "Silent Night", Shaggy & Carys - "Catch Myself Some Rays", The Toronto Symphony Orchestra - Excerpt from "Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker", Ridley College Cadet Corps - "Marching Band #162", Kelly Clarkson & Brett Aldridge - "Under The Mistletoe", Malvern C.I., Malvern Band Toronto, Burlington Teen Tour Band and Dolly Parton - "Holly Jolly Christmas"
