What a welcoming committee: Ozzy and Black Sabbath are here to bring out Ringo. He likely didn’t need a little help from his friends, but he’s got it.
“Photograph” is Ringo’s hit from his 1973 album “Ringo.” He wrote it with the late George Harrison.
Beatles fans don’t need me to tell them why next month marks a huge Fab Four milestone, but here’s an explanation for everybody else: Feb. 9, 1964, is the date the Beatles first played “The Ed Sullivan Show.” In other words, it was 50 years ago that our country went cuckoo for mop tops.
Ringo is 73. Does it show? Hardly! He looks fit and spry and ready to conquer the world a second time. He could pull off a one-man Ringo invasion.
This is a sentimental classic, and a sentimental moment, no doubt, for gazillions of Beatle worshippers. Every time they see Ringo’s face, they’re reminded of the places they used to go ….
Well worth the adulation, that song. He’s keeping beautiful memories, and beautiful melodies, alive.
Here’s a nicely turned-out Jamie Foxx to present the GRAMMY for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. Wait for it …
Beyonce, looking proud. And beautiful.
Stunning show so far, and still so much more to come. Stay tuned for some killer collabs.
Carole King and Sara Bareilles are with us, making the earth move under our feet. What a pair of powerhouses. And they’re both huge right now: Carole King because of “Beautiful,” the Broadway musical based on her life (we’re hearing “Beautiful” the song right now) and Sara Bareilles for her album “The Blessed Unrest,” up for Album of the Year tonight.
“Beautiful” comes off the 1971 classic album “Tapestry.” So much uplift in this song. Tons of pluck. But it has that Carole King quality of substance, too. The world already knows it and that includes all of you out there but it’s worth saying again: she’s a master songwriter.
And Sara Bareilles is no slouch in the songwriting department, either. This is the wonderful “Brave,” off last year’s “The Blessed Unrest.” “Brave” was a contender for Best Pop Solo Performance.
Sara Bareilles’ “Brave” co-writer is the bandmate of one of tonight’s performers: Jack Antonoff, of fun. The song, it's rumored, is about coming out. It’s a bright — and important, and timely — “message” song.
Also kind of a departure for Sara Bareilles because it’s not a ballad. Is this a new direction for her? If so, do you like where it’s taking her?
And the Song of the Year award goes to “Royals,” and Lorde, one of tonight’s most awesome performers in a sea of awesomeness.
That was an appreciative Lorde we just witnessed. Walking on GRAMMY air.
You heard what the “coming up” announcer said. We’ve got a lot to talk about. Metallica and Lang Lang? The thrash metal heroes and the Chinese concert pianist? Something memorable — epic perhaps? — is about to go down in LA.
I wonder what rehearsals for this next performance were like. Maybe Lang Lang grew up listening to “… And Justice for All” and needed no convincing to team up with Metallica. Maybe Lang Lang is a secret metalhead.
Taylor Swift shows Lorde some GRAMMY love
The show’s back and it’s tribute time. Lou Reed: what a loss. A rock visionary.