I told you a few days ago that I'd return to the awards shows of 1977. Well, today I keep my promise as this Madman looks at the Grammy Awards from my birth year.
The host for the 19th Grammy Awards was Andy Williams of Moon River and numerous Christmas Classics fame. Aired on CBS live from Hollywood, the event honored dozens of artists and their achievements in the world of music from 1976.
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| "America, I am Your Forefather..." -James Earl Jones as Thomas Jefferson. |
You wouldn't think Henry Fonda, Helen Hayes, James Earl Jones, and Orson Welles would be Grammy Winners but the quartet all won for Best Spoken Word Recording with Great American Documents. The year prior was the Bicentennial and the album was just one of countless items marketed to celebrate America's 200th birthday. With the win, Helen Hayes became just the second person to ever win the EGOT, meaning she had won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and a Tony in her celebrated career.
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| With this Grammy, SVB's 15 minutes of fame was up. |
The winner of Best New Artist was the Starland Vocal Band. Which pretty much was the kiss of death for them because despite a short-lived variety show, all four members of the band divorced each other and went their own ways by 1981. Coincidentally, the also won a Grammy for Best Vocal Arrangement which isn't considered a career kiss of death but just another Grammy nobody really cares about.
Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and Ella Fitzgerald all won various Grammy Awards for their Jazz compilations.
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| Big Winner Stevie Wonder backstage with Ashford and Simpson and solo artist George Benson. |
But the biggest winner of the night had to be Steve Wonder. His iconic album, Songs in the Key of Life won at least 5 Grammys. If you add those technical awards that they never air, he probably won a couple more.
Overall, the Grammys of 1977 wasn't overtly shocking. Though many do attribute Starland Vocal Band's win as Best New Artist to be the beginning of the BNA curse which struck future acts such as Men at Work and Milli Vanilli.
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| Dolly Parton backstage prior to presenting a Country Music Award. |
So, that' my trip through 1977 today. But before I go, here's a track from Mr. Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life. Enjoy...
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