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Country music artists make memorable showing during 2009 Grammy Awards
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Biggest winners: Bluegrass-country queen Alison Krauss & Robert Plant took top honors.
Country-bluegrass goddess Alison Krauss isn’t likely to be dethroned anytime soon as the reigning queen of Grammy wins, with 20-plus such trophies now added to her ever-growing Grammy collection.
During the 51st annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 8, and with help from collaborating artist Robert Plant, Krauss scored the first win of the night for country-bluegrass fans when she nabbed the Record of the Year trophy for “Please Read the Letter,” a track from the pair’s 13-song Raising Sands CD on the Rounder Records label.
THE ILLINOIS NATIVE and Plant didn’t stop there, however. They also took home the Best Country Collaboration With Vocals prize for another song from the Raising Sands disc, “Killing the Blues." (FYI: This category is for a collaborative performance, with vocals, by artists who don’t normally perform together, for all you country fans wondering who the heck former Led Zeppelin frontman Plant is?)
In this contest, the pair managed to beat out popular cowboys George Strait and Kenny Chesney, as well as Trisha Yearwood and Keith Urban, Sugarland and Little Big Town, and “King George” and Patty Loveless.
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After 30 years, George Strait finally won a Grammy.
SPEAKING OF 'KING GEORGE," the much-loved Texas troubadour finally won his first Grammy, after 30 years of hits, in this year’s contest. He roped in Best Country Album for his Troubadour release. The trophy is long overdue, but all good things come to those who wait … and wait … and wait. . ... Kudos to Mr. Strait for nabbing at least one—and the best one, per this writer’s opinion—from among the four Grammy nods he collected this year.
Seriously hot-pickin’ of world-class proportions dominated in the Best Country Instrumental Performance, with “Cluster Pluck,” a no-vocals-allowed track that featured the dizzying playing of instrumental aces James Burton, Vince Gill, John Jorgenson, Albert Lee, Brent Mason, Redd Volkaert, Steve Wariner and Brad Paisley, respectively. And speaking of Paisley, the West Virginia-born singer-songwriter also landed the ’09 Grammy for Best Male Country Vocal Performance for his recent hit-single, “Letter to Me.”
The Lady A trio was just honored for the nominations.
MUCH TO THIS WRITER'S CHAGRIN, Nashville songwriter Lee Thomas Miller failed to win in the Best Country Song contest, where he was nominated not once, but twice. This time, the prize went to songwriter Jennifer Nettles of the duo Sugarland for the huge country-hit, "Stay.” (Don’t get me wrong; I do like the winning song, but I was cheering for Miller, who’s now had three Grammy nods in this category, but no win—yet. Get to writin’, Lee. There’s always next year.)
Another talent this writer wanted to see take home a win in 2009 was country music’s Lady Antebellum. The trio’s first go at a Grammy was in the all-genre Best New Artist contest, but they lost out to British singer Adele.
DON'T EXPECT THE players to shed a tear, however, because three days before the Grammys, on Feb. 5, they learned their self-titled debut for Capitol Nashville went gold. Thus, they may be sans a Grammy, but the past year’s brought them both an ACM and CMA trophy, and now, gold. (Expect this act to be in the running for subsequent Grammys, to be sure.)
Lady A also was nominated in the Best Country Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocals, along with songs by heavy-hitting artists Brooks & Dunn, Rascal Flatts, The SteelDrivers and Sugarland. Sugarland was a double winner this year, taking home this prize for the act’s “Stay” single.
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Brady Paisley took home two Grammy Awards.
THE COMPETITION WAS FIERCE in the Best Female Country Vocal Performance arena, but Cover Girl-pretty Carrie Underwood walked away with the Grammy--her fourth to date--for her “Last Name” single performance. (Always rooting for Texas talent, this writer was hoping LeAnn Rimes would rally for her “What I Cannot Change” performance, but kudos to Oklahoman Underwood, nonetheless.)
No matter how you chalk it all up, it’s hard to argue with the winners of this year’s Best Bluegrass Album designation. The ‘09 honor went to veteran musician Ricky Skaggs and his Kentucky Thunder band. Skaggs, who got his start playing alongside the legendary Bill Monroe, won this year for his Honoring the Fathers of Bluegrass: Tribute to 1946 and 1947 CD.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, most country fans are always looking across the genre to see how our folk and Southern-gospel brethren finish. This year, Pete Seeger’s At 89 release beat out offerings by the likes of Kathy Mattea, Peggy Seeger, Rosalie Sorrels and Tom Paxton, respectively, for Best Traditional Folk Album.
Meanwhile, the Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album title went to multi-winning Robert Plant and Alison Krauss for Raising Sand. The duo beat out Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell, among other country favorites, to win that one. (FYI: In all, Krauss and Plant took home five Grammys, including Album of the Year, which is considered the top Grammy trophy by many.)
Carrie Underwood scored her fourth Grammy win.
In the Best Traditional Gospel Album category, The Blind Boys of Alabamalanded top honors for their Down in New Orleans album, bringing their career-Grammy total to five thus far. And as noted in a prior story I inked, this writer is dialing 9-1-1, as promised, because the so-deserving Charlie Louvin, who released an incredible CD last year, Steps to Heaven, was robbed of the Best Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel Album prize. The Gaither Vocal Band stole it away from my dear Charlie, with their Lovin' Life CD.
Granted, the Gaither crew, from all indications, are nice folks and have a huge fan base, and I do wish them well. However, this writer reserves the right to pout about it until, oh, at least Wednesday. … Not that I'm counting or anything, but that’s two years in a row that the living legend known as Louvin has been given the nod, but not the trophy, and it’s almost more than I care to endure.
UNTIL NEXT YEAR'S Grammys, I love ya, Charlie. Honest.
GRAMMY-WINNING COUNTRY: To view some music videos by some of this year's Grammy Award contenders within the country and bluegrass genres, see below.
Alison Krauss and Robert Plant music video for "Please Read the Letter," winner of the 2009 Grammy for Record of the Year.
Brad Paisley's "Letter to Me" won Best Male Country Vocal Performance in this year's Grammys.
Arista Nashville's Carrie Underwood's "Last Name" performance won for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.
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