At Clive Davis’ and the Recording Academy’s annual pre-Grammy gala on Saturday night time (Feb. 3), two-time Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks proved to be an extremely efficient hype man. The actor delivered a six-minute intro for the legendary report government, itemizing greater than 50 artists that Davis found or labored with, concluding with solely slight irony that “the one purpose the names Mozart, Beethoven and Tchaikovsky haven’t been talked about is as a result of all of them died earlier than Clive Davis graduated from Harvard [and] earlier than he bought a desk and a cellphone at Columbia Information.”
Davis arrived on stage on the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif., to thunderous applause as he pledged as soon as once more to ship an unforgettable night, as he has because the celebration began 48 years in the past.
“So, this night time is actually so particular for me and I hope for all of you,” Davis mentioned. “I look out amongst you, and I see so many acquainted faces. You realize, the entire thing started way back in 1976 and I actually need to pinch myself that it’s going nonetheless so sturdy. I imply, the demand this yr has simply been unimaginable. I’m glad to say that music is alive and nicely and that you simply all see the perfect of the brand new tonight, in addition to the perfect of these artists who encourage all of us with the actually electrifying size of their careers.”
As standard, the room included a few of the largest stars on this planet, together with Cher, Mariah Carey and Meryl Streep (sitting together with her daughter Grace Gummer and Gummer’s husband, producer Mark Ronson), in addition to Lenny Kravitz, Serena Williams, Hanks and his spouse, Rita Wilson; Scottie Pippen, Cameron Crowe, Peter Asher, Gayle King, Max Martin, Shania Twain, Adrian Brody, Jon Bon Jovi, Paris Hilton, Smokey Robinson and, attending for the twenty fourth consecutive yr, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and her husband, Paul.
However the brightest stars have been on the stage as an extremely numerous rosters of artists carried out. Inexperienced Day, launched by Williams, who referred to as herself the band’s “mascot,” opened the night with exhilarating performances of “American Fool” and “Basket Case.”
Subsequent, in a pleasant gender twist, Ronson and his co-writer Andrew Wyatt have been joined by Lainey Wilson filling in for Ryan Gosling, for a pitch-perfect tackle “I’m Simply Ken,” from Barbie. The Grammy- and Oscar-nominated Ronson joked he was going into awards season with some steering from the track about “the great thing about being a runner-up, which is a lesson I’ll attempt to bear in mind tomorrow night time [at the Grammys].” (He’s already emerged a winner with the track triumphing as finest track on the Critics Selection Awards in January).
As promised, the night closely targeted on creating acts, all of them nominated for finest new artist this yr, who’ve damaged by with defining songs over the previous a number of months. Ice Spice sassily strutted throughout the stage throughout “Deli,” whereas Noah Kahan launched himself as “Mumford’s son,” a completely acceptable description for his folks sound, as he delivered sturdy, tuneful renditions of “Stick Season” and “Dial Drunk.” (His banjo-driven efficiency begs for him to tour with Mumford & Sons as a robust double invoice). Victoria Monet, who’s up for seven Grammys on Sunday (Feb. 4), danced by an brisk “On My Mama.”
Nevertheless it was two fellow finest new artist nominees who delivered actually starmaking turns. Following Josh Groban’s stirring, lovely takes on two Stephen Sondheim numbers picked by Davis — Into the Woods‘ “Kids Will Hear” and Sweeney Todd‘s “Not Whereas I’m Round,” the Tony-nominated artist was joined by Michael Trotter, one-half of finest new artist-nominated duo, The Conflict and Treaty, for a hovering, breathtaking model of Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” with Trotter’s unwavering falsetto bringing the viewers to it’s toes.
Although the Groban/Trotter pairing would have appeared not possible to observe, Jelly Roll took the group to church with two songs about his determined seek for redemption as he delivered scorching, pleading variations of “Want a Favor,” carried out with a full choir, and “Save Me,” accompanied by Wilson.
Sony Music Publishing chairman and CEO Jon Platt was acknowledged because the 2024 Grammy Salute to Business Icons honoree. Feted by energetic crowd-pleasing performances by Public Enemy and the Isley Brothers, two acts who had performed pivotal roles within the early levels of his profession, Platt took the stage shortly after midnight to obtain his award. In a speech that spanned greater than half-hour throughout which the fireplace alarm went off not as soon as, however twice, Platt ran by a lot of highlights in his illustrious profession, calling the night’s honor a full-circle second. In 1998, Platt attended his first Davis pre-Grammy gala, then held on the Beverly Hills Lodge. There, he bumped into the late former Motown president/CEO Jheryl Busby.
“He mentioned, ‘Any individual was asking me, who do I see within the business right this moment that may obtain the issues that I’ve achieved. …I advised them, Large Jon may run the entire thing sooner or later,’” Platt recounted. Busby’s phrases have been life altering. “For somebody to share the idea that they’ve in you is highly effective, it’s extremely highly effective. And from that day, I sort of like modified the course of my focus. I had a goal after that, as a result of this man mentioned I may run the entire thing. So, I simply modified the way in which I acted change folks I had round me, the folks I used to be round, so on and so forth. The whole lot had nice intention. And so, to be right here tonight, receiving the business icon is an unimaginable full circle second that I’m fairly happy with.”
In a unprecedented second, Platt took time to acknowledge the rivalry between him and his former EMI Music Publishing colleague Jody Gerson, who’s now CEO of Common Music Publishing Group. “Folks suppose Jody and I’ve this sophisticated relationship. We do as a result of we’re each intense rivals,” he mentioned. “We compete extremely laborious. Past this competitors is that this deep love and respect that we’ve got for one another. I imply you must respect your rivals, but it surely goes deeper than that with me and Jody. Like I’ve this unimaginable quantity of respect for her. And Jody is the person who employed me at EMI, so in some ways she modified my life. And folks at all times wish to say while you obtain these items and also you say how you probably did it, ‘Effectively, you’ll have did it anyway.’ Perhaps not. The one factor you might do is give attention to is the way it occurred. And that’s the way it occurred. The whole lot I’m telling you was the way it occurred. So, I admire you Jody and I really hope that Marty [Bandier, former CEO/chairman of EMI Music Publishing and Sony/ATV Music Publishing] is happy with the legacy that we’re leaving for him.”
Because the clock approached 1 a.m., the ultimate performers took the stage to an appreciative viewers as Colombian celebrity Maluma sang a high-energy “Hawaii” and the long-lasting Gladys Knight carried out “The Means We Had been,” a track Knight and The Pips took to No. 11 practically 50 years in the past in 1975. She was then joined by Dionne Warwick — half the crew who recorded the 1985 charity juggernaut, “That’s What Buddies Had been For” — with Andra Day and Keyshia Cole becoming a member of in. The gang burst into applause when Stevie Marvel, who additionally appeared on the unique track, performed his immediately recognizable harmonica solo. Although that was imagined to be the final quantity, Marvel led the group in “What the World Wants Now Is Love” to usher the viewers out right into a wet Los Angeles night time.
The setlist for Clive Davis and the Recording Academy’s 2024 pre-Grammy celebration:
Inexperienced Day — “American Fool, “Basket Case”
Mark Ronson — “I’m Simply Ken” with Lainey Wilson and Andrew Wyatt
Ice Spice — “Deli”
Noah Kahan — “Stick Season,” “Dial Drunk”
Victoria Monet — “On My Mama”
Josh Groban — Sondheim medley with “Kids Will Hear” and “Not Whereas I’m Round”
Josh Groban and Michael Trotter Jr. — “Bridge Over Troubled Water”
Jelly Roll — “Want a Favor,” “Save Me” with Lainey Wilson
Public Enemy — “Can’t Truss It,” “Convey the Noise,” “Combat the Energy”
Isley Brothers — “Shout”
Maluma —“Hawaii”
Gladys Knight — “The Means We Had been”
Gladys Knight, Dionne Warwick, Stevie Marvel, Andra Day and Keyshia Cole —“That’s What Buddies Are For,” “What the World Wants Now Is Love”
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