2/14/2005

in

Lots of Hoopla - Lots of Substance at the Grammys

Mindy Phillips Lawrence

Hoopla, lots of it, went on at the 47th Annual Grammy Award ceremony this year. There was also lot of substance from the flow of performances to award presentation and also from the mixture of new artists with performing legends. In fact, U2 leader Bono said, "This may be the best Grammys ever."  
  
"Genius Loves Company," an album of duets with late artists Ray Charles, took best album of the year. Kanye West won best rap album for "The College Dropout," Green Day won best rock album for "American Idiot," Alicia Keys won best R&B album for "The Diary of Alicia Keys" and Usher, won three Grammys for his songs, but not for his album "Confessions."  
  
Loretta Lynn took home a Grammy for best country album, for "Van Lear Rose." The song of the year went to songwriter and performer John Mayer for "Daughters."  
  
Other awards went to Green Day, best rock album for "American Idiot," U2, for a duo or group with vocal for "Vertigo," Maroon 5 for best new artist and Los Lonely Boys for best performance by a pop duo or group with vocals for the song "Heaven."  
  
Lifetime achievement award winners were also announced. Honors went to Pinetop Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Led Zeppelin, Morton Gould, the Staples Singers and the Carter Family. Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun and soul music entrepreneur Don Cornelius were also recognized by the Recording Academy.  
  
Other winners were U2 for best video, the "Lord of the Rings" theme "Into the West" for best song for a motion picture, TV or other visual medium, Jon Stewart and the cast of "The Daily Show" for best comedy album and former President Bill Clinton for best spoken word album.