The 64th annual Grammy Awards were held recently at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, and late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins was honored during the “In Memoriam” segment. Hard rock and metal fans vented their frustrations, however, that the Grammy Awards failed to recognize late Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison, Cinderella guitarist Jeff LaBar and Megaforce Records founders Jon and Marsha Zazula, among others. Grammy producer Ken Winston responded to the criticism in a new interview with Rolling Stone. He acknowledged it was impossible to include every person who died in the segment, but didn’t totally accept blame for the snubs saying that “a committee of members” decides who should be honored in the segment.
“Well, firstly, I think that anybody who feels left out or feels almost snubbed by an ‘In Memoriam’, I think that from the bottom of our hearts there can only be apologies, because we go into this show only ever wanting to bring joy and love to people with music and then with an ‘In Memoriam’ just remember people in the best way possible,” he said. “So no excuses, no… only other than sympathy to anybody who feels that.”
He continued: “I think the practicalities of running a live show… usually, the ‘In Memoriam’ contains between 45 and 60 people every year,” he continued. “There were 60 people in that ‘In Memoriam’ montage. And the Recording Academy have a committee of people, and I don’t know the ins and outs of it, I have to be honest with you, ’cause it doesn’t necessarily fall under us in any way. The Recording Academy have a committee of a variety of members, and they go through the hundreds of members who sadly pass away every year, and they decide who should be honored in the ‘In Memoriam’. I don’t know the ins and outs of the process [so] it wouldn’t be right for me to speak on it. All I would add is just sympathy to anybody who feels that they weren’t mentioned. Sirius XM DJ Eddie Trunk was having none of it. “What a joke.. the disrespect and cluelessness continues for decades for rock,” he tweeted. “Guess #GRAMMYs couldn’t find what 6-8 seconds to honor these artists on air ?! Shocking they are all rock! What a coincidence!.. pathetic disgrace as usual.”
Winston added: “It’s tough, making a show like this, and you’re always gonna be open to criticism of stuff, and we hear that criticism and we take it,” he added. “It’s a really difficult one for us, but there is a process that doesn’t involve the producers of the show. That means that people are really considered and thought of as thoughtfully as can be done.” Among those who did make the segment, albeit briefly, were Charlie Watts (Rolling Stones), Gary Brooker (Procol Harum), Meat Loaf, Dusty Hill (ZZ Top), Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees), Ronnie Spector (The Ronettes) and rapper Biz Markie. The Foo Fighters were scheduled to play the show but canceled following the death of drummer Taylor Hawkins.
