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As the Grammy awards marks its 53rd anniversary of celebrating the latest and greatest acts in music, BlackVoices.com wanted to take a look at the music makers who never received the prestigious honor from The Recording Academy.
Although legends like Diana Ross, Bob Marley and Nina Simone and chart-toppers such as Brian McKnight, Vanessa Williams, Cheryl Lynn and Maze featuring Frankie Beverly churned out memorable music through the years, they never won one.
And we didn't just leave this at stating facts, we actually culled notable black music industry expert David Nathan to offer perspective on why some of our favorite acts haven't one.
Music Notables Who Never Won Grammy
Although legends like Diana Ross and chart-toppers such as Brian McKnight, Vanessa Williams, and Maze featuring Frankie Beverly churned out memorable music through the years, they never won a coveted Grammy Award. Longtime black music industry expert David Nathan offers insight into why.
Music Notables Who Never Won Grammy
Artist: Diana Ross
Genre: R&B, Pop
Notable Recordings: 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough,' 'Endless Love,' 'I'm Coming Out'
Expert Opinion: "Perhaps the most shocking omission from the list of past Grammy recipients is the 'Boss' (sorry, Bruce!) It's a complete mystery why Diana's peers, Aretha and Dionne, are both Grammy winners. In spite of numerous great recordings, she's been completely ignored. No Grammy, no Hall Of Fame, nada. Maybe it's time for her Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and time for fans to start a petition!"
Music Notables Who Never Won Grammy
Artist: Nina Simone
Genre: Jazz, Pop, Classical
Notable Recordings: 'Young, Gifted & Black,' 'Feeling Good,' 'A Little Sugar In My Bowl'
Expert Opinion: "A true freedom fighter, Simone was likely considered too controversial or militant for a Recording Academy that was way vanilla during her heyday. Her music has been sampled and used consistently time and time again in movies, commercials, etc. It is a complete travesty that her peers (Lena Horne, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan) have all been acknowledged and Simone, a musical giant, is still not recognized for her impressive and influential body of work. She's way past due for a lifetime achievement award, although her 1959 hit 'I Loves You Porgy' was inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame in 2000."
Music Notables Who Never Won Grammy
Artist: Maze featuring Frankie Beverly
Genre: R&B
Notable Recordings: 'Joy And Pain,' 'Happy Feelings'
Expert Opinion: "Even on a bad day, Frankie and the guys can sell out any concert to loyal steadfast black audiences! Maze had hit after hit and constant gold albums throughout the '70s and '80s but never crossed to mainstream audiences. That's the only explanation for why neither has been Grammy awarded."
Music Notables Who Never Won Grammy
Artist: Brian McKnight
Genre: R&B, Pop
Notable Recordings: 'One Last Cry,' 'Anytime,' 'You Should Be Mine'
Expert Opinion: "This is a mystery. Brian's had crossover success as a solo artist -- and with Vanessa Williams ('Love Is'). Other soul crooners/balladeers (Peabo Bryson, James Ingram) have gotten Grammy nods -- so what gives? The same could be said of Will Downing, although his lack of mainstream recognition may be the reason he's been ignored."
Music Notables Who Never Won Grammy
Artist: Fantasia Barrino
Genre: R&B
Notable Recordings: 'I Believe,' 'Free Yourself,' 'Baby Mama'
Expert Opinion: "It just hasn't been Fantasia's Grammy year, yet but it's not too late. She's still relatively new, and all she needs is a brilliant new album and she'll get hers! "
Music Notables Who Never Won Grammy
Artist: Grace Jones
Genre: Funk, Disco, R&B
Notable Songs: 'Pull Up To The Bumper,' 'Slave To The Rhythm'
Expert Opinion: "Times maybe a-changin', but the androgynous Ms. Grace was obviously too much for the more conservative wing of the Recording Academy."
Music Notables Who Never Won Grammy
Artist: Cheryl Lynn
Genre: R&B, Disco
Notable Recordings: 'Got To Be Real,' 'Encore'
Expert Opinion: "'Got To Be Real' was probably Cheryl's best bet for getting a Grammy and that was in 1979! Unfortunately, the lack of more hits diminished her chances for winning one after that."
Music Notables Who Never Won Grammy
Artist: Angie Stone
Genre: R&B
Notable Recordings: 'No More Rain (In This Cloud),' 'I Wish I Didn't Miss You,' 'Baby'
Expert Opinion: Well, Angie's never exactly been the darling of the inner sanctum of the music biz and sometimes comes across with a little 'tude. While the Grammys are about artistic merit, a little friendliness to music biz peeps might not hurt. The late and greatly talented Esther Phillips had the same problem!"
Music Notables Who Never Won Grammy
Artist: Millie Jackson
Genre: R&B
Notable Recordings: 'All The Way Lover,' 'Ask Me What You Want' 'Act of War' (with Elton John)
Expert Opinion: "Anyone who records the 'Phuck You Symphony' would never have exactly win favors with the play-it-safe Grammy folks of the '70s and '80s when Millie ruled. Not that she cared. Millie's always been making real music for real people."
Comments: (37)
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By: stephanie Abdullah on 2/09/2011 5:39PM
I'm pretty sure Bobby Brown won a Grammy for Best RB Vocal performance.
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By: Claudia Foxx on 2/11/2011 10:15PM
I really became disenchanted with the Grammy awards when the Academy had the audacity to award Patti Labelle and Lisa Fisher with the same Grammy award calling it a tie. By no means am I knocking Lisa Fisher she is a very talented singer. Patti Labelle is an icon in the music industry she was singing chart topping hits long before anyone every heard of Lisa Fisher. I feel the Academy purposely created that so called tie just to insult Patti and to award her the Grammy at the same time. On the Academy's part it was disgraceful to award the same Grammy to two singers. Shame on the Academy!
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By: ooozzzzz on 2/09/2011 6:00PM
The probable reason for these and other R&B stars and their Grammy ommissions is because most of these acts remained separated and focused, catered and performed their music strictly to the Black audience and bacuse of that focus, sales were good for those msrkets that they catered to but not great and for many grammy winners, the amount of records that you sold and the amount of money made had a lot to do with it.
Millie Jackson, Frankie Beverly & Maze all came up and had their success early on starting in the late 60's and 70's when music was primarily still being separated by genre and race (funk, soul, heavy metal, acid/punk rock, rock & roll) and tailored their music specifically to the African American audience just the same as White singers and bands and no one compromised (or the corporations allowed)their music or sound to change or crossover for the White audiences to listen to and with the amount of singers and bands that existed at that time in all genres of music.
And also consider the fact that radio stations specifically tailored to a particuliar race was the primary vehicle for music play and distribution. No internet, no youtube, no Facebook. Just radio and weekly TV shows like Soul Train, Dick Clark's American Bandstand and live concerts.
FM & AM Radio put the music out there and according to what radio station (Black or White) you listened to and danced to at the clubs, you went out and bought that vinyl album, 8 track or cassette tape.
Coming out of the 60's immediately after the passing of the civil rights movement, artists like Curtis Mayfield carried a heavy pro-Black progressive message in all his music along with Marvin Gaye and James Brown and the voters of the Grammys weren't going to validate their music with awards,
The Black FM radio stations played only Black music, the White AM stations played only White music and so on and so on so there was no meshing or mixture of music for all Americans as you have today...Back in the day, John legend and Justin Timberlake would not share the same air space on the same Black or White radio station. A few White acts did but very few.
Nina Simone and Billie Holiday came up in the pre-Civil Rights era where Jim Crow was the law of the land so that's not suprising at all.
Diana Ross? No grammy with the Supremes or as a solo act? Now that's a complete mystery to me.
Braan McKnight, Cheryl Lynn, Grace Jones, Fantasia, Angie Stone, New Edition, Mint Condition, Rachelle Ferrell, Deborah Cox, Vanessa Williams...Why?
Many of these were only one hit wonders who only had one or two hits that were credible top 40 hits in their lists of songs and yes there were popular on the dance floor and got a lot of celebrity attention but not enough consideration for Grammy consideration.
In today's society, IMO, the illusion of music with artists that can't sing or perform without a music video, huge stage show and theaterics that overshadow and hide their limited talents (for example, the Black Eyed Peas during the Super Bowl halftime) is the real formula for success in regards to winning Grammy's......You don't need talent, you just need celebrity off the stage that nake the dollars in order to become a grammy winner.
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By: Straus Davis on 2/10/2011 6:05PM
Come on man, your reasoning is lame. Diana Ross is no one hit wonder. This lady has 18 number 1's, including her time with The Supremes. She has been singing for 5 decades, and continues to sell out her tours, while garning rave reviews. This is an Adcademy Nominated artist, winner of the Kennedy Center Honor Award. The Grammy Organization should award this Lady a Lifetime Achievement Grammy. They will be remissed if they fail to do so. Also Somkey Robinson has never won this award as well. This to should be retified by the Adcamedy.
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By: ZULU552 on 2/19/2011 1:51PM
Take your dumb ass back to sleep.
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By: mzjanuary205 on 2/12/2011 1:31PM
@Straus Davis - Smokey won a Lifetime Achievement Grammy in 1999
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By: rasfanta on 2/13/2011 1:29PM
well said. insightful, knowledgeable and on point. thank you.
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By: Gichaya on 2/19/2011 8:01PM
Jeffrey Osborn only won one grammy and that was for the sound that of beauty and the beast. He had hit after hit back in the day. When he was the drummer and led singer with LTD one of their biggest hits was Love Ballard. When he went solo his biggest hit was "On the wings of Love", but still no grammy. I think there are other criteria for winning other than being the best.
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By: Gichaya on 2/13/2011 8:01PM
Jeffrey Osborn only won one grammy and that was for the soundtrack beauty and the beast. He had hit after hit back in the day. When he was the drummer and led singer with LTD one of their biggest hits was "Love Ballard". When he went solo his biggest hit was "On the wings of
Love", but still no grammy. I think there are other criterias for winning other than being the best. I just don't know what they are.
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By: Daisy on 2/18/2011 6:00PM
Fantasia just won a Grammy the other night. However she chose not to attend the Grammy Ceremony.
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