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Twenty-five recordings are being added to the already massive list of selections that are the Grammy Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame, established in 1973, honors recordings that it deems has historical significance and that are at least twenty-five years old. 684 recordings have received this honor to date.
This year’s inductees include: “Ol’ Man River” by Paul Robeson, “Yankee Doodle Boy” by Billy Murray, Live At The Regal by B.B. King, “Love Train” by the O’Jays’, Bringing It All Back Home by Bob Dylan, and The Barbra Streisand Album by Barbra Streisand. A complete list of the inductee’s can be found at Grammy.com.
Recording Academy President Neil Portnow said in a statement released today,
This year’s inductees represent an array of genres, including folk, blues, R&B, and country as well as musical shows. The Grammy Hall of Fame is one of the Academy’s most prized endeavors and it represents the most significant recorded musical masterpieces that have had a profound impact on our culture. They all greatly deserve to be commemorated.
On January 10 the Academy also announced the special merit recipients. The Lifetime Achievement Award honors lifelong artistic contributions, while the Trustees Award recognizes outstanding contributions to the industry in a non-performing capacity. Technical Grammy Award recipients are presented to individuals and companies who have contributed to the technical aspect of recording.
David Bowie, Cream, Merle Haggard, Robert Johnson, Jessye Norman, Richard Pryor, and the Weavers will receive The Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award. Chris Blackwell, Owen Bradley and Al Schmitt will be honored with The Academy’s Trustees Award. Bell Labs/Western Electric and Tom Dowd have been named recipients of the Technical Grammy Award.
Of this year’s Special Merit awards Neil Portnow said,
This year’s honorees are a prestigious group of diverse and influential creators who have contributed some of the most distinguished and influential recordings. Their work exemplifies the highest artistic and technical standards, creating a timeless legacy that has positively affected multiple generations, and will continue to influence generations to come.
The winners will be honored at special events the week of February 7 and announced at The 48th Annual GRAMMY Awards which will be broadcast live, Feb. 8 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on the CBS Television Network.
