On October 5, 2018 PBS in collaboration with the Recording Academy will air GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends® as part of the “Great Performances” series. This third annual all-star concert pays tribute to the Academy’s 2018 Special Merit Awards recipients which include such legends as Queen, Tina Tuner, Neil Diamond and Emmylou Harris. The celebration and concert were recorded in July at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre and feature rare performances by the honorees as well as never-before-seen renditions of their classic songs by artists whom they have inspired.
The Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes performers who have made contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording and so it is fitting that this year they have chosen to honor one of the most venerated rock bands of all time – Queen. Bassist John Deacon, guitarist Brian May, drummer Roger Taylor and the incomparable frontman Freddie Mercury— have made an indelible impact on the music industry with blockbuster hits such as the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame-inducted recordings “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “We Will Rock You”/”We Are The Champions.”
RELATED: Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody Due Out Next Month
Also being recognized this year are: Eight-time GRAMMY winner, the Queen of Rock & Roll – Tina Turner; the immensely talented Neil Diamond; 13-time GRAMMY winner and country-folk music icon – Emmylou Harris; Hal Blaine, lead drummer and founder of the studio band Wrecking Crew who accompanied such legends as Elvis Presley, The Beach Boys and Frank Sinatra; The Meters who are considered to be among the founding fathers of funk; and pioneering bandleader Louis Jordan, often called the Father of Rhythm and Blues and the Grandfather of Rock and Roll for his recordings from the late 1930s to early 1950s.
Additional Special Merit Awards honorees celebrated include concert promoter Bill Graham, Sire Records co-founder Seymour Stein, and five-time Academy Award-winning film composer John Williams, who are this year’s Trustees Award honorees; Tony Agnello and Richard Factor are the Technical GRAMMY® Award recipients. Melissa Salguero is this year’s recipient of the Music Educator Award™.
The show will be hosted by four-time GRAMMY-winning gospel great Yolanda Adams and will feature performances by The Monkees’ Micky Dolenz alongside honoree Neil Diamond, Sammy Hagar (paying tribute to Queen and Bill Graham) and Trisha Yearwood performing with Emmylou Harris. Additional performers include The Meters, Ledisi, Herb Alpert, Sheléa, the Los Angeles Philharmonic Quartet, virtuoso violinist Anne Akiko Meyers, film score composer David Newman, and the American Youth Symphony.
GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends®premieres nationwide Friday, October 5 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings) and will be available to stream the following day via pbs.org/gperf and PBS apps.
Performance List
Neil Diamond
“Holly Holy” (performed by Yolanda Adams)
“I’m A Believer” (performed by Micky Dolenz and Neil Diamond)
“Sweet Caroline” (performed by Neil Diamond)
Emmylou Harris
“Boulder To Birmingham” (performed by Emmylou Harris)
“Love And Happiness” (performed by Emmylou Harris and Trisha Yearwood)
Hal Blaine
“A Taste Of Honey” (performed by Herb Alpert)
Louis Jordan
Medley: “Choo Choo Ch’Boogie” / “Let The Good Times Roll” (performed by Ledisi)
Tina Turner
Medley: “What’s Love Got To Do With It” / “Proud Mary” / “The Best” (performed by Sheléa)
John Williams
“Theme from Schindler’s List” (performed by Anne Akiko Meyers, David Newman, and the American Youth Symphony)
“Air And Simple Gifts” (performed by Los Angeles Philharmonic Quartet)
The Meters
“Cissy Strut” / “Fire On The Bayou” (performed by the Meters)
Bill Graham and Queen
“Right Now” and “We Will Rock You” (performed by Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony)
