Paul Simon's GRAMMYs tribute included moments of vulnerability, generation-straddling duets, and plenty of other surprises. Here are eight highlights from the magical night. The tribute re-airs on Wednesday, May 31, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.
| GRAMMYs / Dec 22, 2022 - 03:51 pmUpdated Monday, May 22, to include information about the re-air date for "Homeward Bound: A GRAMMY Salute To The Songs Of Paul Simon."
"Homeward Bound: A GRAMMY Salute To The Songs Of Paul Simon" will re-air on Wednesday, May 31, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on the CBS Television Network, and will be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.
Many tribute shows for legacy artists end in a plume of confetti and a feel-good singalong. But not Paul Simon 's.
At the end of the songbook-spanning "Homeward Bound: A GRAMMY Tribute To Paul Simon," the only person on the darkened stage was the man of the hour. Sure, the audience had been baby-driven through the Simon and Garfunkel years, into the solo wilderness, through Graceland , and so forth. But all these roads led to darkness.
Because Simon then played the song that he wrote alone, in a bathroom , after JFK was shot.
It doesn't matter that Simon always ends gigs with "The Sound of Silence." After this commensurately cuddly and incisive tribute show, it was bracing to watch him render his entire career an ouroboros.
That "The Sound of Silence" felt like such a fitting cap to a night of jubilation speaks to Simon's multitudes. The Jonas Brothers coolly gliding through "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover," juxtaposed with the ache of Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood 's "The Boxer," rubbing up against Dave Matthews getting goofy and kinetic with "You Can Call Me Al," and so on and so forth.
The intoxicating jumble of emotions onstage at "Homeward Bound: A GRAMMY Tribute To Paul Simon" did justice to his songbook's emotional landscape — sometimes smooth, other times turbulent, defined by distance and longing as much as intimacy and fraternity.
Here were eight highlights from the telecast — which will re-air on Wednesday, May 31 , at 9 p.m. ET/PT on the CBS Television Network, and will be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.
After Brad Paisley 's rollicking opening with "Kodachrome," the momentum cheekily ground to a halt as Harrelson dove into a rambling, weirdly moving monologue.
"The songs of Paul Simon really are like old friends," the cowboy-hatted "The Hunger Games" star remarked, interpolating one of his song titles and crooning the opening verse.
Harrelson went on to recount a melancholic story from college, where the spiritually unmoored future star clung to Simon songs like a liferaft. We can all relate, Woody.
Brooks has always been one of the most humble megastars in the business, praising his wife Trisha Yearwood — and his forebears — a country mile more than his own. ( Speaking to GRAMMY.com , he described being "married to somebody 10 times more talented than you.")
The crack ensemble could have made "The Boxer" into a spectacle and gotten away with it, but Brooks wisely demurred.
Instead, the pair stripped down the proceedings to guitar and two voices; Brooks provided an aching counterpoint to Yearwood.
The "Pose" star blew the roof off of Joni Mitchell 's MusiCares Person Of The Year gala in 2022 with "Both Sides Now," so it was clear he would bring napalm for a Simon party.
Given the gospel-ish intro, one would think he was about to destroy the universe with "Bridge Over Troubled Water."
Instead, he picked a song of tremendous personal significance, "Loves Me Like a Rock," and dedicated it to his mother. The universe: destroyed anyway.
The question remained: who would get dibs on the still-astonishing "Bridge Over Troubled Water"? A song of that magnitude is not to be treated lightly.
So the producers gave it to generational genius Wonder , who'd bridged numberless troubled waters with socially conscious masterpieces like Songs in the Key of Life .
But he wouldn't do it alone: R&B great Ledisi brought the vocal pyrotechnics, imbuing "Bridge Over Troubled Water" with the grandiosity it needed to take off.
Simon embraced the sounds of South Africa with his 1986 blockbuster Graceland , yet his island connection is criminally underdiscussed; since the '60s, Jamaican artists have enthusiastically covered his songs.
For instance, it's impossible to imagine a "Mother and Child Reunion" not recorded in Kingston, pulsing with the energy of Simon 's surroundings.
Enter genre luminaries Jimmy Cliff and Shaggy , who flipped the tribute into a bona fide reggae party.
Leave it to the Recording Academy to avoid superficiality in these events: Mitchell's aforementioned MusiCares tribute included beyond-deep cuts like "Urge for Going" and "If."
Most remember "Homeless" as Ladysmith Black Mambazo unaccompanied vocal cooldown after bangers like "You Can Call Me Al"; eight-time GRAMMY-winning vocal group Take 6 did a radiant, affectionate rendition.
When Simon took the stage at the end of the night, he was visibly blown away. Touchingly, he shouted out his late guitarist, Joseph Shabalala, who founded Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
"Imagine a guy born in Ladysmith, South Africa, [who] writes a song in Zulu and it's sung here by an American group, singing his words in his language," Simon remarked. "It would have brought tears to his eyes."
Graceland was Simon's commercial zenith, so it was only appropriate that it be the energetic apogee of this tribute show.
Doubly so, that this section be helmed by two African artists: Angélique Kidjo , hailing from Benin, and Dave Matthews , born in Johannesburg.
"Under African Skies," which Simon originally sang with Linda Ronstadt is a natural choice — not only simply as a regional ode, but due to its still-evocative melody and poeticism.
"This is the story of how we begin to remember/ This is the powerful pulsing of love in the vein" drew new power from Kidjo's lungs.
Afterward, Matthews — a quintessential ham — threw his whole body into Simon's wonderful, strange hit, "You Can Call Me Al."
With his still-gleaming tenor and still-undersung acoustic guitar mastery, Simon brought the night home with "Graceland," a Rhiannon Giddens -assisted "American Tune" and "The Sound of Silence."
At 81, Simon remains a magnetic performer; even though this is something of a stock sequence for when he plays brief one-off sets, it's simply a pleasure to watch the master work.
Then, the sobering conclusion: "Hello darkness, my old friend," Simon sang, stark and weary. With the world's usual litany of darknesses raging outside, he remains the best shepherd through nightmares we've got.
And as the audience beheld Simon, they seemed to silently say: Talk with us again .
Photo: Rob Kim/Getty Images for the Recording Academy
GRAMMY U’s 2024 Conference presented an action-packed, motivating slate panels on everything from Broadway to studio albums with Ben Platt, a performance workshop with Billy Porter, and live music production on late night television with Remi Wolf.
| GRAMMYs / Apr 30, 2024 - 02:45 pmOn April 20th, GRAMMY U members and industry professionals gathered at the Times Center in New York City for the 2024 GRAMMY U Conference presented by Amazon Music.
The GRAMMY U team prepared an action-packed and motivating day of panels "Live From New York," focusing on topics from live performances to the business behind Broadway productions. Keynote speaker Ben Platt talked about the transition from a Broadway star to recording his solo studio album, followed by a performance workshop with Billy Porter , and live music production on late night television with Remi Wolf .
Once members arrived, they took advantage of professional development opportunities and mingled with other GRAMMY U members before attending the conference panels. Attendees visited the robust Career Center which included a professional headshot station, resume review station, and a dedicated speed networking hour with industry professionals within the Recording Academy, Amazon Music and more. These collaborations allowed for the next generation of music creatives and professionals to gain first-hand experience with mentors across various business sectors and musical genres.
Below are five impactful takeaways from the 2024 GRAMMY U Conference.
After a two-year performance run on Broadway starring in " Dear Evan Hansen " , Ben Platt shifted his priority toward making original music and sharing personal storylines.
In "Live! With Ben Platt," moderated by actor and long-time best friend of Platt's, Beanie Feldstein discussed Platt's bold choice of stepping back from portraying fictional characters on stage, to now releasing original music with his upcoming album Honeymind .
"The gratification of connecting with your own experiences and seeing people really use the songs in their lives is so infinitely beyond the worries," Platt shared.
Crossing over from a Broadway stage to pop music, Platt suggested that a key to success is trusting one's vocal technique and individual sound to translate your perspective.
Beanie Feldstein with keynote speaker Ben Platt at the GRAMMY U Conference | Photo: Rob Kim/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
During the performance workshop "Standing in the Spotlight with Billy Porter," GRAMMY, Emmy, and two-time Tony Award-Winner Billy Porter sat down with SiriusXM Program Director Julie James. They discussed the importance of performance critique in helping artists perfect their craft and captivate audiences, as well as strategies for maintaining overall health while on tour.
Porter mentioned that while critiques are important for artists to continue improving their vocal abilities, knowing how to meet personal needs and goals is just as important.
"As you sift through [critiques], you have the right to choose what's right for you and what isn't," Porter said before posing the question, "What notes are good for your vision, and which aren't?"
Left to Right: GRAMMY U Performer Roy Gantz, Billy Porter and moderator Julie James | Photo: Rob Kim/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
This marked the first time GRAMMY U included a performance workshop in its programming, and it provided a fresh perspective from the best in the business. GRAMMY U National Membership Representative Roy Gantz sang "Someone to Watch Over Me," accompanied on piano by Tedd Firth, and received real-time feedback from Billy Porter in front of a live audience.
"From the minute you hit the stage, to when you get to that mic[rophone], it's about your presence. Keep connecting with us [the audience]," Porter told Gantz.
Porter emphasized the importance of mastering the original melody and musical notations of a song before incorporating riffs and embellishments of popular pieces, and praised Gantz for his advanced technique and interpretation.
"Believe in what you have to offer. In honoring your authenticity, you teach people on the outside how to receive you," Porter advised the audience.
"On the Screen: Performing On Live TV" featured panelists Yeji Cha-Beach, the Music Associate Producer on NBC's Late Night with Seth Meyers Show, Marnie Stern, former member of the 8G Band on the Seth Meyers Show, and pop recording artist Remi Wolf. Moderated by Siobhan Schanda, the panelists discussed the intricacies of playing on a live TV set including lighting, sound, and design choices. Wolf mentioned her preference for performing with her touring musicians and a live band.
"Put the music first and try to develop your own style," Wolf said. "The most I've ever felt proud of my work was when I followed my gut."
Stern remarked that although socializing and navigating the music industry network did not always come naturally, connecting and playing with other musicians was vital to her success as a live TV musician. She described one of the biggest differences between playing on live television and working on her own recording artistry.
"You're selling a commercial product and your job is to entertain," Stern said. "With your own work, your job is to present your feelings and emotions. Everyone is working to further not only the artist but the network."
Cha-Beach offered guidance for aspiring TV music producers, stating , " Be curious, try as many things as you possibly can. Knowing when to say yes is just as important as knowing when to say no."
Left to Right: Siobhan Schanda (moderator), Yeji Cha-Beach, Marnie Stern, Remi Wolf; Close-up photo of Remi Wolf | Photos: Rob Kim/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
The "Sounds of the Stage" panel conducted a candid conversation about the behind-the-scenes process of composing and writing music for musicals. Kurt Deutsch (Senior Vice President at Warner Music Entertainment and Theatrical Ventures) was joined by David Lai (Co-Founder Park Avenue Artists), Kathy Sommer (Composer, Conductor, Producer), and moderator Thomas Winkler (Head of Publisher, Songwriter, and Society Relations at Amazon Music).
These panelists conducted a candid conversation about the behind-the-scenes process of composing and writing music for musicals. They focused on how Broadway theater experience translated into the process of recording live studio albums.
"You can't bring it to the stage until the bones are set, until things are solidified," Lai said. It's worth spending the time to use the resources we have to work on your material."
Deutsch described the nuances of recording a pop album versus a cast performance record which has quick turnaround times. Often, they are recorded in a single day-long session due to budgeting costs for the orchestra and cast members involved.
The main goal of a cast album is to allow audiences to relive the emotional experience they had in the theater setting, and for newcomers to still be able to relate to the show's characters and themes through a sonic medium.
Left to Right: Thomas Winkler (moderator), David Lai, Kurt Deutsch and Kathy Sommer | Photo: Rob Kim/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
"Side Stage: The Team Behind the Curtain" featured Erich Bergen (Producer, Actor, Director, 6W Entertainment); Pete Ganbarg (President of A&R, Atlantic Records) ; Adam Hess (Executive Producer, DR Theatrical Management); Christen James (Tony Award-Nominated Broadway Producer); and Michael Kushner (Founder and Creator of Michael Kushner Photography & Dear Multi-Hyphenate).
Together, these creatives explored the business of Broadway and discussed the roles of producers and managers who bring the shows to life. James spoke about what she's most drawn to when beginning a new theatrical project.
"Meaningful storytelling is key [and] music absolutely makes the difference. Content is queen, the story as well as the music," she said. "Art is supposed to change what you're doing to the point where you're thinking about it, it's influencing you."
Left to Right: Michael Kushner (moderator), Erich Bergen, Pete Ganbarg, Adam Hess and Christen James | Photo: Rob Kim/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
Presented by Amazon Music and with participating sponsorship from Mastercard, GRAMMY U's 2024 conference "Live From New York" engaged members through an exhilarating two-day summit.
From the Friday showcase with GRAMMY U performers to Saturday's slew of panels covering all things show business, the GRAMMY U Conference in the Big Apple helped inform, connect, and inspire GRAMMY U members across the nation.
Relive the experience and watch all the panels again here .
