In light of recent slap-related awards show proceedings, last night's (April 3) Grammy Awards were a pretty tame affair. And while the Recording Academy obviously can't possibly acknowledge every notable late musician in the show's annual "In Memoriam" tribute, they missed a pretty big one this year: founding Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison.
As pointed out by Consequence, Jordison's exclusion is fairly well inexplicable. Slipknot are 10-time Grammy nominees (seven of which — including their singular win — came during Jordison's tenure behind the kit) and their founding beat-keeper is widely considered to be one of the greatest metal drummers of all time. Post-Slipknot, he went on to drum for Vimic, Scar the Martyr and Sinsaenum, after having also manned the kit for horror punks Murderdolls between 2002 and 2011.
Of course, the focal point of this year's Grammys "In Memoriam" segment was another unforgettable rhythmic talent — Foo Fighters' Taylor Hawkins, who suddenly died last month at 50 and shook the music world at large. Naturally, he was given an extended tribute off the top of the segment. Billie Eilish also wore a T-shirt with Hawkins' image on it during her dynamic "Happier Than Ever" performance at the ceremony, where the Foos took home three awards and had been scheduled to perform prior to the drummer's death.
Another major honouree was inimitable composer Stephen Sondheim. Cynthia Erivo, Leslie Odom Jr., Ben Platt and Rachel Zegler sang a medley of some of his most renowned works, including "Someday" from West Side Story and "Not a Day Goes By" from Merrily We Roll Along.
Other Grammys "In Memoriam" honourees included the Rolling Stones' Charlie Watts, Dusty Hill of ZZ Top, Queens of the Stone Age and Screaming Trees' Mark Lanegan, DMX, Meat Loaf, Ronnie Spector, Shock G, Virgil Abloh, Biz Markie, Rusty Young, Connie Bradley, Stonewall Jackson, Roger Hawkins, Betty Davis, Procol Harum's Gary Brooker, Greg Tate, Elliot Mazer, Bobbie Nelson, Sarah Dash, Young Dolph, Nanci Griffith, the Chieftans' Paddy Maloney, Jim Steinman, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Wanda Young, Robbie Shakespeare, Don Everly, the Gap Band's Ronnie Wilson, the Monkees' Michael Nesmith, James Mtume, Tom T. Hall, and Woodstock founder Michael Lang.
Jordison died last July at age 46, his former bandmates paying tribute to the "incalculable" impact he had on their lives. A cause of death for the prolific metal drummer has yet to be revealed.
You can check out portions of the tribute below, including the Sondheim medley and the Hawkins tribute.
As pointed out by Consequence, Jordison's exclusion is fairly well inexplicable. Slipknot are 10-time Grammy nominees (seven of which — including their singular win — came during Jordison's tenure behind the kit) and their founding beat-keeper is widely considered to be one of the greatest metal drummers of all time. Post-Slipknot, he went on to drum for Vimic, Scar the Martyr and Sinsaenum, after having also manned the kit for horror punks Murderdolls between 2002 and 2011.
Of course, the focal point of this year's Grammys "In Memoriam" segment was another unforgettable rhythmic talent — Foo Fighters' Taylor Hawkins, who suddenly died last month at 50 and shook the music world at large. Naturally, he was given an extended tribute off the top of the segment. Billie Eilish also wore a T-shirt with Hawkins' image on it during her dynamic "Happier Than Ever" performance at the ceremony, where the Foos took home three awards and had been scheduled to perform prior to the drummer's death.
Another major honouree was inimitable composer Stephen Sondheim. Cynthia Erivo, Leslie Odom Jr., Ben Platt and Rachel Zegler sang a medley of some of his most renowned works, including "Someday" from West Side Story and "Not a Day Goes By" from Merrily We Roll Along.
Other Grammys "In Memoriam" honourees included the Rolling Stones' Charlie Watts, Dusty Hill of ZZ Top, Queens of the Stone Age and Screaming Trees' Mark Lanegan, DMX, Meat Loaf, Ronnie Spector, Shock G, Virgil Abloh, Biz Markie, Rusty Young, Connie Bradley, Stonewall Jackson, Roger Hawkins, Betty Davis, Procol Harum's Gary Brooker, Greg Tate, Elliot Mazer, Bobbie Nelson, Sarah Dash, Young Dolph, Nanci Griffith, the Chieftans' Paddy Maloney, Jim Steinman, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Wanda Young, Robbie Shakespeare, Don Everly, the Gap Band's Ronnie Wilson, the Monkees' Michael Nesmith, James Mtume, Tom T. Hall, and Woodstock founder Michael Lang.
Jordison died last July at age 46, his former bandmates paying tribute to the "incalculable" impact he had on their lives. A cause of death for the prolific metal drummer has yet to be revealed.
You can check out portions of the tribute below, including the Sondheim medley and the Hawkins tribute.
The masked menaces in Slipknot are currently touring North America with their Knotfest Roadshow ahead of releasing their already-finished new album.
