John Mellencamp Honors Republic Records at Grammy Hall of Fame Gala

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On Friday evening, the Grammy Hall of Fame Gala, the second one in history, was hosted by The Recording Academy and Grammy Museum at the Beverly Hilton. During this event, legendary recordings like Cat Stevens’ “Tea for the Tillerman,” Santana’s “Supernatural,” Jay-Z’s “Reasonable Doubt,” and Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine’s “Conga” were officially inducted into the Hall of Fame. Performers at the gala included John Mellencamp, Jon Batiste, Conan Gray, and Emmylou Harris.

Mellencamp and Gray paid homage to Republic Records, who were chosen as this year’s label honoree at the event.

Mellencamp and Gray performed a tribute to Republic Records, the honorees for the annual event this year.

Both sentences convey the same meaning but have slightly different structures and word choices.

Mellencamp joked, “I’ve been asked not to discuss politics, so I won’t comment on the poor management of the country,” he said as he approached the stage near the event’s conclusion, moments before playing his 1985 hit “Small Town,” implying this without directly stating it.

In a playful manner, Mellencamp performed “Longest Days” prior to concluding with the beloved “Jack and Diane.” The crowd couldn’t help but join in early on the chorus before he even reached the second verse. Earlier in the show, Gray captivated the audience with his hit single “Heather.

thirteen albums or songs were officially included in the ceremony for Friday: “Tea for the Tillerman”, “Supernatural”, “Reasonable Doubt”, “Conga”, Emmylou Harris’s “Wrecking Ball”, Luther Vandross’s “Never Too Much”, Eddie Floyd’s “Knock on Wood”, Geeshie Wiley’s “Last Kind Words Blues”, J.D. Crowe & The New South’s self-titled album, Big Star’s “Number 1 Record”, Fela Kuti’s “Zombie”, Clara Ward’s “How I Got Over” and Linda Martell’s “Color Him Father”.

Last Friday saw the Recording Academy hosting its second annual Hall of Fame Gala, a tradition that began at the Novo in downtown LA last year. Just like last time, Ken Ehrlich, the long-time Grammy producer, oversaw the event production, while Anthony Mason from CBS News served as the host.

On Friday evening, a diverse group which included founding members of Republic, Monte and Avery Lipman, veteran Republic executive Wendy Goldstein, the CEO of Universal Music Enterprises, Bruce Resnikoff, music legends like Jimmy Jam, contemporary artists such as John Legend and Charlie Puth, and several others were in attendance.

Apart from Mellencamp and Gray, Ledisi initiated the performances by singing a cover of “How I got Over.” Leslie Odom Jr. paid tribute to Vandross, while Harris performed numerous songs from “Wrecking Ball” alongside her producer Daniel Lanois and drummer Brian Blade. Floyd later took the stage with Big Star’s Jody Stephens for a rendition of “Knock on Wood.

In his absence, Carlos Santana’s wife Cindy Blackman and drummer Andy Varga performed “Smooth” together, with Orianthi standing in for Santana on guitar. Cat Stevens’ classic “Wild World” was sung by Susanna Hoffs, following a pre-recorded video message from Stevens. Gloria Estefan personally accepted the induction of “Conga,” shortly after Leslie Grace, a Latin Grammy nominee, covered the song while Estefan watched from the audience. Estefan reminisced about writing “Conga” during a flight from Holland to England.

Upon returning home, we practiced it prior to recording, and the reaction was overwhelming – it seemed like a chart-topper already,” Estefan shared. “We’re grateful to the Academy, as well as our fans who continue to play and dance the conga even today.

Simultaneously, Batiste received a standing ovation for his masterful rendition of Ray Charles’ “Georgia on My Mind” on the piano, an appropriate choice since he was bestowed with the inaugural Ray Charles Architect of Sound award.

Speechless is how I feel about inheriting Charles’ genius and ancestry,” Batiste expressed, expressing gratitude towards his parents for their support in his musical journey. He reminisced about first hearing Ray Charles in a Pepsi advertisement. “Charles found a way to articulate something greater than ourselves, and I aspire to remain within this legacy. My wish is to keep using the talents bestowed upon me by God to bring attention to those often overlooked, especially during a time when our world needs more love,” he added.

A decade back, following his impressive performance, Mellencamp secured a lifelong contract with Republic. Since then, he made his way to the podium for an impromptu speech, paying tribute to the Lipman brothers.

It feels unusual for me to present an award to record company executives, as I’ve had my disagreements with them in the past – from minor altercations to strong words exchanged,” Mellencamp explained to the audience. “However, Monte and Avery are different. They’re deeply involved in the music industry, and their passion for music comes first. Unfortunately, many record company executives have acted as if they were the true stars, but if you’re a record company executive, you should always remember that the artists are the real stars.

Afterward, the Lipman brothers stepped forward for a brief address prior to Batiste’s encore performance. Monte Lipman expressed his profound gratitude, mentioning numerous family members who attended the event on Friday. He reminisced about their humble upbringing and how they amused themselves by singing songs from the radio since they didn’t have a television.

Monte Lipman stated, ‘The thing I’m most proud of is that we achieved this together with my brother.’

In conclusion, Avery Lipman expressed gratitude towards UMG CEO Lucian Grainge, Republic’s team, and the artists they’ve collaborated with since founding Republic in the ’90s. He marveled at their decision to work with them, stating, “Most of these artists had options, but their choice of us was something I found incredibly inspiring. After all, this is their careers and dreams we’re entrusted with. We never forget that responsibility every day.

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2025-05-17 17:24