At this year’s Grammys ceremony, the Recording Academy called on artists Post Malone, Lauryn Hill and Reba McEntire to honor the musicians who died in the last year.
The annual “In Memoriam” segment paid tribute to artists including Roberta Flack, D’Angelo and Ozzy Osbourne. From heavy punk numbers to jazzy R&B ballads and solemn country-infused performances, the academy celebrated those who have shaped music, whether through their artistry or on the business side.
The segment started off with a candlelit tribute from McEntire, Brandy Clark and Lukas Nelson. The trio performed McEntire’s “Trailblazer.” McEntire lost her stepson, talent manager Brandon Blackstock, last year. As the performance continued, images of people including Connie Francis, Roy Ayers, Joe Ely and Ace Frehley appeared on the screen behind.
Then Post Malone, backed by Andrew Watt, Slash, Duff McKagan and Chad Smith — all artists who worked with Osbourne in the last few years — covered Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs,” complete with bursts of fire and endless guitar riffs. The camera continued to pan over to teary-eyed Kelly and Sharon Osbourne, daughter and wife of the Black Sabbath frontman, in the audience.
Then, it was Hill’s turn to pay tribute to late R&B pioneer D’Angelo. Wearing dark shades and covered in diamonds, the singer opened her performance by saying, “Make time for the people you love while you can.”
The singer, backed by a massive band, sang her own track “Nothing Even Matters.” She was soon joined by musicians Lucky Daye, Leon Thomas and Jon Batiste. As they continued to blend the sounds of “Brown Sugar” and “Devil’s Pie,” the giant ensemble shifted gears to pay tribute to Flack.
Throughout the remainder of the segment, Hill acted as a conductor, calling on each musician to sing their parts. They were soon joined by Chaka Khan and John Legend, who sang “Where Is the Love?” By the end of the performance, the set list came back to the Fugees’ “Killing Me Softly With His Song.” The entire stadium erupted in applause, got on its feet and started to dance along with everyone on stage.
In between the live performances, the academy also showed video tributes for Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead and Sly Stone.