I Will Always Love Who?

Last Sunday night the music industry celebrated themselves in the yearly, "pat ourselves on the back" party they call The Grammys. 

Now don't me wrong: I love the Grammys both as a listener of music and as a 30-year plus musician, however, there are two things that happened at this year's Grammys that I have a bone to pick with. 

First, was the "Tribute" to Whitney Houston. LL Cool J saying a prayer and Jennifer Hudson singing one song is not a "Tribute." Not even close. They had at least a day and half to put something together, and as a former television producer with ABC Chicago, I know how many production people were on hand for this show. And with that many people there they could have easily put together at least a video tribute to her.  

You can't tell me that with the broad appeal Whitney had in the music world that they could not get other singers to come on and sing, like maybe Celine Dion, Michael Buble, Usher, Dolly Parton and Marc Anthony, etc., all of whom I am sure are huge fans of hers. This should have been an industry tribute from artists of all genres who have been moved by her incredible talent. And it should have ended with her amazing and still the greatest ever rendition of the National Anthem. No one will ever top that! Ever. 

The music industry really missed the boat on this one. Not enough time to do more than one artist, doing one song, really?

Second is an ongoing issue, and that is the lack of Latino performers and/or presenters/nominees. Now I know that we have the Latin Grammys, which by the way are watched by about one-tenth of the audience the regular Grammys have, but other groups have separate awards show as well and yet they are included in the regular Grammys, i.e.: the CMA's, the BET awards, the Soul Train Awards, the MTV Music Awards, etc. So you really can't say that we are not included because we have our own show. That dog won't hunt.

I am not sure why we are not there. We just aren't, and in an industry that continually professes to be color blind and open to all I don't understand why this continues to be the case. I'm not saying we have to do the show bilingually, but come on, not one presenter or nominee this year again was Latino. Wake up, Grammy people. Latinos in America have grown to close to 40 million plus.  Sounds like a number you do not want to ignore.

Shame on the Grammys for both of these issues.