What We Have Here Is A Failure to Communicate

If you were happy with the Grammy Awards show and didn’t see the audience disconnect in advance, that is the problem.

The pandemic has put decision makers in their ivory towers more than ever. If you didn’t miss the late producer Walter Miller, then that’s a problem too. He knew how to make a show.

The Cardi B/Megan Thee Stallion moment was just the sensational part of the disconnect. Stating the obvious, the Grammys are supposed to be “Music’s Biggest Night!” Not Country music’s, Hip Hop, Rap -- everyone in music’s biggest night.

Nashville is not Country Music City, it is Music City. And Music City saw wins in more categories than any other single city. From Fisk to the Nashville Symphony, from Miranda Lambert to Vince Gill, the Christian music, Americana, all of it.

When the best part of the night is the salute to those who have died, that’s not saying much for today’s music. Brandi Carlile was sensational, Lionel Richie too, and Bruno Mars is always good. Those three represent the best of music. That’s where the producers made their fatal mistake. That seven or so minutes of in memoriam is why some people tune in to see the Grammys.

Flavors of the day don’t always translate to mass audience TV ratings. The Grammys had a few of those with BTS and others, but you can’t blame cord cutting.

Harry/Meghan/Oprah got twice the Grammy audience on the same network, same day of the week and same time. “American Idol” came within four million of beating it. That’s a loyal audience for “Idol.” The Grammys just didn’t connect.

Did you ask around and find out that many weren’t watching at all? Complete failure in promotion. What was the reason to see it? What was the must-see TV?

The Marvin Gaye salute on the pre show was better than any of the segments on the prime time show. Look at all the stars who sell out stadiums and arenas. How many of that group appeared? They sell tickets and would have attracted a TV audience. The Grammys used to be brilliant at that. Having little established star power hurts.

Carole King’s “Tapestry” was a Best Album winner 50 years ago. They could have put together a multi racial, female writer/singer group and saluted that, one time only, and only at the Grammys. It’s also the 40th anniversary of Grammy winning song “Elvira.” How much fun could that have been? Or with Aretha Franklin movies busting out everywhere, why not all-star salute to her and the greatest women of music in Grammy history? The show is getting used by the suits to push current product. It’s not about putting on the best show to salute all music.

One last thing, what about all the symphony musicians out of work due to the pandemic? Why didn’t they salute those hundreds if not thousands with a live remote from a recording studio? Rod Stewart on YouTube doing just that with “Maggie May” (a song that should have won a Grammy, but don’t get me started on that).

The show has been hijacked by faceless suits. There’s political correctness and complete lack of quality control. The Cardi B thing should have been stopped by CBS, but they are scared of their shadow these days post-Les Moonves and other issues.

Come on Music City, speak up. There are lots of Grammy voters and members around Music Row. Voice your opinion. The show stunk, so get it fixed!

Next up are the ACM Awards. Is this show going to be all new music from stars with low TV Q scores? You have to have the established stars and the baby stars. It’s a celebration, not a three-hour infomercial for the current top 10.

The pandemic may get under control if voices with impact get the rural Tennesseans to get their shots. (Have you seen that story of leftover vaccine in rural markets?) Planes are filling up, and one well-known Country artist is asking if planes are full why not venues? Hmmmmm.

We live in complicated times. Someone rescue the Grammys, for all who love music!