Heart and Nirvana Receives Grammy Lifetime Achievement Awards

Heart and Nirvana Receives Grammy Lifetime Achievement Awards | Society Of Rock Videos

via Recording Academy / GRAMMYs / Youtube

The artists who were present in Los Angeles over the weekend to receive the 2023 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Awards included surviving members of Nirvana and Heart.

In 1987, Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic founded Nirvana in Aberdeen, Washington; three years later, drummer Dave Grohl joined them. The group’s 1991 smash, “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” would launch the band into the public as part of a change in youth culture around the world. After Cobain’s passing in 1994, the band split up.

At the Wilshire Ebell Theatre, Novoselic, Grohl, and guitarist Pat Smear accepted the award. The bassist discussed Nirvana’s legacy by saying:

“And they said that Kurt was witty or maybe he was a smart*ss. And he said, ‘Teenage angst has paid off well.’ Well, it has.

“I do fan mail, old-fashioned fan mail, and I get letters from around the world, like Nirvana fans. Like, just all around the world. A lot of young people. There’s a new generation of Nirvana fans and I’m just very grateful for that.”

On the other hand, Heart was originally known as The Army when it first formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1967. Ann joined the group in 1971 and a few names and lineups changed later including the addition of Nancy eventually led to the formation of Heart in 1974.

They recorded their landmark debut album, Dreamboat Annie in 1975. It included instantly recognizable songs like “Magic Man,” “Crazy On You,” and the album’s title track. Subsequent US platinum albums also featured the band. The 2023 Award was given to sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson, with Nancy being present to personally accept the distinction. She said:

“In 1974, I followed my calling, which pulled me out of my college dorm room to capture this dream I had with my sister since we were little kids.

“The dream was to be the Beatles; we followed our muse through the decades, we blazed a few trails and broke a few glass ceilings along the way for both men and women. [To the] Recording Academy, thank you forever for this. It’s gonna look super sweet on my grandma’s piano in my home studio.”

Bobby McFerrin, Ma Rainey, Nile Rodgers, Slick Rick, and The Supremes also received the Lifetime Achievement Award.

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