U2, Springsteen win at Grammys, Jackson snubbed

The Chronicle-Herald (1988-03-04)

From AP-Reuters (New York)

Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon and the Irish rock group U2 took top honors at the annual Grammy music awards on Wednesday night, but Michael Jackson, who received no awards, won the biggest ovation.

Jackson had 6,000 celebrities and music world notables leaping to their feet at New York’s majestic Radio City Music Hall as he sang two numbers including a driving gospel song, but only the engineers for his latest hit record, Bad, took an award.

Paul Simon’s Graceland featuring the South African group Ladysmith Black Mambazo and heavily using African rhythms was named the record of the year. Bruce Springsteen, known as “The Boss,” to his adoring fans, won the best rock vocal performance, beating such stars as Tina Turner and Joe Cocker for his album, Tunnel of Love. U2, the politically-minded Irish rock group were name the year’s best rock group and their The Joshua Tree was named best album. Four Canadian nominees failed to win any awards. They were children’s singer Raffi, producer Daniel Lanois, the Montreal Symphony conducted by Charles Dutoit and record executive Kim Cooke.

Acceptance speeches, U2 was in a class by itself. Lead singer Bono thanked, “Martin Luther King…Bob Dylan for Tangled Up in Blue, Flannery O’Connor, Jimi Hendrix, Walt Disney, John the Baptist, George Best, Gregory Peck…Dr. Ruth, Fawn Hall, Batman and Robin…the YMCA, sumo wrestlers throughout the world, and of course Ronald Reagan.”

It was a case of “Deja Vu” for SImon. He won a Grammy last year for his album of Graceland and now he won for the song Graceland which was issued as a single.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo were name the year’s best folk group.

Whitney Houston was honored as best female pop vocalist for her single, I Wanna Dance with Somebody. She kept her “thank yous” short, singling out her fans, family and God.

Aretha Franklin was named best female rhythm and blues vocalist.

The voters of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences dealt Jackson a snub as far as awards went.

His album Bad was beaten by U2 in the album category and Sting beat him for best male pop music vocalist.

Jackson, who sat between Stevie Wonder and Quincey Jones in the art deco Radio City auditorium, also lost out in the best rhythum and blues vocalist to Smokey Robinson.

When it came to acceptance speeches

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