May 4, 1959
Record industry joins the awards club
Paul Weston, president of the recording academy’s L.A.chapter, emcees the inaugural banquet and hands out 28 awards at the Beverly Hilton honoring music from 1958. “The Chipmunk Song” wins three awards, which triggers widespread fury among music critics because the industry does not recognize rock ‘n’ roll and substitutes the Chipmunks to represent music by young people.
Record: “Nel Blu, Dipinto Di Blu (Volare),” Domenico Modugno
Album: “The Music From Peter Gunn,” Henry Mancini
Song: “Volare,” songwriter Domenico Modugno
Album: “The Music From Peter Gunn,” Henry Mancini
Song: “Volare,” songwriter Domenico Modugno
Nov. 29, 1959
Best new artist: Bobby Darin
The show is telecast for the first time, on an episode of NBC’s “Sunday Showcase.” Frank Sinatra — who was largely snubbed in the first ceremony but won for an album cover he didn’t design — collects the first of his three album of the year awards, for “Come Dance With Me!” The awards are presented at the Beverly Hilton and the Waldorf Astoria in New York.
Record: “Mack the Knife,” Bobby Darin
Album: “Come Dance with Me!,” Frank Sinatra
Song: “The Battle of New Orleans,” songwriter Jimmy Driftwood
Album: “Come Dance with Me!,” Frank Sinatra
Song: “The Battle of New Orleans,” songwriter Jimmy Driftwood
April 12, 1961
Best new artist: Bob Newhart
About 400 people attend the black-tie dinner held at the Beverly Hills Hotel for the third ceremony. Emcee Mort Sahl, referencing the infamous Nikita Kruschev shoe-banging incident, cracks that “that fellow in Russia should be voted for the best solo of the year.” Bob Newhart takes home awards for his comedy album “The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart.”
Record: “Theme From ‘A Summer Place,’” Percy Faith
Album: “The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart,” Bob Newhart
Song: “Theme From Exodus,” songwriter Ernest Gold
Album: “The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart,” Bob Newhart
Song: “Theme From Exodus,” songwriter Ernest Gold
May 29, 1962
Best new artist: Peter Nero
Producer Henry Mancini takes home the most awards for his “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” film score and song, “Moon River,” after his two Oscar wins one month earlier. Ceremonies are held in Chicago, L.A. and New York.
Record: “Moon River,” Henry Mancini
Album: “Judy at Carnegie Hall,” Judy Garland
Song: “Moon River,” songwriters Henry Mancini, Johnny Mercer
Album: “Judy at Carnegie Hall,” Judy Garland
Song: “Moon River,” songwriters Henry Mancini, Johnny Mercer
May 15, 1963
Best new artist: Robert Goulet
Tony Bennett and Ella Fitzgerald lock in vocal performance awards while winners are announced at dinners in New York, Chicago and in Los Angeles at the Beverly Hilton. Elsa Lanchester accepts an award for her late husband Charles Laughton for best documentary or spoken word recording for “The Storyteller.”
Record: “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” Tony Bennett
Album: “The First Family,” Vaughn Meader
Song: “What Kind of Fool Am I?,” songwriters Leslie Bricusse, Anthony Newley
Album: “The First Family,” Vaughn Meader
Song: “What Kind of Fool Am I?,” songwriters Leslie Bricusse, Anthony Newley
May 12, 1964
Best new artist: Ward Swingle
Some 550 members gather at the Beverly Hilton, and others gather in Chicago and New York. Barbra Streisand is honored for her “unorthodox vocalizing,” The Times writes, winning Grammys for album of the year and female vocal performance. The Swingle Singers are recognized for their swing interpretation of “Bach’s Greatest Hits.”
Record: “Days of Wine and Roses,” Henry Mancini
Album: “The Barbra Streisand Album,” Barbra Streisand
Song: “Days of Wine and Roses,” songwriters Henry Mancini, Johnny Mercer
Album: “The Barbra Streisand Album,” Barbra Streisand
Song: “Days of Wine and Roses,” songwriters Henry Mancini, Johnny Mercer
April 13, 1965
Best new artist: The Beatles
Though Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto’s “The Girl From Ipanema” is a runaway hit, this is the beginning of a British invasion. Grammy voters may not have noticed, though. The Beatles win for performance by a vocal group for “A Hard Day’s Night” but don’t win for record of the year for “I Want to Hold Your Hand” or for song of the year.
Record: “The Girl From Ipanema,” Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto
Album: “Getz/Gilberto,” Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto
Song: “Hello, Dolly!,” songwriter Jerry Herman
Album: “Getz/Gilberto,” Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto
Song: “Hello, Dolly!,” songwriter Jerry Herman
March 15, 1966
Best new artist: Tom Jones
Frank Sinatra not only wins album of the year but is also awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award. Bemoaning the 47 categories that the Grammys go through while comparing “oranges to lemons and tangerines,” the L.A. Times’ Charles Champlin writes that there were all of these choices, “yet nary a single one for Bob Dylan,” whom he calls the most influential musician of the last year.
Record: “A Taste of Honey,” Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass
Album: “September of My Years,” Frank Sinatra
Song: “The Shadow of Your Smile,” songwriters Paul Francis Webster, Johnny Mandel
Album: “September of My Years,” Frank Sinatra
Song: “The Shadow of Your Smile,” songwriters Paul Francis Webster, Johnny Mandel
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