Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, February 15, 1991 TAG: 9102150053
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MARK MORRISON and TRACIE FELLERS STAFF WRITERS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Phil. Sinead. Hammer. Janet.
All the big stars have been champing at the bit, so to speak, in eager anticipation of our annual Grammy predictions.
"Will I win more than Michael?" Janet Jackson asked when she called us last week from Los Angeles.
"I'm boycotting the Grammys, but don't you think I deserve to win? Don't you? Don't you? Don't you?" Sinead O'Connor asked from New York. "I mean, nothing compares to me."
"But seriously," Phil Collins said from London.
"They can't touch this," M.C. Hammer retorted confidently from his Oakland empire-in-the-making.
Yes, when it comes to picking the Grammy winners, music industry insiders have always looked to Roanoke for the early line.
The only real question remaining now is over bragging rights.
As professional music writers, we take pride in our ability to ferret out the talented from the flashes-in-the-pan, to spot rising stars, and most importantly to boast that we know more than the other.
What it really boils down to is this: Which of us will come up with the best guesses on what excites the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences? Yep, it's an awfully tough job . . . just look at the thoughtful, insightful choices the academy made last year. Like Milli Vanilli for best new artist. Guess they were blinded by all those dollar signs and swinging braids.
But hey, somebody's gotta do this. So here goes . . . and may the most astute music writer win.
Note: We're ignoring the jazz, gospel, bluegrass, latin, blues, folk, reggae, polka, metal and classical music categories here because of space limitations. We also wanted to limit our picks to the award categories that are likely to be televised when the Grammy Awards show airs Wednesday night on CBS (WDBJ Channel 7 in the Roanoke viewing area).
by CNB