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Home > Atlanta Music Scene > Archives > 2008 > December > 04
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Georgia’s Grammy Nominees React
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Talk about great birthday presents.
Atlanta R&B singer-songwriter Anthony David (above) will be blowing out the candles tonight at Sutra with his fiancee on one arm and his first Grammy nomination in his pocket.
Just don’t shake that free hand if you see him out at the Midtown lounge. “I have a cold,” David sniffed when we reached him Thursday afternoon. “And I was just about to enter that feeling-sorry-for-myself mode,” he added with a laugh.
But then he started getting e-mails last night about his nod for R&B performance by a duo or group with vocals - the contenders for the music industry’s highest honor were revealed for the first time during prime time Wednesday [see gallery HERE] - and that feeling sorry business began to feel silly.
“[Longtime friend] Richard [Dunn] came by my place and we drank some vodka to celebrate,” said David, who shares the nomination for the ballad “Words” with fellow local talent India Arie —for whom he once sang background. “It was just plain ole Absolut though. They don’t take Grammy nominations at the liquor store.”
Meanwhile up in New York tonight, Atlanta jazz guitarist Earl Klugh (above, left) plans to have a great Greek or Italian meal, to mark his pop instrumental album nomination for “The Spice of Life”.
“I’ve been recording 32 years,” the one-time Grammy winner said. “And at my advanced age [laughs] it just makes me feel good to still be recognized. I put a lot of time into this record. It is the first record I’ve done with a full band in nine years. So again, this feels really good.”
Across the country in Las Vegas, Davis’s fellow first-timer Janelle Monae (above) was still processing the words “Grammy Award nominee” being said before her name.
“I’m still in the clouds, still in shock,” said the Atlanta singer up for urban/alternative performance for “Many Moons”. “I did a show here for Pepsi this morning and when they introduced me [inhales deeply and pauses] it just still hasn’t registered with me.”
She should have known something was going on last night when her record label president, entertainment mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, was ringing her phone off the hook while she was at Cirque du Soleil. “There I was, so excited, enjoying my birthday present from the guys, The Wondaland Arts Society — my birthday was Monday - and Puff [another Combs nickname] was calling all of our phones. He was so excited. Nobody was expecting this…I mean, I have an EP. I don’t have a major, big album. I don’t have a big radio single…and to still be recognized among so many talented people is just a blessing.”
And how will she celebrate that blessing when she lands backs at home tonight? “You know, I’ve learned to lower my expectations and heighten my appreciation. So we’re just going to work on getting Suites 2 and 3 out there in the first quarter of next year.”
“Oh - and please send everybody there my love for their support!”
We also caught up with Dave Haywood of Lady Antebellum in Sin City, where the band had just finished their last shows for a while. They now have the rest of the month off to bask in the Grammy glow, and spend some time at home for the holidays. The band’s sole female member — and only non-Georgian — Hillary Scott had already taken off on vacation with her family.
When we told Dave that maybe we’d catch up with them again before the ceremony to see what they’d be wearing, he said: “Oh gosh, now Hilllary’s going to be thinking about that for three months.”
“I’ve been on the phone with my parents and my friends this morning just trying to make sense of it all really. I mean, what do you even say to that. I’m still in complete shock”
“A year ago our first song was coming out, so this has been an unbelieveable year for us. We started off this year with a win at the ACM awards (where they’re pictured above) and, at the time, that was unbelievable and looking back it still is. After that I was like, you know what, we weren’t that deserving of that, so hopefully in another few years we’ll get a nomination for something else. And then the CMA awards came in last month and then we won that and I was like ‘oh my gosh, you’re kidding.’ Then last night. We’re out here in Las Vegas and we actually had two shows last night. In between the shows we walked off the stage to a text message from our tour manager that just said ‘congrats on your two Grammy nominations.’ And we were like ‘oh my gosh.’ It’s just insane, because it’s an international thing for all genres of music.”
“I’ve got to say looking at the best new artist category — with Jazmine [Sullivan] and Duffy and Adele and the Jonas Brothers— I have to say I’m so, so honored to be part of the only country artist in that category. I think that was the thing that was most humbling.”
(They also face Atlantans Sugarland for best country performance by a duo or group with vocals).
“My parents were just flipping out. It was just so unexpected. I know we said that for the CMAs as well, but this was just completely unexpected. I’d read some stuff online and they were looking at people like Flo Rida and Katy Perry and OneRepublic, all these huge artists that have sold, you know, ten times as many albums as we have for consideration for that category.”
“We’re in Vegas, so last night we definitely did some celebrating. I’m just waking up, to be honest. We went out together with our band guys and our crew guys and had a few toasts.”
See a list of Grammy nominees with Georgia connections HERE - and our gallery HERE — and weigh in on the choices/possible winners.
