In a fitting bit of news on President’s Day, Jimmy Carter just snagged a Grammy Award.
That bit of news comes to us directly from ace AJC music writer Melissa Ruggieri, who's in L.A. to cover the big event. She tells us that during the "premiere ceremony" — when about 75 of the 83 awards are actually handed out in advance of the live show on CBS Monday night — the former president won in the Best Spoken Word Album category. His recording of his most recent book, "A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety," beat out other big name nominees like Amy Poehler, Janis Ian, Patti Smith and Dick Cavett.
Carter, 91, wasn’t there to claim his Grammy — his second in this category (He also won in 2007 for “Our Endangered Values”). Instead, he spent Monday in his hometown of Plains, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, took part in a Presidents Day Celebration at the old Plains High School. On the former first couple’s docket for the free event organized by the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site was a “conversation” about their personal experiences during the 1976 presidential campaign, a question-and-answer session and a booksigning (Who knew you were thisclose to a soon-to-be Grammy winner when you were getting your copy of “A Full Life” signed).
Keep checking Ruggieri's Atlanta Music Scene blog for complete Grammy coverage.
About the Author