A lookback at Grammy statements shows how messaging has changed through the decades
Music’s biggest night, Grammy awards recently concluded with a splash of white. So let’s take a trip down memory lane for the most memorable moments of all time. On May 4, 1959, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr, Gene Autry and other musical luminaries sat down to formal dinners and golden statues in los Angeles and New York simultaneously for the very first Grammy Awards.
“As I recall, no one objected to dressing black-tie back then, though like so much else, that would change eventually,” said Christine Farnon, who helped organise the first presentation and became executive vice president of the Recording Academy, in a short history on the Grammy website.
In the early years, tuxedoes and traditional evening gowns prevailed. David Bowie helped shake things up simply by being David Bowie, in his orange hair phase. liberace and Aretha Franklin added sparkle. Bette Midler once wore a .45 record album in her hair. Dolly Parton showed up decades ago in a bright pink pantsuit before bright pink pantsuits were mild compared to what came later.
In those simpler times, through the 60’s and 70’s, there was a whole lot of great big hair. There were Nehru collars, Beatles in caps and Isaac Hayes boldly bringing it in huge bedazzled caftans. By the 80’s, anything went and there was a glitter glove on one of Michael Jackson’s hands.
“When one compares it to other awards shows, they never know what they’re going to get at the Grammy Awards,” said Nwaka Onwusa, curator of the Grammy Museum in los Angeles. “It’s great that in music, everyone can be welcome no matter what you’re wearing. It doesn’t have to be that tuxedo black tie situation all the time. Music has no boundaries and that’s the cool thing about it.” A glance at some outrageous fashion moments at the Grammys:
CHER'S BUTTERFlY NIGHT
Before Cher went full-on Bob Mackie showgirl, she popped over to the 1974 Grammys with a huge green and pink crystal butterfly somehow affixed to one side of her head, her signature long, dark hair flowing down her back. Below that outsized sparkly insect was a tiny halter bandeau silk top in white with a matching huge butterfly suspended between her assets.
The motif was carried over into the waist of her low-hung, swingy bottom half. It was a big bellybutton party. She had a long sheer jacket she sort used as a shield in photos.
MICHAEl JACKSON
In the year 1984, the King of Pop amassed his statues throughout the evening, when he sparkled in a military-style blue and gold jacket, his one white glove in place. He did take his trademark shades off after winning No. 7.
The encrusted toggle-closed jacket had gold epaulets and a matching gold sash. Onwusa noted Jackson’s influence on fashion even now adding, “Artists and designers still look back on Michael Jackson.”
CElINE DION'S REAR END
We all see a lot of backsides on red carpets these daysIJ Well, Celine did it back in 1993.
Her look was all black lace. It had long bell sleeves on the sheer outer dress and an average plunge to the neck. What it also had was a tiny black thong underneath. Dion showed it off, front and back, with a smile on her face. She left her hair down and bedroom messy.
JENNIFER lOPEZ in GREEN
In 2000, Jlo welcomed the new millennium as a rising star. She showed up at the Grammys in a sheer silk chiffon Versace green dress with a tropical leaf and bamboo motif. The dress was Donatella Versace’s debut of sorts after the tragic murder of her brother, Gianni.
To say there was a plunge to the front of this dress is an understatement. It relied heavily on adhesives to keep it this side of wardrobe malfunction.
The open front went straight on down to just above the pelvic region, where a large citrine brooch with help from smaller citrines provided strategic coverage. It had long sleeves and skimmed the ground with a short train in back.
Before lopez wore the dress, it was presented on a catwalk. Donatella wore it herself at the 1999 Met Gala. Spice Girl Geri Halliwell wore it to the NRJ Music Awards in France about a month before lopez. But lopez made it her own, and changed the red carpet game as that plunge was copied for years to come.
Word is, pictures of the dress were downloaded at such a frenetic pace that Google decided to create its searchable Google Image function.
lADY GAGA AS GOOD WITCH
It was at the 52nd Grammys in 2010 that Gaga went Jetsons, hitting the red carpet in a sparkly futuristic lavender dress by Armani Prive with suspended metal hoops encasing her body. She held a huge spiky star for photos. Her wig hair was a bright yellow ombre that appeared attached to the top of the corset-style dress. And Gaga had on those towering high platform shoes she was so fond of.
The skirt of the dress was short in the front and stiffly opened to a ground-skimming length in the back, creating an oval shape that went nicely with all those hoops. She had fun striking poses that night, when she later won two awards, for best dance recording and best electronic-dance album.
NICKI MINAJ and THE POPE
In 2012, the singer-rapper walked the red carpet with platinum blonde hair, dressed in a scarlet red Versace cloak and attached hood. She was on the arm of an older dude dressed as the pope.There were ruffles below her high collar beaded black embellishments and matching satin wrist gloves, lending an air.
A fews days later, Minaj explained her vibe that night topped off with a performance that involved dancing priests, an exorcism and levitation. She said it was all part of a movie she was writing.
BEYONCE, AN ACTUAl QUEEN
In 2017, Beyonce was expecting her twins. She performed at the Grammys in gold, royal crown and neck collar in place. look closely at the body-hugging dress and one will see an embroidered portrait of Queen Bey herself smack in the center, above the navel.
Peter Dundas designed the gown and others she wore that night. They were his first under his own name after working for the Roberto Cavalli and Emilio Pucci brands.
Dundas said that the dress took one week to embroider with 50 people working on it. Gustav Klimt was an influence along with Art Deco motifs inspired by Erte. He said the lyrics from Beyonce’s love Drought also came into play in the story-driven design. Sun rays symbolised the African goddess Oshun. Dundas added two cherubs on the hips dressed in ivy. Beyonce won a Grammy for lemonade that night and extolled the virtues of black beauty in her speech.
White was the dominant colour at this year’s Grammy awards, following the all-black dress code at the Golden Globes in solidarity with the Time’s Up and #MeToo movements.
White roses were donned by musicians (including Cardi B, Rita Ora, Halsey, Kelly Clarkson and Cyndi lauper) on the red carpet as a salute to Time’s Up efforts coordinated by the group Voices of Entertainment.