An annual part of the Grammy Awards festivities is the MusiCares Person of the Year Tribute and 2010’s honoree was the Godfather of Grunge himself, Neil Young. MusiCares was founded in 1989 by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and it’s mission is to provide a place of refuge for musicians in dire straits, whether it be medical, financial, drug-related or any other crisis.
Every year the organization honors a musician who has made huge contributions both to the world of music and to those in need. They couldn’t hve made a better selection than Neil Young, the falsetto Canadian troubadour who has camped out on just about every musical landscape in existence over the course of his 50-year career. In attendance at the event is a list of talented entertainers a mile long, and an almost equally as long is the list of musicians who performed on stage in Neil’s honor.
It would be just about impossible for this humble blog to attempt to include photos of EVERYONE who performed, so I cherry picked some of my favorites for you.
Emmylou Harris “Comes A Time”
John Mellencamp “Down by the River”
Stephen Stills and Sheryl Crow “Long May You Run”
Neil and wife Pegi Young arrive at the festivities
Dwight Yoakam arriving (OK, he didn’t perform… But it’s DWIGHT YOAKAM!)
Jeff Tweedy and Wilco “Broken Arrow” and “Mr. Soul”
Elton John “Crocodile Rockin’ in the Free World” (JK – “Helpless”)
Sheryl Crow and Neko Case “Helpless” (with Elton John)
Leon Russell ???
Elvis Costello “The Losing End”
Ben Harper “Ohio”
Norah Jones and Sasha Dobson “Tell Me Why”
Neil Young!
Others performing included Jackson Brown, Dave Matthews, John Fogerty, Keith Urban, Ozomatli, Red Hot Chili Peppers, T-Bone Burnett, Graham Nash, Booker T. Jones, Josh Groban, Dierks Bentley, Everest and Jason Mraz. Some of the previous MusiCares Person of the Year tribute concerts have been made available on DVD as fundraisers for the organization – no word yet if this year’s Neil Young tribute will be released. Looking at these pictures – Lord I hope so!
Complete setlist:
John Mellencamp and T Bone Burnett “Down by the River”
Ozomatli “Mr. Soul”
Jackson Browne “Don’t Let It Bring You Down”
Stephen Stills and Sheryl Crow “Long May You Run”
Lady Antebellum “Only Love Can Break Your Heart”
Norah Jones “Tell Me Why”
Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris and Patty Griffin “Comes a Time”
Wilco “Broken Arrow”
Josh Groban “Harvest Moon”
Everest “Revolution Blues”
Dierks Bentley and Booker T. Jones “Cinnamon Girl”
Ben Harper “Ohio”
Keith Urban, John Fogerty and Booker T. Jones “Rockin’ in the Free World”
Elvis Costello “The Losing End”
Jason Mraz, Shawn Colvin and the Grooveline Horns “Lotta Love”
Dave Matthews “The Needle and the Damage Done”
Red Hot Chili Peppers “A Man Needs a Maid”
James Taylor “Heart of Gold”
Elton John, Leon Russell, Neko Case, Sheryl Crow and T Bone Burnett “Helpless”
Crosby, Stills & Nash “Human Highway”
