On May 4. 1959, in the Grand Ballroom of the Beverly Hills Hotel was held the first Grammy Award. There were 28 award categories, and aside from one nominee each in the Best Country & Western Performanceand Best Rhythm & Blues Performance categories, nary a rock ‘n’ roller can be found among the nominees. Instead, the Best Vocal Performance nominees included names like Frank Sinatra, Andy Williams, Perry Como, Doris Day, Eydie Gorm, and Keely Smith. By contrast, the 1997 awards saw Grammys given to winners in 91 categories, and rock, soul, and hip-hop performers have long since replaced the crooners and pop songbirds of the ’50s. At the first Grammy Awards in 1959, Domenico Modugno beat out Frank Sinatra and Peggy Lee for the Record of the Year with “Volare.” It also was Song of the Year. The first Album of the Year went to Henry Mancini. Best Vocal Performance awards went to Perry Como and Ella Fitzgerald.
Thu Sep 01, 2022 2:53 am by 
