Recording Academy Responds To Dave Matthews Band’s LeRoi Moore “Encore” Snub
Dave Matthews Band fans who tuned in for Sunday night’s Grammy Awards were livid, and with good reason: In the “Encore” segment of the broadcast, which honors musicians and industry vets who have passed away in the past year, the Recording Academy didn’t give a screen time mention to DMB saxophonist LeRoi Moore, who died last August following health complications he sustained after an ATV accident.
The Recording Industry has responded to the outcry, releasing a statement that reads, “Nearly 250 members of our music community have passed in the last year, and all of them have been listed in the program book for the 51st Annual Grammy Awards, including LeRoi Moore. For the “Encore” segment of our annual Grammy Awards telecast, unfortunately we are unable to include all of the talented and wonderful people within the allotted timeframe. The Academy recognizes Moore’s contributions to music and music education, and we are deeply saddened by his premature passing.”
Despite the Grammy’s excuse, the omission of Moore, who won a Grammy in 1997 with the rest of DMB for “So Much To Say,” is a major oversight. Perhaps the Grammys can get a pass on excluding John Martyn, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Billy Powell and the Cramps’ Lux Interior (all three likely passed after the video was compiled), the fact that the Stooges guitarist Ron Asheton was not featured in the “Encore” video is similarly offensive. While the Grammys failed to properly honor these two departed artists, Rock Daily has extensive looks back at their storied careers:
• Dave Matthews Band Saxophonist LeRoi Moore Dead at 46 • Blues Traveler’s John Popper, “Crash” Producer Steve Lillywhite Remember DMB’s LeRoi Moore
• Iggy Pop Remembers Stooges’ Ron Asheton In First Interview Since the Guitarist’s Death
• Revisiting Ron Asheton’s Influences: Guitarist on Jimi Hendrix, Brian Jones and JFK
• Iggy Pop Pays Tribute to The Stooges’ Ron Asheton: “He Was My Best Friend”
• The Stooges’ Ron Asheton Remembered
• Photo Gallery: The Stooges — Five Decades of Raw Power