James Taylor Honored at MusiCares
Singer-songwriter James Taylor will be honored as the 2006 MusiCares Person of the Year on February 6th, during Grammy week. A concert — featuring special guests yet to be announced — gala dinner and auction will pay tribute to the Grammy-winning artist for both his musical career and commitment to philanthropic causes, particularly the environment and children’s health issues.
North Carolina native Taylor has sold 35 million albums — such as 1970’s Sweet Baby James and 1997’s Grammy-winning Hourglass — since the late Sixties and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.
Beach Boys mastermind Brian Wilson was 2005’s Person of the Year, in part for his dedicated support of cancer research. Previous honorees include Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Bonnie Raitt, Luciano Pavarotti, Natalie Cole, Billy Joel and Elton John.
Established by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in 1989, MusiCares assists people in the music industry with healthcare needs. In the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the Recording Academy and MusiCares have committed $1 million in aid for musicians who were affected.
The MusiCares ceremony will come shortly before the 48th Annual Grammy Awards, which will be broadcast live on CBS from Los Angeles on February 8th.