You may be scratching your heard about how in the world Joni Mitchell — Joni Freaking Mitchell! — has never performed at the Grammy Awards.
Talk about a case of what??
But the 80-year-old folk goddess — who represents all that is musical excellence — will make her long-overdue Grammy debut at the 66th annual awards on Sunday night at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
She joins previously announced performers SZA, Billie Eilish, Billy Joel, Burna Boy, Dua Lipa, Luke Combs, Olivia Rodrigo, Travis Scott and U2.
Mitchell, a nine-time Grammy winner, is currently up for Best Folk Album for her 2023 live LP, “Joni Mitchell at Newport [Live],” which was recorded at the 2022 Newport Folk Festival.
Here are seven other artists for the ages who have shockingly never played a Grammy gig.
The Beatles
The Fab Four famously invaded “The Ed Sullivan Show” stage 60 years ago this month. Still, despite winning four gramophones before their infamous breakup, they never graced music’s biggest night with their performing powers.
Queen
It just doesn’t make sense how we never got to see Freddie Mercury and his royal band rock the greatest of music awards shows. But to add inconceivable insult to injury, they never even won a single Grammy.
Nirvana
You might expect the grunge gods to have an anti-establishment attitude. But when you defined a generational musical movement, it’s a travesty that we never got to see them rip into those Recording Academy suits right in their face.
George Michael
After Michael did the impossible by leaving behind his bubblegum past in Wham! and proving that he was a pop superstar to be taken seriously, his blockbuster solo debut, 1987’s “Faith,” won the Album of the Year Grammy in 1989. But he didn’t even show up to receive the ultimate gramophone, let alone perform at the ceremony.
2Pac
He may have been the first solo rapper inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2017, but the rap legend never rocked the mic on Grammy night. He never even got to give what would indeed have been a memorable victory speech before his murder in 1996.
Abba
Like 2Pac, the Swedish icons have never won the most coveted of pop prizes. And somehow, it took until 2022 before they were even nominated on Grammy night. Mama mia, indeed.
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Chuck Arnold
