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Welcome to The Rosebud Agency Web Site. The Rosebud Agency was founded by Mike Kappus in 1976 with the concept of delivering the best possible service to an intentionally limited number of very special artists. We're proud to be associated with artists whose music has transcended trends in an industry that thrives on them. Over the years, the company has grown to accommodate some of our artists' needs for management and the coordination of their record projects as well. It's a measure of their integrity that, of the Grammy eligible projects coordinated by Kappus and our management team, those projects have scored 14 Grammy nominations and five wins. This is in addition to the scores of Grammy nominations and wins achieved by the rest of the agency roster. At the same time, our artists have earned gold and platinum records from around the world without sacrificing the integrity of their music. In celebration of Rosebud's 32nd year, we'd like to thank all of the musicians, fans and businesspersons who have helped support us along the way - we appreciate it. We represent the artists and packages listed for tour booking and, in some cases, for management as well. Here you will find tour information, as well as biographies, discographies, and current news on the artists' activities. Most of the artists have current tour plans and new dates are being booked daily. For booking information on any of the artists please contact the agent representing your area. The purpose of this site is to provide accurate, up-to-date information about the artists represented by The Rosebud Agency. If your information differs from ours in any way, please let us know so we can correct any inaccuracies. Thank You.
CDs by Bill Frisell, Mavis Staples and Allen Toussaint have been recognized among Downbeat Magazine's Best of the 2000's, published in their January 2010 issue. Bill Frisell has four CDs on the list: Ghost Town (2000), Blues Dream (2001), East/West (2005) and History, Mystery (2008). Also honored are Have A Little Faith (2005) by Mavis Staples and Allen Toussaint's GRAMMY nominated The Bright Mississippi (2009). The list also names two historical releases featuring future Rosebud artists: Stax/Volt Revue Live In Norway 1967 DVD featuring Booker T. & the MGs and Newport Folk Festival: Best of the Blues 1959-1968 Box Set, which features performances by Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker, who were both Rosebud artists until their passing. Bill Frisell's East/West was honored with similar praise from the London Times, where was rated #2 on their "Best Jazz Albums of the Noughties" list. Catch Bill, Mavis and Allen live on stage, please see Bill Frisell Tour Dates >> Mavis Staples Tour Dates >> Allen Toussaint Tour Dates >>
Duke Robillard and Tommy Castro both have four nominations each. Duke is nominated for Album of the Year for Stomp! The Blues Tonight, Band of the Year, Best Instrumentalist - Guitar and Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year. Tommy is nominated for B.B. King Entertainer of the Year, Band of the Year, Contemporary Blues Album of the Year for Hard Believer and Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year. Bettye LaVette and Ruthie Foster are both nominated for Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year. In addition, Duke produced 10 of the 12 tracks and guests on one song on Album of the Year / Contemporary Blues Album of The Year nominee Between a Rock and the Blues by Joe Louis Walker. Other Rosebud related nominations are, in the Instrumentalist - Horn category: longtime Tommy Castro Band saxophonist Keith Crossan and Deanna Bogart, who plays in the Rosebud booked Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue with Tommy Castro. Nominated in the Historical Album of the Year category are: Muddy Waters' Authorized Bootleg and Little Walter's The Complete Chess Masters, featuring hit compositions by Willie Dixon. Both Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon were Rosebud artists until their passing. Nominated in the Acoustic Album of the Year category is: Things About Comin' My Way - A Tribute to the music of the Mississippi Sheiks, which features songs by Rosebud artists John Hammond and Bill Frisell. Congratulations to all the nominees!
We're thrilled to announce that Rosebud Artists received 10 Grammy nominations for this year's awards taking place on January 31, 2010 in Los Angeles. Artists honored with nominations include Allen Toussaint for The Bright Mississippi (Best Jazz Instrumental Album); Booker T. for both Potato Hole (Best Pop Instrumental Album) and a track from that album, "Warped Sister" (Best Rock Instrumental Performance); Jim Lauderdale for Could We Get Any Closer? (Best Bluegrass Album); John Hammond's Rough & Tough and Duke Robillard's Stomp! The Blues Tonight are both nominated for Best Traditional Blues Album; Ruthie Foster's The Truth According To Ruthie Foster and Mavis Staples' Live: Hope At The Hideout are both nominated for Best Contemporary Blues Album; Loudon Wainwright III for High Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project (Best Traditional Folk Album); Beausoleil Avec Michael Doucet for Alligator Purse (Best Zydeco Or Cajun Music Album). Other CDs honored with nominations include the collection Oh Happy Day, nominated for Best Traditional Gospel Album which features a song by Mavis Staples with Patty Griffin. True Blood, nominated for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album, features a song by Allen Toussaint. Buckwheat Zydeco's Lay Your Burden Down features a guest appearance by Rosebud artist, Trombone Shorty. Ann Savoy of The Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band is also a member of The Magnolia Sisters whose Stripped Down CD was nominated. And Elvis Costello's Secret, Profane & Sugarcane features Rosebud artist, Jim Lauderdale. Jim also co-wrote the title track to George Strait's Twang. In other Grammy related news, Grammy nominated CDs, Cadillac Records - Music From the Motion Picture and Little Walter - The Complete Chess Masters also include songs written and made famous respectively by former Rosebud artists, the late Willie Dixon and Muddy Waters. Rosebud has been fortunate in that generally our artists score between 4 and 6 Grammy nominations every year but 10 is definitely a new record and we are Thrilled, especially considering the fact that Rosebud artists only released 14 eligible CDs this past year. Congratulations to all the nominees!
Legendary blues figures and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Willie Dixon and Muddy Waters are portrayed in major roles in the new hit film, Cadillac Records. The film chronicles the rise of Chess Records in 1950's Chicago. It was directed by Darnell Martin and features an ensemble cast including Adrien Brody, Beyoncé Knowles, Mos Def and Jeffrey Wright. Muddy and Willie were both Rosebud artists until their passing in 1983 and 1992 respectively. Muddy Waters was known as the Father of the Blues and his influence on contemporary music was massive. It was his hits that launched Chess Records and set them on the road to their legendary success. As a measure of his influence, his song "Rollin Stone" was not only covered by Jimi Hendrix but also provided the name for the world's greatest rock 'n' roll band and the magazine of the same name. He was also responsible for bringing a young Chuck Berry to Chess where his career was launched as well as influencing a generation of iconic artists from Bob Dylan to Led Zeppelin, Cream/Eric Clapton to AC/DC. Willie Dixon's songs were a crucial component in the success of Chess Records. Willie worked closely with Muddy, Howlin Wolf, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley and many more in the 1950's providing hit songs and frequently playing bass and /or producing. His work formed the bedrock of the blues, hence the title of Willie's biography, "I Am The Blues". Just a sampling of the diverse artists that covered Willie's songs includes Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, The Doors, Captain Beefheart, Led Zeppelin, Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Yardbirds/ Cream / Eric Clapton / Derek & The Dominoes, The Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, Otis Redding, Aerosmith, Jeff Beck, The Monkees, The Pointer Sisters, Widespread Panic, The Who, The Allman Brothers, The Grateful Dead, The Band, Dizzy Gillespie, ZZ Top, The Black Crowes, B.B. King, Tom Petty, Styx, Willie Nelson, Los Lobos, Steve Miller, Steppenwolf and Sting - and many more.
Four time Grammy Award winners the Blind Boys of Alabama will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards. The Blind Boys are also nominated again this year for Best Traditional Gospel Album, for their latest CD, Down in New Orleans featuring fellow Rosebud Artist Allen Toussaint and regular touring partners The Preservation Hall Jazz Band among others. Allen Toussaint himself will be honored at the Grammys with the Trustees Award. The Trustees Award recognizes outstanding contributions to the industry in a non-performing capacity. With a career as a producer, songwriter, arranger, session pianist, and solo artist, Allen Toussaint has become a legend within the recording industry. As a founder of Sansu Enterprises and the Sea-Saint Recording Studio, he has worked with such notable artists as the Band, Paul Simon, Boz Scaggs, Bonnie Raitt and Patti LaBelle. His consistent hit songs and compositions have become one of music's most extensive catalogs, consistently mined for cover material and commercial use. In 1998, Toussaint was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Spring of 2009 will see the release of Allen's new CD on Nonesuch Records featuring guests including Nicholas Payton, Marc Ribot, Brad Mehldau, Joshua Redman, and Don Byron. Trombone Shorty is featured on the Grammy nominated Dr. John CD, City That Care Forgot, that is up for Best Contemporary Blues Album. Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue will be closing out the year with performances on December 30 and 31 at Sullivan Hall in New York City. Following that, Trombone Shorty will be joining Galactic on the Jamcruise and other Florida dates as a special guest. In February he and Orleans Avenue will tour the West coast with The Dirty Dozen Brass Band. Please see tour dates for The Blind Boys of Alabama >>, Allen Toussaint >> and Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue >>.
Tommy Castro, Bettye LaVette and the late great Muddy Waters took home top awards at The Blues Foundation’s prestigious Blues Music Awards last night (May 8) in Tunica, Mississippi. Tommy Castro won big with his first two Blues Music Awards, honored with the B.B. King Entertainer of the Year Award and also for Best Contemporary Blues Album for his most recent CD, Painkiller. Bettye LaVette was recognized as Best Contemporary Blues Female Artist, her second Blues Music Award. Former Rosebud artist, the late Muddy Waters, won Best Historical Album for Breakin' It Up, Breakin' It Down, an album of previously unreleased recordings with Johnny Winter and James Cotton. Rosebud artists Duke Robillard and Ruthie Foster also received nominations this year. The Blues Music Awards are the highest recognition in the blues world, often touted as the Grammys of the Blues. Catch The Tommy Castro Band on tour throughout North America this year...see tour dates >>
Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars were honored with a nomination for Best African Entertainer for the 2007 International Reggae & World Music Awards (IRAWMA). The awards ceremony will be held at Harlem’s Apollo Theater on Sunday, May 4th at 7 p.m. Eastern. In its 27th year, the objective of the IRAWMA’s is to promote reggae and world beat music as an art form and honor entertainers and others associated with world music for their contributions to the industry and humanity internationally. Fans can purchase tickets for the event at ticketmaster.com or at the Apollo Theater box office: (212) 531-5305.
JJ Cale and Eric Clapton won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album for The Road to Escondido at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony. In spite of a long history of influential recordings, this is Cale’s first Grammy Award. Cale's songs, most notably "After Midnight" and "Cocaine" among many others, have driven sales for major recording artists for decades but this was also JJ Cale’s first certified Gold record, selling over 500,000 copies in the U.S. alone and achieving Gold and Platinum status in a number of other countries around the world. Cale wrote 11 of the 14 songs and co-produced the 2006 hit album with Eric Clapton.
The annual Rhythms Magazine Readers Poll named Mavis Staples’ Ry Cooder produced, We'll Never Turn Back as Album of the Year and John Hammond’s Push Comes To Shove as International Blues Album of the Year. This is Staples’ first Rhythms Magazine Readers Poll Award and Hammond’s third, having also been honored in the same category for 2005’s In Your Arms Again and for Blues Album of the Year with 2003’s Ready For Love. Both Mavis Staples and John Hammond will be touring worldwide throughout 2008. - see tour dates >>
Tommy Castro today received Album of the Year accolades from BluesWax, the largest subscribed Blues publication in the world for his latest album success, Painkiller. This is the fourth BluesWax Award for Castro, having also won Artist of the Year in 2002 and 2006 and Album of the Year in 2003. Castro has the distinction of being the first two-time BluesWax Album of the Year Award winner. Painkiller is also nominated for a 2008 Blues Music Award as "Contemporary Blues Album of the Year" and Castro is a nominee for "B.B. King Entertainer of the Year." The Tommy Castro Band will be touring extensively throughout 2008. - see tour dates >>
Rosebud artists Bettye LaVette and Mavis Staples scored spots in the top 35 of Village Voice's annual "Pazz & Jop Poll" for LaVette’s Scene Of The Crime and Staples’ We'll Never Turn Back. The annual poll combines ballots from 577 critics’ Top 10 lists to acknowledge the best albums of 2007. Additional Rosebud artists whose CDs were honored were Bill Frisell (for his work with Floratone and with Paul Motian and Joe Lovano) Loudon Wainwright III, Meshell Ndegeocello, Ruthie Foster, Pieta Brown, Ann Savoy and the late Muddy Waters. Compilations that featured Rosebud artists were Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur (Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars), Goin Home: A Tribute To Fats Domino (Allen Toussaint, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Trombone Shorty and Marcia Ball) and Song Of America (The Blind Boys of Alabama and Bettye LaVette). See the full list of albums at: Village Voice's annual "Pazz & Jop Poll" >>
Rosebud artists Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue and BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet were honored at Offbeat Magazine's 2007 Best of the Beat Awards in New Orleans on January 12th. Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue took home the award for Best R&B/Funk Band or Performer. Trombone Shorty took home his second consecutive award for Band or Performer of the Year. BeauSoleil was once again awarded Best Cajun Band or Performer making this their record 12th win. Offbeat Magazine Awards celebrates Louisiana music and is determined by readers in an online poll. The Best of the Beat Awards Results >>
Bettye LaVette, Tommy Castro, Duke Robillard, Ruthie Foster and Muddy Waters were honored with nominations for the 2008 Blues Music Awards just announced. Bettye LaVette’s incredible year (Grammy nomination, Pollstar magazine cover story and topping many “Best Of 2007” lists) continues with three nominations for Album of the Year (Scene Of The Crime), Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year, and B.B. King Entertainer of the Year. Tommy Castro grabs two nominations for Contemporary Blues Album of the Year (Painkiller) and B.B. King Entertainer of the Year. Duke Robillard yet again receives a nod for Best Instrumentalist - Guitar. Robillard has won this award an unprecedented four previous times. Ruthie Foster scores her first nomination for Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year. And former Rosebud artist, the late Muddy Waters, is honored with a nomination for Historical Album of the Year (Breakin' It Up, Breakin' It Down - Muddy Waters, Johnny Winter, James Cotton). The Blues Music Awards will be held on May 8, 2008 in Tunica, Mississippi. The 2008 Blues Music Awards >>
Amazon.com has released their annual picks for Best Music of the Year and Rosebud artists Bettye LaVette, Mavis Staples, John Hammond, Loudon Wainwright III and Bill Frisell are among those honored. Bettye LaVette's The Scene of the Crime was recognized as the #2 CD of the year in the R&B category, while Mavis Staples' We'll Never Turn Back (produced by Ry Cooder) was selected as the #5 CD of the year in the Gospel category. Mavis also makes an appearance with her family The Staple Singers on the #3 R&B CD of the Year The Stax 50th Anniversary Collection, which also features songs by Rosebud artist Booker T. Jones (of Booker T. & the MG's). Loudon Wainwright III's Strange Weirdos: Music From and Inspired by the Film Knocked Up was named the fifth Best Soundtrack of the year. And John Hammond's Push Comes To Shove and Richard Thompson's Sweet Warrior (Rosebud is booking Richard's 1000 Years Of Popular Music tour) made the Top Ten lists in the Blues and Folk categories, respectively. Bill Frisell's studio project Floratone (featuring Lee Townsend, Matt Chamberlain and Tucker Martine) was named the #5 Jazz CD of the year. Congratulations to all. To purchase the CDs and help support Music In Schools Today at no extra cost, please click here. Amazon.com: Best Music of the Year 2007 >>
The 2008 Grammy Award Nominations were released today (December 6, 2007), with Bettye LaVette and JJ Cale each honored with their first Grammy nod and Meshell Ndegeocello grabbing her 10th nomination. Both Bettye LaVette and JJ Cale are up for Best Contemporary Blues Album, for LaVette’s The Scene Of The Crime and JJ Cale & Eric Clapton’s The Road To Escondido. Ndegeocello’s 10th nomination is in the Best Urban/Alternative Performance category for “Fantasy” from the compilation album, Interpretations: Celebrating The Music Of Earth, Wind & Fire (Stax). The Grammy Awards will be held on February 10, 2008 in Los Angeles.
The North American Folk Music and Dance Alliance (Folk Alliance) will honor gospel/soul legend Mavis Staples with a 2008 Elaine Weissman Lifetime Achievement Award (LAAward). The award is given annually to those individuals or organizations who have inspired others, achieved definitive leadership in their field and contributed to the advancement of the performing folk arts. Also being honored with a 2008 LAAward is the late old-time fiddler/banjo player Tommy Jarrell, as well as Rounder Records. The awards will be presented at the Folk Awards Show Feb. 20, 2008 in Memphis, TN.
Rosebud artists Bettye Lavette and Duke Robillard have been nominated for Canada's 11th annual Maple Blues Awards. Selected by a distinguished panel of blues DJs and journalists across Canada, Bettye LaVette and Duke Robillard have been nominated for the B.B. King International Artist award. The Maple Blues Awards are coordinated by the Toronto Blues Society, and you can cast your vote Nov. 3 - Dec. 8 by visiting mapleblues.ca. Winners will be announced at the awards gala in Toronto on Jan. 21, 2008."
Congratulations to several Rosebud artists who were honored in the Living Blues Readers and Critics Polls. The Critic’s Poll named Bettye LaVette both Blues Artist of the Year (Female) and Most Outstanding Blues Singer. In the Reader’s Poll awards, Marcia Ball was named Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboard) and Charlie Musselwhite took Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica). The late John Lee Hooker, a Rosebud artist for 25 years, was honored for Shout! Factory’s Hooker box set, which was named Best Blues Album of 2006 (Historical Recording) in the Reader’s Poll and Best Historical Reissue / Post-war in the Critic’s Poll.
Bill Frisell was named Best Guitarist for the fourth year in a row (and seventh in 10 years) in Downbeat's Critics Poll. Several frequent Frisell collaborators were also honored: Sam Yahel was on top in the Rising Star Organ category and Jenny Scheinman was named #1 Rising Star Violin, while producer (and Frisell manager) Lee Townsend, drummers Brian Blade and Joey Baron, and violinist Eyvind Kang were among the honorees in their respective categories. Bettye LaVette and Charlie Musselwhite both placed in the top 10 for Blues Artist/Group, and Tommy Castro was among the Rising Star Blues Artist/Group honorees. The Blues Album category included JJ Cale & Eric Clapton’s "The Road To Escondido" as well as Musselwhite’s "Delta Hardware". Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint’s "The River In Reverse" and Richard Thompson’s "The Life And Music Of Richard Thompson" were honored in the Beyond Album category. Congratulations to all the honorees!
The Blues Foundation’s prestigious Blues Music Awards took place in Memphis May 10, with Rosebud artists once again proving their popularity in the genre. Charlie Musselwhite was the big winner of the evening with four awards, including top honors for his latest album, Delta Hardware. Marcia Ball took home the Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year for the third year in a row. The Historical Album of the Year award went to John Lee Hooker, a Rosebud artist for 25 years until his passing in 2001, for Shout! Factory’s career retrospective box set Hooker. Charlie Musselwhite was the only artist to win more than two awards, taking honors for Album of the Year, Traditional Blues Album of the Year, Song of the Year ("Church Is Out"), and - for the 14th year - Best Instrumentalist-Harmonica.
Tommy Castro just won BluesWax Blues Artist of the Year 2006 with a record number of first place reader votes. Meanwhile his new CD, Painkiller, is charting on the Billboard Blues Charts. BluesWax is a weekly internet publication with nearly 100,000 subscribers. Publisher Chip Eagle said, "I love Tommy Castro and I'm very happy our readers selected him. There are few artists as deserving as he is. He gives everything to his fans, never puts on a bad show, and has one of the best blues bands in the world." Tommy just finished headlining the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue tour with guests Ronnie Baker Brooks, Deanna Bogart, and Magic Dick with more dates to come. The package is named after the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise which sails the Caribbean every January.
Rosebud artists were honored once again at offBeat Magazine's Best Of The Beat Awards in New Orleans on January 25, 2007. BeauSoleil continued their dominance in the Best Cajun Band category and also picked up Best Cajun Album for their recent CD BeauSoleil: Live in Louisiana (Way Down in Louisiana). As in past years, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band ruled the Best Brass Band Album category, picking up an award for their latest CD on Shout Factory, What's Going On. The Best of the Beat Awards are chosen by New Orleans music fans and offBeat.com and offBeat Weekly readers from around the world.
Allen Toussaint was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award for Producer/Engineer at the Americana Music Awards. The award was presented by Elvis Costello who cited Toussaint's classic recordings with artists such as Irma Thomas, Ernie K-Doe, Chris Kenner, The Band and LaBelle. Costello and Toussaint capped off the event by performing a track from their album The River in Reverse before leading the crowd in a gospel sing-along and a version of Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind." Other stars performers included Dave Alvin, Rosanne Cash, Alejandro Escovedo and Ruthie Foster.
Booker T. Jones will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award for his work with seminal instrumental group Booker T. & the MG's at the Grammy Awards ceremony to take place on February 11, 2007. Receiving the award with him are guitarist Steve Cropper, bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn, drummer Al Jackson (posthumously), and Lewie Steinberg, the group's original bassist. The group were million-sellers as one of the top instrumental outfits of the rock era with hits including "Green Onions," "Time Is Tight," and "Hang'Em High." Booker T. & the MGs also backed recordings by such artists as Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Albert King, The Staple Singers, and Wilson Pickett and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. Other artists honored with 2007 Lifetime Achievement GRAMMYs are Joan Baez, Maria Callas, Ornette Coleman, the Doors, the Grateful Dead and Bob Wills. Booker is currently working on his first recording of solo or MG's material since 1994, and 2007 tour dates in the US and Europe are planned. ... read more at press release >>
Also see complete list of news since 1996 >> |
Bill Frisell, Mavis Staples, Allen Toussaint CDs Recognized Among Best of the 2000's by Downbeat Magazine - Frisell #2 Jazz CD of the Decade Per London Times
10 Grammy Nominations for Rosebud Artists! 
Rosebud Artists Depicted In New Hit Film "Cadillac Records" Chronicling The Story Of Chess Records
Grammy Update: Blind Boys of Alabama To Be Honored With Lifetime Achievement Award, Allen Toussaint To Be Honored With Trustees Award, Trombone Shorty Featured On Grammy Nominated Dr. John Album
Tommy Castro, Bettye LaVette and the late Muddy Waters Score Blues Music Awards
Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars Nominated as Best African Entertainers in International Reggae & World Music Awards
JJ Cale Honored With First Grammy Win For The Road To Escondido With Eric Clapton
Mavis Staples and John Hammond Honored With Top Album Awards In Australia's Rhythms Magazine 2007 Readers Poll
Tommy Castro's Painkiller Voted BluesWax 2007 Album Of The Year
Bettye LaVette, Mavis Staples And More Rosebud Artists Recognized In Village Voice Pazz & Jop Poll
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue and BeauSoleil Honored at Offbeat Awards
Rosebud Artists Honored on Amazon's Best Music of 2007"
Folk Alliance Honors Mavis Staples
Bettye LaVette, Duke Robillard Nominated for Canada's Maple Blues Awards
Rosebud Artists Score Living Blues Awards
Rosebud Artists Score In Downbeat Critics Poll
Rosebud Artists Triumph At Blues Awards
BeauSoleil and Dirty Dozen are repeat winners at Best of The Beat Awards
Allen Toussaint Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award
Booker T. Jones Honored with Grammy’s Lifetime Achievement Award