The Recording Academy made Beatlemaniacs happy on November 8th as The Fab Four’s “Now and Then” was nominated for a couple of awards – record of the year and best rock performance. However, only the two living Beatles — Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr — were nominated for those awards. John Lennon, who died in 1980, and George Harrison, who died in 2001, are not via Billboard.
Because Lennon and Harrison have each been dead for more than five years, they cannot meet the Grammy test for “new recordings” – “material that has been recorded within five years of the release date.” There is precedent for this. Nat “King” Cole was not nominated when daughter Natalie Cole won record of the year and best traditional pop performance in 1992 for their studio-created duet “Unforgettable.” He had died in 1965.
As Lennon and Harrison have each been dead for more than five years, they cannot meet the Grammy test for “new recordings” – “material that has been recorded within five years of the release date.” There is precedent for this. Nat “King” Cole was not nominated when daughter Natalie Cole won record of the year and best traditional pop performance in 1992 for their studio-created duet “Unforgettable.” He had died in 1965.
Lennon’s last Grammy nomination was at the 1985 ceremony – best spoken word or non-musical recording for Heart Play (Unfinished Dialogue), a collab with Yoko Ono. The album, which reached No. 94 on the Billboard 200, consisted of excerpts from a Playboy magazine interview done shortly before Lennon’s death.
Thus, Lennon was not included the last time the Beatles were nominated, 28 years ago, when the band won three awards – best pop performance by a duo or group with vocal and best music video, short-form, both for “Free as a Bird,” and best music video, long-form for The Beatles Anthology.
Harrison’s last Grammy nominations were at the 2004 ceremony, where Brainwashed, his posthumously released 12th and final studio album, was nominated for best pop vocal album. A couple of tracks from the album were also honored. “Marwa Blues” won best pop instrumental performance, while “Any Road” was nominated for best male pop vocal performance.
