The 79-year-old moved the audience enormously with her life’s work speech. Then there was a mix-up during the announcement – and Kendrick Lamar reacted confidently.
Cher appeared as a special guest at this year’s Grammy Awards (February 1) to accept the prestigious lifetime achievement award. After a standing ovation from the audience, the 79-year-old asked those present to sit down again for her speech – and then started with her career review and an announcement to newcomers. This moved the crowd considerably.
Emotional career reviews of the music icon
In her following speech, the singer gave personal insights into her eventful career: “I knew what I wanted to be when I was five years old, and I was famous at 19,” Cher explained. She spoke openly about the challenges of her career and emphasized that the path was not always linear.
The artist was particularly honest about difficult phases: In the early 1980s, her journey took her to Las Vegas, then known as the “elephant graveyard” for artists. After separating from her label, she started over with another music label, which led to the hit “Believe” – a song that made music history.
Cher noted that she was the first musician to use what is now known as autotune: “We didn’t call it that back then. It was a pitch machine,” Cher said.
Motivating message to young artists
The core of her speech was a message to the musicians in attendance: “Never give up on your dreams, no matter what happens. Live them, be them, and if it doesn’t work now, it will soon.”
With her speech she actually moved some of those present to tears.
Confusion when awarding prizes causes brief irritation
After her acceptance speech, Cher took on the task of announcing the Record of the Year winner. There was a mix-up during the announcement: the singer initially named Luther Vandross, who served as the inspiration for the winning song, instead of the correct title “Luther” by Kendrick Lamar and SZA.
Editorial recommendations
Cher immediately corrected herself and apologized to producers Jack Antonoff and Soundwave. Kendrick Lamar was calm about the oversight.
Cher’s own Grammy successes
The two-time Grammy winner’s last win came in 2000 for Best Dance Recording for “Believe.” The song was also nominated for “Recording of the Year”.
