Each year, the Grammy award show does a segment called “In Memoriam” in which the ceremony honors those who have passed away in the years leading up. Yet, rock and metal fans were disappointed during the 64th annual Grammy’s as the producer left out several artists. Heavy metal band Slipknot’s Joey Jordison, Megaforce Records founder Jon Zazula and member of the Moody Blues Graeme Edge were all missing from the Memoriam on April 3.
Thursday, April 7, the Grammy’s producer Ben Winston stated that he does not have control over who gets to be chosen in the Memoriam. That job is left to the Recording Academy, which is a musical organization that not only selects the Grammy nominations, but also the winners. However, Winston did acknowledge the problem to those who died and were left out, as he also wishes that this year’s Grammy Awards should have honored the ten innocent people who have died at the Astroworld Festival in 2021.
Winston has reached out to Rolling Stone, stating that the Grammy’s never had bad intentions when choosing people in the Memoriam, “Anybody who feels left out or feels almost snubbed by an in memoriam, I think from the bottom of our hearts, there can only be apologies because we go into this show only wanting to bring joy and love to people with music.”
According to LoudWire, those who were left out had a huge impact on the Grammy Awards. Jordison won a 2006 Grammy for Slipknot’s track “Before I Forget”. Zazula’s wife had discovered Metallica, who were also Grammy winners. Edge was a part of Grammy’s Hall of Fame with the song “Nights in White Satin”.
In other news, Slipknot will take part in the fall music festival Louder Than Life this year.