Adele made her doctors proud Sunday night at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards. While accepting one of six (six!) Grammys, Adele thanked them, saying “[they] brought my voice back.” Her performance that evening proved that statement to be nothing but perfectly true.
She thanked her mom in her acceptance speech for the evening’s most coveted award, Album of the Year, playfully stating “Mom, girl done good.” “It’s been the most life-changing year,” stated the young (only 23) British singer.
Many know the Adele did not have the easiest year, vocally speaking. The singer underwent surgery for “recurrent vocal cord hemorrhage” only this past November. People were buzzing about whether or not Adele would be able to belt with the same intensity and power that she did pre-surgery. Her performance of her smash hit “Rolling in the Deep” proved to anyone watching that she is back and better than ever. The performance was capped with thunderous and lengthy standing ovation. As the crowd applauded her inspiring performance, she looked out into the audience with a look of what can only be described as a perfect mix of bliss and gratitude.
Just before the ground-shattering performance of “Rolling in the Deep,” she and co-songwriter Paul Epworth accepted the Grammy for their collaboration on that very song.
Adding to her collection, Miss Adele also won Grammys for record of the year, best pop solo performance of the year, best short form music video of the year, and best pop vocal album for “21” (her age when she recorded her sophomore album, following “19,” named with the same sentiments).
Though Adele swept the Grammys with her heart-wrenching album, admittedly based solely on a relationship that ended in misery, there were other moments that should not go unmentioned.
Celebrating their 50th anniversary as a band, the Beach Boys performed with now-hot bands Maroon 5 and Foster the People. It was their first public performance in two decades. One of the Beach Boys, Mike Love, said the performance was “A good vibration” and “fun, fun, fun,” playing on lyrics from some of their biggest hits.
Former Beach Boy Glen Campbell watched the performance, and later gave his own with country stars The Band Perry and Blake Shelton. At age 75, Campbell launched his final tour, after announcing that he is battling Alzheimer’s disease. Campbell is a five time Grammy winner himself.
Possibly the most moving performance of the evening was Jennifer Hudson’s tragically beautiful tribute to the late songstress (and mentor to Hudson herself; Hudson received her first Grammy from Houston). She gave a poignant and heartfelt rendition of Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” following the traditional Grammy tribute to that year’s music industry fallen.
Though the Grammys happened to fall in the shadow of Houston’s shocking and tragic death, the power of music overcame, and the night was a wonderful success.