Grammy Awards for 1977

By Patrick Mondout

A pair of songs from movies shared the Song of the Year award for the first time ever and each also won Oscars (in separate years due to eligibility rules that differed from the Grammys). The Eagles backed out on a performance literally at the last minute claiming they were hard at work on their next album (1979's The Long Run) in Malibu.

Continuing an unfortunate Grammy tradition of giving the Best New Artist award to the artist perceived as the most wholesome instead of the most talented or deserving, Debby Boone beat out teen idol Andy Gibb and rockers Foreigner for the award. In contrast to the previous four shows, with Stevie Wonder winning three Album of the Year awards, African-Americans were completely shut out of the major award nominations and virtually all of those nominees were either from California or their songs had ties to Hollywood movies.

Note: All nominees are listed and denotes the Grammy winner(s).

Record of the Year
	"Blue Bayou" - Linda Ronstadt
	"Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" - Crystal Gayle
	"Hotel California" - Eagles
	"Love Theme from A Star Is Born (Evergreen)" - Barbra Streisand
	"You Light Up My Life" - Debby Boone

Song of the Year
	"Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" - Richard Leigh
	"Hotel California" - Don Felder, Don Henley, Glenn Frey
	"Love Theme from A Star Is Born (Evergreen)" - Barbra Streisand, Paul Williams
	"Nobody Does It Better" - Marvin Hamlisch, Carole Bayer Sager
	"Southern Nights" - Allen Toussaint
	"You Light Up My Life" - Joe Brooks

Album of the Year
	Aja - Steely Dan
	Hotel California - The Eagles
	J.T. - James Taylor
	Rumours - Fleetwood Mac
	Star Wars - John Williams conducting the London Symphony

New Artist
	Stephen Bishop
	Debby Boone
	Shaun Cassidy
	Foreigner
	Andy Gibb

Pop Male Vocalist
	Stephen Bishop - "On and On"
	Andy Gibb - "I Just Want to Be Your Everything"
	Engelbert Humperdinck - "After the Lovin'"
	Leo Sayer - "When I Need You"
	James Taylor - "Handy Man"

Pop Female Vocalist
	Debby Boone - "You Light Up My Life"
	Dolly Parton - "Here You Come Again"
	Linda Ronstadt - "Blue Bayou"
	Carly Simon - "Nobody Does It Better"
	Barbra Streisand - "Love Theme from A Star Is Born (Evergreen)"

Pop Vocal Group
	Bee Gees - "How Deep Is Your Love"
	Crosby, Stills and Nash - CSN
	Eagles - Hotel California
	Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
	Steely Dan - Aja

Best Pop Instrumental Performance
	London Symphony, John Williams, conductor - Star Wars
	Bill Conti - "Gonna Fly Now (Theme from Rocky)"
	Barry De Vorzon - "Nadia's Theme (The Young and the Restless)"
	Maynard Ferguson - "Gonna Fly Now (Theme from Rocky)"
	Meco - "Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band"

Best Rhythm & Blues Song
	"You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" - Leo Sayer, Vini Poncia
	"Best of My Love" - Maurice White, Al McKay
	"Brick House" - Milan Williams, Walter Orange, Thomas McClary, William King, Lionel Richie, Ronald LaPread
	"Don't Leave Me This Way" - Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, Carry Gilbert
	"Easy" - Lionel Richie

Best Rhythm & Blues Vocal Performance - Male
	Lou Rawls - Unmistakably Lou
	Marvin Gaye - "Got to Give It Up (Part 1)"
	B.B. King - "It's Just a Matter of Time"
	Joe Tex - "Ain't Gonna Bump No More (With No Big Fat Woman)"
	Johnny "Guitar" Watson - "A Real Mother for Ya"

Best Rhythm & Blues Vocal Performance - Female
	Thelma Houston - "Don't Leave Me This Way"
	Natalie Cole - "I've Got Love on My Mind"
	Aretha Franklin - "Break It to Me Gently"
	Dorothy Moore - "I Believe You"
	Diana Ross - "You Love Is So Good for Me"

Best Rhythm & Blues Vocal Performance - Duo, Group or Chorus
	Emotions - "Best of My Love"
	Commodores - "Easy"
	Heatwave - "Boogie Nights"
	Gladys Knight & the Pips - "Baby Don't Change Your Mind"
	Rufus featuring Chaka Khan - Ask Rufus

Best Rhythm & Blues Instrumental Performance
	Brothers Johnson - "Q"
	Blackbyrds - "The Unfinished Business"
	Brecker Brothers - "Funky Sea, Funky Dew"
	Salsoul Orchestra - "Getaway"
	Stuff - More Stuff

Best Jazz Vocal Performance
	Al Jarreau - Look to the Rainbow
	Joao Gilberto - Amoroso
	Irene Kral - Kral Space
	Carmen McRae - Carmen McRae at the Great American Music Hall
	Helen Merrill - Helen Merrill - John Lewis

Best Jazz Instrumental Performance - Soloist
	Oscar Peterson - The Giants
	John Coltrane - Afro Blue Impressions
	Hank Jones - 'Bop Redux
	Jaco Patorius - Heavy Weather
	Phil Woods - The Phil Woods Six - Live from the Showboat

Best Jazz Instrumental Performance - Group
	Phil Woods - The Phil Woods Six - Live from the Showboat
	John Coltrane - Afro Blue Impressions
	Tommy Flanagan Trio - Eclypso
	Dexter Gordon - Homecoming, Live at the Village Vanguard
	Mel Lewis - Mel Lewis and Friends

Best Jazz Performance - Big Band
	Count Basie & His Orchestra - Prime Time
	Woody Herman - The 40th Anniversary, Carnegie Hall Concert
	North Texas State University Lab Band, Leon Breeden, director - Lab '76
	Buddy Rich - Buddy Rich Plays and Plays and Plays
	Toshiko Akiyoshi-Lew Tabackin Big Band - Road Time

Best Country & Western Song
	"Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" - Richard Leigh
	"Desperado" - Glenn Frey, Don Henley
	"It Was Almost Like a Song" - Archie Jordan, Hal David
	"Lucille" - Roger Bowling, Hal Bynum
	"Luckenbach, Texas" - Bobby Emmons, Chips Moman

Best Country & Western Vocal Performance - Male
	Kenny Rogers - "Lucille"
	Larry Gatlin - "I Don't Wanna Cry"
	Waylon Jennings - "Luckenbach, Texas"
	Ronnie Milsap - "It Was Almost Like a Song"
	Jerry Jeff Walker - "Mr. Bojangles"

Best Country & Western Vocal Performance - Female
	Crystal Gayle - "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue"
	Janie Fricke - "What're You Doing Tonight"
	Emmylou Harris - "Making Believe"
	Barbara Mandrell - "After the Lovin'"
	Dolly Parton - "(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and Higher"

Best Country & Western Performance - Duo or Group with Vocal
	Kendalls - "Heaven's Just a Sin Away"
	Asleep at the Wheel - The Wheel
	George Jones, Tammy Wynette - "Near You"
	Loretta Lynn, Conway Twitty - Dynamic Duo
	Oak Ridge Boys - "Y'All Come Back Saloon"

Best Country & Western Instrumental Performance
	Hargus "Pig" Robbins - Country Instrumentalist of the Year
	Asleep at the Wheel - "Ragtime Annie"
	Chet Atkins - Me and My Guitar
	Chet Atkins, Floyd Cramer, Danny Davis - Chet, Floyd and Danny
	Jerry Reed - "West Bound and Down"

Best Gospel Performance - Contemporary or Inspirational
	Imperials - Sail On
	Reba Rambo Gardner - Reba/Lady
	Larry Hart & the Soul Singers - Hart and Soul
	Michael Omartian - Adam Again
	Gary S. Paxton - More from the Astonishing, Outrageous, Amazing, Incredible, Unbelievable Gary S. Paxton
	Evie Tornquist - Mirror

Best Gospel Performance - Traditional
	Oak Ridge Boys - "Have a Little Talk with Jesus"
	Blackwood Brothers - Bill Gaither Songs
	Cathedral Quartet - Then and Now
	LeFevres - Till He Comes
	Rambos - Naturally
	Speers - Cornerstone

Best Soul Gospel Performance - Contemporary
	Edwin Hawkisn & the Edwin Hawkins Singers - Wonderful!
	Danniebelle - He Is King
	Jessy Dixon - "Born Again"
	Larnelle Harris - More
	Mighty Clouds of Joy - "God Is Not Dead"

Best Soul Gospel Performance - Traditional
	James Cleveland - James Cleveland Live at Carnegie Hall
	James Cleveland & the Greater Metropolitan Church of Christ Choir - The Lord Is My Life
	Rev. Cleavant Derricks & Family - Satisfaction Guaranteed
	Five Blind Boys of Mississippi - "I'm Just Another Soldier"
	Savannah Choir & Rev. Isaac Douglas - Stand Up for Jesus

Best Inspirational Performance
	B.J. Thomas - Home Where I Belong
	Salome Bey, Clinton Derricks-Carroll, Sheila Ellis, Delores Hall, William Hardy Jr., Hector Jaime Mercado, Stanley Perryman, Mabel Robinson, William Thomas Jr. - Your Arm's Too Short to Box with God
	Quincy Jones, James Cleveland conducting the Wattsline Choir - "O Lord, Come By Here"
	Carol Lawrence - Tell All the World About Love
	Ray Price - How Great Thou Art

Best Ethnic or Traditional Recording
	Hard Again - Muddy Waters
	Blues Hit Big Town - Junior Wells
	Right Place, Wrong Time - Otis Rush
	Things That I Used to Do - Joe Turner
	What Happened to My Blues - Willie Dixon

Best Latin Recording
	Dawn - Mongo Santamaria
	Fire Works - Machito Orchestra with Lalo Rodriguez
	La Leyenda - Tito Puente
	Muy Amigos/Close Friends - Eydie Gorme, Danny Rivera
	Tomorrow: Barretto Live - Ray Barretto Band

Best Instrumental Arrangement
	Harry Betts, Perry Botkin Jr., Barry De Vorzon - "Nadia's Theme (The Young and the Restless)" (Barry De Vorzon)
	Chick Corea - "Musicmagic" (Return to Forever)
	Crusaders - "Free as the Wind" (Crusaders)
	Bob James - "Scheherazade" (Hubert Laws)
	Herb Spencer - "Roots Mural Theme" (Quincy Jones)

Best Instrumental Composition
	"Main Title from Star Wars" - John Williams
	"Birdland" - Joe Zawinul
	"Bond '77/James Bond Theme" - Marvin Hamlisch
	"Gonna Fly Now (Theme from Rocky)" - Bill Conti, Carol Connors, Ann Robbins
	"Roots Medley (Motherland, Roots Mural Theme)" - Quincy Jones, Gerald Fried

Best Arrangement for Voices
	Eagles - "New Kid in Town" (Eagles)
	Fleetwood Mac - "Go You Own Way" (Fleetwood Mac)
	Heatwave - "All You Do Is Dial" (Heatwave)
	Quincy Jones, James Cleveland, John Mandel - "O Lord, Come By Here" (Quincy Jones)
	Jim Seals - "Baby, I'll Give It to You" (Seals & Crofts)

Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)
	Ian Freebairn-Smith - "Love Theme from A Star Is Born (Evergreen)" (Barbra Streisand)
	Richard Carpenter - "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" (Carpenters)
	Claus Ogerman - "Besame Mucho" (Joao Gilberto)
	Claus Ogerman - "Nature Boy" (George Benson)
	Seawind - "The Devil Is a Liar" (Seawind)

Best Cast Show Album
	Annie - Charles Strouse, Martin Charnin
	Guys and Dolls - Frank Loesser
	I Love My Wife - Cy Coleman, Michael Stewart
	Starting Here, Starting Now - Richard Maltby Jr., David Shire
	Your Arm's Too Short to Box with God - Micki Grant, Alex Bradford

Best Album of Original Score written for a Motion Picture or Television Special
	Star Wars - John Williams
	Rocky - Bill Conti
	The Spy Who Loved Me - Marvin Hamlisch
	A Star Is Born - Kenny Ascher, Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman, Rupert Holmes, Leon Russell, Barbra Streisand, Donna Weiss, Paul Williams, Kenny Loggins
	You Light Up My Life - Joe Brooks

Album of the Year - Classical
	Concert of the Century (recorded live at Carnegie Hall May 18, 1976) (solos: Leonard Bernstein, Vladimir Horowitz, Isaac Stern, Mstislav Rostropovich, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Yehudi Menuhin, Lyndon Woodside)
	Gershwin: Porgy and Bess - John De Main conducting the Houston Grand Opera Production (solos: Dale, Smith, Shakesnider, Lane, Brice, Smalls)
	Haydn: Orlando Paladino - Antal Dorati conducting the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne (solos: Auger, Ameling, Killebrew, Abnsjo, Luxon, Trimarchi, Shirley)
	Mahler: Symphony No. 9 in D Major - Carlo Maria Giulini conducting the Chicago Symphony
	Parkening and the Guitar (solo: Christopher Parkening)
	Ravel: Bolero; Debussy: La Mer and l'Apres-Midi d' un Faune - Georg Solti conducting the Chicago Symphony

Best Classical Performance - Orchestra
	Carlo Maria Giulini conducting the Chicago Symphony - Mahler: Symphony No. 9 in D Major
	Pierre Boulez conducting the New York Philharmonic - Bartok: The Wooden Prince
	Herbert von Karajan conducting the Berlin Philharmonic - Bruckner: Symphony No. 8 in C Minor
	James Levine conducting the Chicago Symphony - Mahler: Symphony No. 3 in D Minor
	Andre Previn conducting the London Symphony - Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake
	Georg Solti conducting the Chicago Symphony - Ravel: Bolero

Best Chamber Music Performance - Instrumental or Vocal
	Juilliard Quartet - Schoenberg: Quartets for Strings (Complete)
	Emanuel Ax, Cleveland Quartet - Dvorak: Quintet for Piano in A Major, Op. 81
	Pezzo Elegiaco, Vladimir Horowitz, Isaac Stern, Mstislav Rostropovich - Rachmaninov: Sonata for Cello and Piano in G Minor, Op. 19, Andante; Tchaiskovsky: Trio for Piano in A Minor, Op. 50
	Guarneri Quartet - Bartok: Quartets for Strings (6)
	David Munrow conducting the Early Music Consort of London - A Contemporary Elizabethan Concert (Dowland, Williams, Purcell, etc.)
	Prague String Quartet - Dvorak: Quartets No. 8 in E Major, Op. 80, and No. 10 in E Flat Major, Op. 51
	Ravi Shankar, Yehudi Menuhin, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Martine Geliot, Alla Rakha - Improvisations: West Meets East, Album 3

Best Classical Performance - Instrumental Soloist(s) with Orchestra
	Itzhak Perlman, violin (Perlman conducting the London Philharmonic) - Vivaldi: The Four Seasons
	Lazar Berman, piano (Abbado conducting the London Symphony) - Rachmaninov: Concerto for Piano No. 3 in D Minor
	Alfred Brendel, piano (Haitink conducting the London Philharmonic) - Beethoven: Concertos for Piano (5)
	Jacqueline Du Pre, cello (Barenboim conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra) - Elgar: Concerto for Cello, Op. 85
	Alicia de Larrocha, piano (De Burgos conducting the Royal Philharmonic) - Concertos from Spain (Surinach: Piano Concerto Montsalvage; Concerto Breve)
	Maurizio Pollini, piano (Bohm conducting the Vienna Philharmonic) - Beethoven: Concerto for Piano No. 4 in G Major
	Mstislav Rostropovich, cello (Bernstein conducting the Orchestre National de France) - Schumann: Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in A Minor; Bloch: Schelomo
	Solomon, piano (Dobrowen, conductor) - Brahms: Concerto for Piano No. 2 in B Flat Major, Op. 83

Best Classical Performance - Instrumental Soloist(s) without Orchestra
	Artur Rubinstein, piano - Beethoven: Sonata for Piano No. 18 in E Flat Major, Op. 31, No. 3; Schumann: Fantasiestucke, Op. 12
	Daniel Adni, piano - Grainger: Piano Music of Percy Grainger
	Michel Beroff, piano - Messiaen: 20 Regards de l'Enfant Jesus
	Alicia de Larrocha, piano - Granados: Goyescas
	Glenn Gould, piano - Bach: The English Suites (Complete)
	Igor Kipnis, harpsichord - Bach: Partitas for Harpsichord No. 1 in B Flat Major and No. 2 in C Minor
	Itzhak Perlman, violin - Itzhak Perlman Plays Fritz Kreisler: Album 2

Best Opera Recording
	Gershwin: Porgy and Bess - John De Main conducting the Houston Grand Opera Production (solos: Albert, Dale, Smith, Shakesnider, Lane, Brice, Smalls)
	Haydn: Orlando Paladino - Antal Dorati conducting the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne (solos: Auger, Ameling, Killbrew, Ahnsjo, Luxon, Shirley, Trimarchi)
	Janacek: Katya Kabanova - Charles Mackerras conducting the Vienna Philharmonic (solos: Soderstrom, Kniplova)
	Mussorgsky: Boris Godunov - Jerzy Semkow conducting the Polish National Raido Symphony Orchestra and Chorus (solos: Talvela, Gedda)
	Puccini: Tosca - Colin Davis conducting the Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden (solos: Caballe, Carreras, Wixell, Ramey)
	Wagner: Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg - Eugen Jochum conducting the Deutsche Oper Berlin Orchestra and Chorus (solos: Fischer-Dieskau, Domingo, Ludwig, Ligendza)
	Wagner: The Flying Dutchman - Georg Solti conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus (solos: Bailey, Martin, Talvela, Kollo, Krenn, Jones)
	Weill: Threepenny Opera - Stanley Silverman conducting the original cast of the New York Shakespeare Festival (solos: Julia, Alexander, Greene)

Best Classical Performance - Choral
	Georg Solti, conductor, Margaret Hillis, choral director - Chicago Symphony Chorus and Orchestra - Verdi: Requiem
	Serge Baudo conducting the Stephen Caillat Chorus and Orchestre de Paris - Roussel: Psalm 80 , for tenor, chorus and orchestra
	Colin Davis conducting the John Alldis Choir; London Symphony - Berlioz: L'Enfance du Christ
	Rafael Kubelik conducting the Chorus of Bavarian Radio and Bavarian Radio Symphony - Dvorak: Stabat Mater
	Philip Ledger conducting the King's College Choir, Cambridge; Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields - Purcell: Funeral Music for Queen Mary
	Herbert von Karajan conducting the Vienna Singverein; Berlin Philharmonic - Bruckner: Te Deum
	David Willcocks conducting the King's College Choir, Cambridge; Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields - Britten: Saint Nicholas

Best Classical Performance - Vocal Soloist
	Janet Baker (Marriner conducting the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields) - Bach: Arias
	Elly Amcling (de Waart conducting the Rotterdam Philharmonic) - Schubert on Stage
	Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Ponti, accompanist) - Ives: Songs
	Donald Gramm (Hassard, accompanist) - But Yesterday Is Not Today (songs by Barber, Bowles, Copland, Chanler, etc.)
	Luciano Pavarotti (Adler conducting the National Philharmonic) - Luciano Pavarotti - O Holy Night ("O Holy Night", "Sanctus", "Ave Maria", etc)
	Elisabeth Soderstrom (Ashkenazy, accompanist) - Rachmaninov: Songs, Vol. 2
	Frederica von Stade (de Waart conducting the Rotterdam Philharmonic) - Rossini/Mozart: Opera Arias
	Gerard Souzay (Baldwin, accompanist) - Faure: Songs (Complete)
	Galina Vishnevskaya, soprano, Mark Reshetin, bass (Rostropovich conducting the Moscow Philharmonic) - Shostakovich: Symphony No. 14

Best Engineered Recording - Classical
	Kenneth Wilkinson - Ravel: Bolero (Solti conducting the Chicago Symphony)
	Paul Goodman, Anthony Salvatore - Gershwin: Porgy and Bess (De Main conducting the Houston Grand Opera)
	Bud Graham, Ray Moore, Milt Cherin - Bartok: The Wooden Prince (Boulez conducting the New York Philharmonic)
	Klaus Scheibe - Mahler: Symphony No. 9 in D Major (Giulini conducting the Chicago Symphony)
	Heinz Wildhagen - Mahler: Symphony No. 2 in C Minor ("Resurrection") (Abbado conducting the Chicago Symphony)
	S.J.W. Witteveen, Dick van Dijk - Berlioz: L'Enfance du Christ (Davis conducting the London Symphony)

Best Spoken Word, Documentary or Drama Recording
	The Belle of Amherst - Julie Harris
	Alex Haley Tells the Story of His Search for Roots - Alex Haley
	For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf - original cast, Ntozake Shange, writer
	J.R.R. Tolkien: The Silmarillion of Beren and Luthien - read by Christopher Tolkien
	The Truman Tapes - Harry Truman speaking with Ben Gradus

Best Comedy Recording
	Let's Get Small - Steve Martin
	Are You Serious??? - Richard Pryor
	The Ernie Kovacs Album - Ernie Kovacs
	On the Road - George Carlin
	Saturday Night Live - NBC's Saturday Night Live cast

Best Recording for Children
	Aren't You Glad You're You - Sesame Street cast & Muppets
	A Charlie Brown Christmas - various (written by Charles M. Schulz)
	Dope! The Dope King's Last Stand - various artists (Lily Tomlin, Muhammad Ali, Jimmy Carter, etc)
	Russell Hoban: The Mouse and His Child - read by Peter Ustinov
	The Sesame Street Fairy Tale Album - Jim Henson's Muppets

Best Engineered Recording
	Roger Nichols, Elliot Scheiner, Bill Schnee, Al Schmitt - Aja (Steely Dan)
	Ken Caillat, Richard Dashut - Rumours (Fleetwood Mac)
	Val Garay - Simple Dreams (Linda Ronstadt)
	Val Garay - J T (James Taylor)
	Bill Schnee - Discovered Again! (Dave Grusin)

Best Album Package
	John Berg - Love Notes (Ramsey Lewis)
	Glen Christensen - Hejira (Joni Mitchell)
	Kosh - Simple Dreams (Linda Ronstadt)
	Kosh - Singin' (Melissa Manchester)
	MPL/Hipgnosis - Wings over America (Paul McCartney & Wings)
	Paula Scher - Ginseng Woman (Eric Gale)
	Paula Scher - Yardbirds Favorites (Yardbirds)
	Abie Sussman, Bob Defrin - Color As a Way of Life (Lou Donaldson)

Best Album Notes
	George T. Simon - Bing Crosby: A Legendary Performer
	Chris Albertson - Stormy Blues (Billie Holiday)
	Michael Brooks - The Lester Young Story, Vol. 1
	George T. Simon - Guy Lombardo: A Legendary Performer
	Patrick Snyder - Jefferson Airplane - Flight Log (Jefferson Airplane)

Producer of the Year
	Peter Asher
	Bee Gees, Albhy Galuten, Karl Richardson
	Kenneth Gamble & Leon Huff
	Richard Perry
	Bill Szymczyk

Hall of Fame
	"Bach-Stokowski: Toccata & Fugue in D Minor" - Leopold Stokowski conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra (1927)
	The Genius of Art Tatum, Vols. 1-13 - Art Tatum (1954-55)
	I Can Hear It Now, Vols. 1-3 - Edward R. Murrow (1948-50)
	"My Blue Heaven" - Gene Austin (1928)
	"Strange Fruit" - Billie Holiday (1939)