Buddy Miller, John Prine gain top Americana honors
Posted: September 10, 2005 5:25 pm
Saturday, 09/10/05
Buddy Miller, John Prine gain top Americana honors
Artists don Mardi Gras beads to honor storm victims
By PETER COOPER
Staff Writer
Buddy Miller is the rarest of characters — a genuinely shy and self-effacing man who makes his living in the spotlight of the stage. He winces at compliments as if they were body blows.
Last night at the Ryman Auditorium, the blows for Nashville resident Miller came fast and hard. His recording of Worry Too Much helped his dearly departed friend, Mark Heard, to a song of the year prize at the 4th Annual Americana Music Association Honors & Awards. And Miller's Universal United House of Prayer was named best album.
"With two acceptance speeches tonight, I think Buddy Miller has said more tonight onstage than in the 10 years we've worked together," said Emmylou Harris, for whom Miller plays guitar.
On an evening that is an attempt to draw attention to some of roots music's under-the-radar singers, songwriters and musicians, revered artist-songwriter John Prine was named artist of the year. Actor Billy Bob Thornton was on hand to speak about Prine, who did not attend.
Nashville's Jim Lauderdale, a longtime collaborator of Miller's, served as host for a show that was a marked improvement over last year's edition, which was marred by distracting sound problems. This year, things ran smoothly and musical performances ranged from Steve Earle's rock 'n' roll protest The Revolution Starts Now to the Texas folk of Hayes Carll to the old-school soul of Solomon Burke to the gospel of Marty Stuart to the bluegrass-tinged acoustic sounds of Canadian band The Duhks (Americana, it seems, must not necessarily hail from America).
Nashville's Mary Gauthier was named the new/emerging artist of the year. Gauthier, who grew up in Louisiana, joined many of the night's performers in wearing Mardi Gras beads, in tribute to and in memory of the victims of the recent and ongoing natural disaster. A wild-hearted woman who battled with alcohol issues in her youth, Gauthier pointed out that her mother was in the audience.
"She's crying," Gauthier said. "I made my momma cry for a long time. I hope that's different kind of tears now."
Marty Stuart's parents were also in the house. Stuart, who noted that his career began 33 years ago on the Ryman stage when he was a child mandolin prodigy performing with Lester Flatt, received a lifetime achievement award.
"There's the chart, and there's the heart," said Stuart, who spent years as a mainstream country performer before branching into more right-field musical endeavors. "It's great when they both line up, but given the choice you'd better follow your heart."
Guy Clark was given a lifetime achievement for songwriting. Harris presented him with the award, noting, "In a town where there are some pretty good writers, he really is our poet laureate."
The evening also found Sonny Landreth winning an instrumentalist award; folk-pop luminary Judy Collins receiving a "Spirit of Americana" free speech award from the First Amendment Center and the AMA; late, great instrumental wizard and songwriter John Hartford being honored with a President's Award; and the founders of Rounder Records being given the Jack Emerson Lifetime Achievement Award for music executives.
The awards ended with a multi-artist version of John Hartford's Gentle on My Mind and an Arlo Guthrie-led take on the Steve Goodman-penned City of New Orleans. •
Buddy Miller, John Prine gain top Americana honors
Artists don Mardi Gras beads to honor storm victims
By PETER COOPER
Staff Writer
Buddy Miller is the rarest of characters — a genuinely shy and self-effacing man who makes his living in the spotlight of the stage. He winces at compliments as if they were body blows.
Last night at the Ryman Auditorium, the blows for Nashville resident Miller came fast and hard. His recording of Worry Too Much helped his dearly departed friend, Mark Heard, to a song of the year prize at the 4th Annual Americana Music Association Honors & Awards. And Miller's Universal United House of Prayer was named best album.
"With two acceptance speeches tonight, I think Buddy Miller has said more tonight onstage than in the 10 years we've worked together," said Emmylou Harris, for whom Miller plays guitar.
On an evening that is an attempt to draw attention to some of roots music's under-the-radar singers, songwriters and musicians, revered artist-songwriter John Prine was named artist of the year. Actor Billy Bob Thornton was on hand to speak about Prine, who did not attend.
Nashville's Jim Lauderdale, a longtime collaborator of Miller's, served as host for a show that was a marked improvement over last year's edition, which was marred by distracting sound problems. This year, things ran smoothly and musical performances ranged from Steve Earle's rock 'n' roll protest The Revolution Starts Now to the Texas folk of Hayes Carll to the old-school soul of Solomon Burke to the gospel of Marty Stuart to the bluegrass-tinged acoustic sounds of Canadian band The Duhks (Americana, it seems, must not necessarily hail from America).
Nashville's Mary Gauthier was named the new/emerging artist of the year. Gauthier, who grew up in Louisiana, joined many of the night's performers in wearing Mardi Gras beads, in tribute to and in memory of the victims of the recent and ongoing natural disaster. A wild-hearted woman who battled with alcohol issues in her youth, Gauthier pointed out that her mother was in the audience.
"She's crying," Gauthier said. "I made my momma cry for a long time. I hope that's different kind of tears now."
Marty Stuart's parents were also in the house. Stuart, who noted that his career began 33 years ago on the Ryman stage when he was a child mandolin prodigy performing with Lester Flatt, received a lifetime achievement award.
"There's the chart, and there's the heart," said Stuart, who spent years as a mainstream country performer before branching into more right-field musical endeavors. "It's great when they both line up, but given the choice you'd better follow your heart."
Guy Clark was given a lifetime achievement for songwriting. Harris presented him with the award, noting, "In a town where there are some pretty good writers, he really is our poet laureate."
The evening also found Sonny Landreth winning an instrumentalist award; folk-pop luminary Judy Collins receiving a "Spirit of Americana" free speech award from the First Amendment Center and the AMA; late, great instrumental wizard and songwriter John Hartford being honored with a President's Award; and the founders of Rounder Records being given the Jack Emerson Lifetime Achievement Award for music executives.
The awards ended with a multi-artist version of John Hartford's Gentle on My Mind and an Arlo Guthrie-led take on the Steve Goodman-penned City of New Orleans. •