Sam Moore and Dave Prater – the Soul duo Sam & Dave which were one of the primary chart stars at the Stax and Atlantic labels in the ’60s, bringing the passion of gospel to their wailing soul side – were announced this week by The Recording Academy™ as one of the recipients of the Special Merit Awards, The Lifetime Achievement Award. A special award presentation ceremony and concert celebrating the honorees will be held on May 11, 2019, in Los Angeles. Additional details regarding the ceremony will be announced in the coming weeks.
“Each year, the Recording Academy has the distinct privilege of celebrating music industry giants who have greatly contributed to our cultural heritage,” said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of the Recording Academy. “This year, we have a gifted and brilliant group of honorees and their exceptional accomplishments, contributions, and artistry will continue to influence and inspire generations to come.”
The Lifetime Achievement Award celebrates performers who have made outstanding contributions of artistic significance to the field of recording, while the Trustees Award honors such contributions in areas other than performance. The Recording Academy’s National Board of Trustees determines the honorees of both awards. Technical GRAMMY Award recipients are voted on by the Academy’s Producers & Engineers Wing Advisory Council and Chapter Committees and are ratified by the Academy’s Trustees. The award is presented to individuals and companies who have made contributions of outstanding technical significance to the recording industry.
Other honorees of The Lifetime Achievement Award are Black Sabbath, George Clinton & Parliament-Funkadelic, Billy Eckstine, Donny Hathaway, Julio Iglesias, and Dionne Warwick. Lou Adler, Ashford & Simpson, and Johnny Mandel are Trustees Award honorees, and Saul Walker is the Technical GRAMMY Award recipient.
The first 20-plus years of Sam Moore’s sensational career began by lending his unmistakable lead vocals to soul duo Sam & Dave. The 1967 smash hit “Soul Man,” catapulted the duo’s career up the Pop and R&B Charts, selling more than 10 million records worldwide and ultimately an induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Moore also scored critical acclaim and numerous awards as a solo artist for more than 35 years, performing at some of the world’s most iconic and notable venues, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, The Hollywood Bowl, The Ryman Auditorium, The Grand Ole Opry, Royal Albert Hall, Nippon Budokan, The John F. Kennedy Center, The White House, Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument. Moore has recently joined Florida International University (FIU) as an Artist in Residence for their Center of Humanities to build a program around the artist histories that shaped our culture through music.
