Cynthia Erivo, Ben Platt, Leslie Odom Jr. and Rachel Zegler paid tribute to Stephen Sondheim and other music icons we’ve lost with a moving medley during the Grammys in-memoriam tribute.
Stephen Sondheim was one of many music icons who have been lost over the past year, and to honor him and many of the industry’s greats who have passed away, Leslie Odom Jr., Rachel Zegler, Ben Platt, and Cynthia Erivo sang a beautiful medley of his songs ‘Not A Day Goes By’, ‘Send in the Clowns’ and ‘Somewhere’ as photos of those who have died in the past year were shown on screen, including Ronnie Spector, Charlie Watts, and much more.
As Foo Fighters’ “My Hero” faded, Ben took the stage with a soulful version of “Not A Day Goes By”, before Cynthia began “Send in the Clowns”, while Leslie harmonized with covers of the first song. Rachel joined the pair on stage to deliver the melody for “Somewhere.” The performance culminated with the four on stage with heartbreaking harmony on “Somewhere.”
Rachel and Cynthia stunned by the beautiful tribute. (Chris Pizzello/AP/Shutterstock)
Each year, the Recording Academy pays tribute to musicians and music industry personalities who have died during the past year. At the 64th Annual Grammy Awards, beloved musicians like the dusty hillBetty Davis, and DMX received tributes during the “In Memoriam” segment.
Watching the segment was a tribute to the Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins. The “Everlong” rockers were scheduled to perform on the show, but they canceled their tour dates, including the Grammys performance. Instead of the band taking the stage, a Taylor tribute performance was included as part of the evening.
The four singers came together for a tearful tribute at the end of the medley. (Chris Pizzello/AP/Shutterstock)
Occasionally, the Grammys receive complaints about stars who have been excluded from the annual tribute. For example, in 2021, fans were upset to see that Joy actress naya rivera was omitted from the tribute. Before the big show, the Grammys executive producer Ben Winston revealed that the Recording Academy is starting with around 800 names before deciding which numbers will be included in the broadcast segment, per Billboard. Those left out can be found both on the Grammy’s website and in the brochure handed out at the show. Typically, it can contain between 50 and 65 late-in-segment stars.
