Real R&B Heats Up The Grammy® Awards

PRLog (Press Release) - Jan. 12, 2010 - This year’s Grammy® Awards will turn up the heat in an often overlooked category – Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance.  Thought by many to be the Grammy® Graveyard for old-school R&B artists, this year the arena gains a spotlight as Beyonce goes toe to toe with artists who’s true vocal prowess is driving a resurgence in classic R&B.  Multiple Grammy® nominees Ann Nesby, Calvin Richardson, and Anthony Hamilton have been creating new fans for classic R&B sounds over the last decade with the critical acclaim, if not the mega-sales to back it up.

Beyonce jumps into the Traditional R&B Ring with a rendition of “At Last” from her appearance as Blues singer Etta James in the movie Cadillac Records. While fans of Bey will cheer if “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”  gets the statue that Kanye West and others feel she rightly deserves – it’s her bout with artists known for their Traditional R&B sound that will indicate for many if she’s got true stamina in the ring.

Ann Nesby, who won two Grammy® Awards with Sounds of Blackness, returns to the ring as a Nominee with a performance of “Sow Love” from her Inspirational CD The Lula Lee Project(It’s Time Child / Tyscott). Nesby, a chart topping R&B and Gospel powerhouse who appeared alongside Beyonce in the film The Fighting Temptations, has been nominated six times during her solo career including a duet with Al Green.

Calvin Richardson – The Soul Prince is having a banner year with his tribute to Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame legend Bobby Womack Facts of Life; The Soul of Bobby Womack (Numo/Shanachie). Richardson dukes it out with his reading of the Womack chestnut “Woman Gotta Have It.” In addition to his solo bout, he’s tag teaming with Ann Nesby in the Best R&B Duo or Group contest with their rendition of the Womack/LaBelle duet – “Love Has Finally Come At Last.”  In a nod to the close-knit yet still competitive world of R&B, Facts of Life was Executive Produced by Nesby’s husband and Manager Timothy Lee, and features live performances from her touring band.

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