Winnipeg Free Press
Cross dominates Grammy Awards with four prizes
Thursday, February 26, 1981
NEW YORK (AP) – Christopher Cross, a 29-year-old pop-rock singer, gui t a r i st and songwriter who recorded his f i r st a l b um last year, domina t ed the 23rd a n n u al
G r a m my A w a r ds last n i g h t– w i n n i ng t he t op four prizes: best new a r t i s t, record, song and a l b um of the year.
And Anne Mu r r a y, with her single, Could I Have This Dance?, won the awa rd as best fema le country vocal performer. She won a Juno award in the same category in Toronto Feb. 5.
The chubby, goateed Cross, whose r e al n a me is C h r i s t o p h er Ge p p e r t, bounded repeatedly to the stage of Ma n h a t t a n ‘s Radio City Musical Ha ll to accept his awards – and also sang his hit single, Sailing – as the record indus t ry honored its best at the star-studded, na t iona l ly- t e l evi s ed ceremony.
Cross, who was bom in San An t o n i o, Tex., where his f a t h er is a doctor and his mother a nurse, recorded his debut a l b u m, Chr i s topher Cross, w i th a sixman band that also bears his name.
Wrote his own song
S a i l i ng was honored as both best song and best record. Cross was the only singer nominated for record of the year who wrote his own song.
“I t h i nk it’s the one I wanted most of a l l ,” Cross said.
George Jones, w i th his single, He Stopped Loving Her Today, won the award as best ma le country vocalist. Roy Orbison and Emmy l ou Ha r r is won the award for best country performance by a duo or group w i th vocal for t h e ir s ingl e, That Lovin’ You Feelin’
Aga in.
B i l ly Joel was best male rock vocal pe r former for his a l b u m, Glass Houses. The award for f ema le rock vocal performer went to Pat Benatar for her a lbum, Crimes of Passion.
Bob Seger and the Silver Bul l et B a nd won the award as best rock group for the a l b um, Against the W i n d.
Bette Midler was named best f emale pop vocal performer for The Rose, from the movie of the same name.
Male pop vocal honors went to Kenny Loggins for This is It, a track from Al ive.
Biggest ovation
Barbra Streisand and Bee Gee Barry Gibb – who won the biggest ovation of the night when they appeared to* present an award – were chosen best pop vocal performers in a duo for their hit single, Gu i l t y.
Paul Simon –a loser in the pop vocal category – was the show’s host.
The Na t i o n al Academy of Recording Ar t i s t s, whi ch sponsors the Grammys, gave special Trustees Awa rds to Aaron Copland, the 80-year-old composer, and Count Basie, the 76-year-old jazz bandleader. In t he classical f i e l d, t he f i r st complete recording of Al b an Berg’s modern opera, L u l u, won in three categories, and so did vi r tuoso viol ini st I t z h ak Perlman.
George Benson, the j a zz gui t a r i st and singer, was also a t r iple wi n n e r, for best ma le rhythm and blues performance, best i n s t r ume n t al r h y t hm and blues performance and best jazz vocal performance, all for his album, Give Me the Night.
John Wi l l i ams, conductor of the Boston Pops, was a double winner for his movie score for the Star Wars sequel, The Empi re Strikes Back.
Evita, a hit Broadway musical about the w i fe of Argentine dictator J u an Peron, was awarded the prize as best cast show a l b um.
