Hutchinson News
February 26, 1981
NEW YORK (UPI) – Christopher Cross, who calls himself “the new kid on the block” in the music business, swept the top honors Wednesday night in the Grammy Awards, the record industry’s equivalent of Hollywood’s Oscars.
The Texas-born Cross walked away with five major Grammys at a gala presentation at Radio City Music Hall, beating out hometown favorites Frank Sinatra and Barbra Streisand.
“I’m the new kid on the block,” Cross jubilantly told reporters backstage at the 23rd Annual Grammy Award ceremony.
The bearded, rotund protege of the Doobie Brothers pop-rock group was voted by his peers the winner of awards for best record of the year, best album of the year, best song of the year, best new artist of the year and best instrumental arranger – all for work on his debut album featuring the hit single “Sailing.”
Cross’s sweep of the awards left Miss Streisand with only one award – co-winner with Barry Gibb of best pop vocal performance for a duo for “Guilty.” Sinatra, who failed to attend, did not win in any of three categories for which he was nominated.
Kenny Loggins and Bette Midler captured best pop vocalist honors.
Loggins won for the hit single “This Is It” and Miss Midler received her pop vocalist award for “The Rose.”
Loggins bounded onstage to accept his award at Radio City Music Hall, but Miss Midler was a no-show at the Grammy’s 23rd annual ceremony, covering 59 categories. .
The host of the show was nine-time Grammy winner Paul Simon, who lost in the two categories in which he was nominated.
Other candidates in some of the event’s most important categories were such diverse artists as Kenny Rogers, Billy Joel, Pink Floyd, Donna Summer, Olivia Newton-John and Christopher Cross.
