On the Grammy's last sunday, Sir Mick Jagger sang a tribute to the late Solomon Burke. When I was watching this, the only thing that struck me was the fact it was the first time Mick Jagger had ever performed on the Grammy stage, but DocOc brought up another side to this that intrigued me. He found it interesting that the man paying tribute to this great African-American artist was a British white man. But to me, this wasn't strange. Although the Rolling Stones are a british based band, everything from their sound to even their name are deeply rooted in American soul and rock. Their band name came from a Muddy Waters song, and they've been so heavily influenced by American blues and rock, I feel that Mick Jagger was a great person to pay tribute to Solomon Burke.
I do see how a white man paying tribute to a black man can seem to be making the world more vanilla but I think that the Grammy Academy made a good decision to enlist the help of Mick Jagger. Many people who watched the Grammy's this year had no idea what Lady Gaga was wearing let alone who Solomon Burke was, and by having one of the biggest rock stars from one of the greatest bands of all time introduce his music to a new generation of fans (who sorely need it may I add), then it is their responsibility to share this mans talent. If it has to be through a brit, then so be it. Any vehicle to help a man continue to give his greatest gift seems worth it to me, black or white.
I completely agree. I think Sir Mick Jagger was a perfect choice to sing the tribute song to Solomon Burke. As you mentioned it was Mick Jagger's first time appearing on the Grammys which sheds even more light on the importance of Solomon Burke and his lifelong dedication to music. Not to mention Mick Jagger was what I would argue one of the best performances of the night. 67 and going strong!
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