Lady Gaga's tribute to David Bowie: How did it go?
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Molly Driscoll Staff writer
Lady Gaga took the Grammys stage at the 2016 ceremony to perform a tribute to singer David Bowie.
Gaga鈥檚 performance included the songs 鈥淪pace Oddity,鈥� 鈥淐hanges,鈥� and 鈥淗eroes.鈥� In addition, worn by Bowie on the cover of the album 鈥淎laddin Sane鈥� and project images such as an astronaut behind her, among other feats.聽
The singer has received mostly positive reviews for her tribute to the 鈥淶iggy Stardust鈥� singer.聽
called the performance 鈥渁stonishing,鈥� while wrote that the segment was 鈥済immicky but heartfelt鈥� it reminded viewers/listeners of why Bowie鈥檚 music will continue to resonate for a long time to come.鈥� wrote, 鈥淭here was perhaps no better modern pop star to pay tribute to David Bowie than Lady Gaga, as her performance at the 2016 Grammys proved.鈥�
However, not everyone enjoyed the segment, with calling it 鈥渉eartfelt but rushed鈥� The result felt more like Las Vegas dinner theater revue than a solemn yet joyful shout-out to one of rock's biggest icons.鈥�
Many writers have discussed Bowie鈥檚 continuing influence on the music industry, including Burr, who wrote, 鈥淭he pop star who made a career plan out of the ongoing shedding of his celebrity skin has many, many heirs鈥� The singer born David Jones took his cues from various sources 鈥� Warhol and Dylan, mostly 鈥� and gave them a series of fresh twists... One of those twists was conscious theatricality鈥� Another strand, less talked about but just as influential, was Bowie鈥檚 ambition鈥� There鈥檚 a third aspect of Bowie鈥檚 legacy, too: vulnerability.鈥澛�
Artists at the Grammys ceremony honored other musicians as well, including the recently deceased Glenn Frey of the Eagles, Maurice White of Earth, Wind & Fire, and B.B. King. Lionel Richie was also present for a segment honoring his music.
wrote of the effect White's group Earth, Wind & Fire had on music, "[They were] the biggest funk band of all time...聽While the singles stressed their pop side, the albums revealed a band of superlative jazz players, capable of switching from folk to doo-wop to Latin,聽and who couched everything in the argot of funk. It's little wonder they influenced other musicians: there can't have been many bands who ever truly enjoyed EWF's level of creative freedom."
