Los Angeles – The Dixie Chicks completed a defiant comeback Sunday night, winning five Grammy awards after being shunned by the country- music establishment over the group’s anti-President Bush comments leading up to the Iraq invasion.
The Texas trio won record and song of the year for the no- regrets anthem “Not Ready to Make Nice.” It also won best country album, ironic considering they don’t consider themselves country artists anymore.
“I’m ready to make nice!” lead singer Natalie Maines exclaimed as the group accepted the award for album of the year. “I think people are using their freedom of speech with all these awards. We get the message.”
Mary J. Blige’s comeback also was richly rewarded: She received three trophies for her double-platinum album “The Breakthrough.”
The Red Hot Chili Peppers won four for their double-disc “Stadium Arcadium.”
The Dixie Chicks won in every category in which they were nominated. With “Taking the Long Way,” the women relied on producer Rick Rubin’s guidance for an album that was more rock and less country. (Rubin, who also produced “Stadium Arcadium,” was honored as producer of the year.)
All the trophies collected by the Dixie Chicks, Blige and the Chili Peppers contributed to the evening’s old-school feel.
The show often derided as the Grannys embraced its baby- boomer status in its 49th year. Maybe the Recording Academy was trying to relive the industry’s glory years – 2006 saw a sharp downturn in record sales, a decline that seems to grow each year as fans flock to the Internet and even ringtones to experience their tunes.
The Grammys tried to tap that technology with its “My Grammy Moment” contest, in which three unknown singers vied for the chance to perform on stage with Justin Timberlake. Viewers determined the winner by voting on the Internet and text messaging, but the winner’s performance was forgettable.
The “Moment” also incorporated a bit of “American Idol” into the telecast. Last year, the Fox talent contest crushed the Grammys head-to-head on a Wednesday night. So it was no surprise when the Grammys returned to Sunday this year.
Though the show featured relatively new stars such as John Mayer, John Legend and Corinne Bailey Rae, it relied heavily on the classics. Nominee Lionel Richie sang his ’80s hit “Hello” and Smokey Robinson sang the Motown classic “The Tracks of My Tears” in a tribute to R&B. The Police, who split in 1984, reunited to start the show with “Roxanne.”
Blige was the overall nominations leader with eight. She won best R&B album for “The Breakthrough,” her double-platinum triumph, plus best female R&B performance and R&B song for “Be Without You.”
A tearful Blige said her album “has not only shown that I am a musician and an artist and a writer, it also shows I am growing into a better human being.”
Grammy winners
Winners in major categories at the 49th annual Grammy Awards:
Album of the Year: “Taking the Long Way,” Dixie Chicks
Record of the Year: “Not Ready to Make Nice,” Dixie Chicks
Song of the Year: “Not Ready to Make Nice,” Martie Maguire, Nat alie Maines, Emily Robison and Dan Wilson (Dixie Chicks)
New Artist: Carrie Underwood
Pop Vocal Album: “Continuum,” John Mayer
Rock Album: “Stadium Arcadium,” Red Hot Chili Peppers
R&B Album: “The Breakthrough,” Mary J. Blige
Rap Album: “Release Therapy,” Ludacris
Country Album: “Taking the Long Way,” Dixie Chicks
Latin Pop Album (tie): “Adentro,” Arjona; “Limon Y Sal,” Julieta Venegas
Contemporary Jazz Album: “The Hidden Land,” Bela Fleck and the Flecktones
Classical Album: “Mahler: Symphony No. 7,” Michael Tilson Thom as, conductor; Andreas Neubronner, producer (San Francisco Symphony)
