The Smiley Smile Message Board

Talk about missed opportunities...  Soon as I heard about Sir Paul being honored with this award, I thought of what good fortune this was for Brian to reach a large, otherwise unaware potential audience!  And the broadcast of this show is July 28th, right around the corner from his release date...
Alas, caught a clip from it this morning, and there was Stevie Wonder, Elvis Costello, Herbie Hancock...  there was Jerry Seinfeld(???), rocking out alongside McCartney, singing "Hey Jude", but no Brian???  I know I've seen he's been playing some shows now, and maybe he had a schedule conflict, but come on - how could 'they' not have seen what a golden opportunity this could have been?

Obviously a senior management decision taken for reasons that we wouldn't understand!   :lol :lol

Perhaps he wasn't invited?

Simple question - had anyone here even heard of the Gershwin Award before it was awarded to Macca ? I hadn't.

I had n't heard of it either.

It's fairly new. It was given to Paul Simon and then Stevie Wonder previously. Brian should be a shoo-in for a future Gershwin award, if they remember he exists.

Yes, I've heard of the Gershwin Award. I'm a little surprised that McCartney got it ahead of Brian (not that Sir Paul isn't worthy -- of course he is). I just figured it's Brian's time -- at the very least, he should be the next recipient, with his Gershwin album coming out this year.

Seems odd that McCartney of all people gets this award, in the same year Brian releases songs the Gershwin family asked him to finish.

It seems odd that Paul McCartney (of all people? wtf) was selected for this award?  What does that mean?  You don't think he's had somewhat of an impact on popular music? 

This from Wiki: The Gershwin Prize was created and first awarded by the Library of Congress in 2007 under the leadership of Librarian of Congress James H. Billington to recognize "the profound and positive effect of popular music on the world’s culture" as part of the Library's mission to recognize and celebrate creativity. The recipient of the Gershwin Prize is said to: "exemplify the standard of excellence associated with the Gershwins." In selecting the recipient, the Librarian of Congress works with staff of the Library's Music Division as well as the broader music community.

As for Brian, yeah, he is deserving of the award, and as Amy B. and others have said, he'll likely be given the prize in the future.   

Since when does the award go to a non-American? Or I should say, why should it?

Heard of it?
Sure, I saw the Simon and Wonder award programs on PBS (Public television in the USA).
The McCartney program is set to air on PBS in July.
Would LOVE to see Brian get it next.

Why shouldn't it?

Agreed, and seems quite logical he very well may.  However, with McCartney's show set to air in July, my original point was that there couldn't have/wouldn't have been a better vehicle to expose Brian's Gershwin album right before it's release than this show.

Isn't giving the Gershwin award to Macca somwhat similar to knighting an American?

Based on the previously posted description, no.I don't see anything about being an American. It looks like it's an award given by an American institution to musicians. And musicians happen to exist around the world. Not like knighting an American, I'd say it's more like a non-team sport version of the NBA champions having some non-American players (i.e. Pau Gasol and Sasha Vujacic in a couple of weeks).

Sounds like Blueboard talk to me - "Brian should have the award because... because... because he's BRIAN !!"  The Gershwin prize isn't voted for from a list of nominees - it's awarded. Plus, I don't think the awarding committee would be likely to award it to anyone because it would be a nice promo for their current album. Payola, anyone ? Further, I'm sure that when the selection process was initiated, they didn't know that Brian would have an album out this summer. That the albun and prize share the same name is a big coincidence, but just that: coincidence.

I think Ed's idea was that Brian would have been a good guest (Stevie Wonder & Elvis Costello were there) at the McCartney award.  There were several other musicians there to take part in the concert, and Brian could have played something from the new record.  That being said, this was an occasion to honor McCartney, so Brian playing a song from his new album wouldn't make sense.

I like your prediction of how this series will go...but those guys don't need to wait a couple weeks, they are NBA champions now.

As a Minnesotan I'll always have a soft spot for Kevin Garnett, but it's really unlikely to even be close. I'm shocked Boston made it this far. Rondo will give the Lakers fits, but otherwise, no contest.

I feel like Brian Wilson has such legendary status he could probably show up to the Gershwin Award Ceremony in sweats and a T-shirt and still be invited in and ushered to a seat in the front row. Don't award ceremonies always like to have as many big names on the bill as they can fit?

The award event took place at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.  In recent months it's become MUCH harder to crash parties there, and it hasn't been easy to crash in the past. The US Secret Service has tightened things up  a lot (they say).

If it was hard (and in the event debilitating) to get into a radio station to give an exclusive premier of H&V 40 some years ago, imagine trying to get into the White House in 2010.

Don't know...  probably has to do with the Laker's, (and their being introduced into this thread), and being so po'd re: their loss tonite, but I crawled into bed after their loss, (sorry if you don't know what the F*** I'm talking about, over in 'football' land...), and heard talk radio discussing Michele Obama's attire at the McCartney function the other nite.  Came into my office, and found this:  Paul McCartney Makes Fun Of George W. Bush, Praises Obama At White House Concert   http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/02/paul-mccartney-makes-fun_n_598650.html

Looks like some posts were cut out of this thread-can you say censorship? :o

This will give you more of an idea of what the prize is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuPXpKPh4Uw

Notice Paul's kids sitting in the second row.

A bit too hasty in your conclusion, oldsurferdude... 
 
Part of the discussion went politic (= not on-topic)... hence the idea of cutting the discussion in 2 pieces. The part you thought wasn't censored, but moved to the Sandbox: http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,8814.0.html

Paul McCartney's music transcends the boundaries of England and long ago made quite an impression in America, I have no problem with him getting an 'american' award. 

Not quite how things have turned out, eh Luther? It certainly is close, at the very least. May the best team win. :)

It's not over til Glen Davis sings. But yes, it's certainly closer than I thought it would be. The Lakers have no answer for Rondo.

Big Baby belting out a ballad? That would be worth the price of admission. :-D