Mariah Carey won’t be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame next month, despite being on the ballot twice already, but another award awaits her. Continuing an annual tradition that has honored everyone from Joni Mitchell, Stevie Wonder, and the Grateful Dead to opera singer Luciano Pavarotti and the late Quincy Jones, Carey has been announced as the recipient of next year’s MusiCares Person of the Year award.
Scheduled for Jan. 30 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, the ceremony will honor the singer who, in the words of MusiCares executive director Theresa Woltres, “exemplifies the values at the heart of MusiCares: creating systems of care that lift people up and ensure music professionals and communities can thrive.” Past honorees have included Sting, Lionel Richie, Neil Young, Bonnie Raitt, Elton John, and Tom Petty. In an unusual coincidence, the first MusiCares ceremony, which honored the late David Crosby in 1991, was held the same week Carey won three Grammys off her debut album.
In a statement, Recording Academy and MusiCares CEO Harvey Mason jr. said, “We are honored to recognize Mariah Carey as this year’s MusiCares Person of the Year, a true creative force and once-in-a-generation talent. Her artistry and her voice have helped shape the sound of our times. We look forward to celebrating her remarkable career on this very special night.”
The ceremony will take place two days before the 68th annual Grammy Awards. Single tickets start at $3,000, and range up to a three-table package, with 36 seats, for $225,000. As the organization’s main benefit gala, the event raises funds for disaster relief, addiction assistance, and other services for those in the music business. Carey herself has her share of philanthropic projects including Camp Mariah, which helps underprivileged children.
Carey, of course, continues to record and play shows; she recently released her latest record, Here for It All. In a revealing 2022 interview on Rolling Stone Music Now podcast, Carey discussed an in-the-works series about her life story, for which she would prefer herself, not an actress, to handle the singing parts. “Well, that’s a thing,” Carey said. “It is a thing! I really care more about the acting than the person being a singer. It really does matter that the actress nails that part. I’ve done my vocals, and I can redo any of my vocals at this point. It’s gonna be an interesting task also because the person being ambiguous, looking and being of mixed race, is gonna be important to me.”
From Rolling Stone US
Love Music?
Get your daily dose of everything happening in Australian/New Zealand music and globally.
