While Sunday’s 67th Grammy Awards were packed with live performances by some of the biggest names in music—many of whom were up for prestigious honors themselves—one name on the program was particularly unexpected: 18-year-old guitarist Grace Bowers, who joined Coldplay frontman Chris Martin as a featured guest during the broadcast’s customary “In Memoriam” segment.
Bowers, the Nashville rock guitar sensation, got her start as a self-described “bedroom guitarist” during COVID, then started taking whatever gigs she could in Nashville as things reopened. In the time since she has rapidly made a name for herself on the live music circuit both at home and abroad. In addition to regular touring with her own outfit, Grace Bowers & The Hodge Podge, the teenage musician recently released her debut album, Wine on Venus, made a number of late-night TV appearances, and performed with everyone from Tyler Childers to Dolly Parton to Lainey Wilson and beyond.
Among the influential music figures with whom she has connected is veteran pop/R&B songwriter and producer Jimmy Jam—which is where Grace’s Grammys story begins. As Bowers explained during a red carpet interview with TODAY, she had no idea she would be playing the Grammys with Chris Martin until the week of the ceremony. “Three days ago, I got a text from Jimmy Jam … and he’s like, ‘This artist needs a guitar player for a show.’ And I’m like, ‘I’m down for it but what show is it?’ And he responds with, ‘The Grammys.'”
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Smiling as she recalled the surreal exchange, she continued, “Then a day after that Chris [Martin] FaceTimed me and was like, ‘Just let me know if you want to do it or not.’ I was like, quickest ‘yes’ I’ve ever said. … It’s insane, and he’s the nicest guy I’ve ever met, too. And just like hearing him play piano the way he does, it’s kind of magical.”
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Bowers surely added to that magic during the Grammy Awards In Memoriam performance. Backed by a string quartet, Chris Martin soundtracked the tribute to those the music world lost in the past year with an emotional rendition of Coldplay’s “All My Love”, one of the singles from the band’s 2024 release, Moon Music. As the screens behind them cycled through images of departed legends—from Liam Payne to Phil Lesh to Garth Hudson to Quincy Jones to Dickey Betts to Rich Homie Quan to Frankie Beverly, Kris Kristofferson, Toby Keith, DJ Clark Kent, Tito Jackson, Sandra Crouch, and more—Grace Bowers tastefully danced around Martin’s melody on her Gibson SG before chipping in a moving solo toward the song’s conclusion. [Side note: If you thought that was beautiful, check out the official video for the track featuring Martin’s beloved neighbor, 99-year-old entertainment icon Dick Van Dyke. Make sure you have a box of tissues within reach before you hit play.]
It seems Grace Bowers made the most of her unexpected experience at the Grammys. In addition to her performance and red carpet interviews, the young guitarist posted photos of her hanging with stars like Taylor Swift during the festivities.
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Grace Bowers will continue to ride the momentum of her big 2024 and her 2025 Grammys performance with a busy schedule of shows in the coming months including stretches of tour dates opening for modern blues-rock star Gary Clark Jr. and 12-piece juggernaut Tedeschi Trucks Band as well as slots at various high-profile festivals including Tempe, AZ’s Innings Festival, Atlanta, GA’s SweetWater 420 Fest, Ulster County, NY’s Mountain Jam, and Minneapolis, MN’s Minnesota Yacht Club. Find a full list of upcoming Grace Bowers concerts here.
Below, watch the full video of the In Memoriam segment featuring Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Grace Bowers, and more, and check out a selection of photos and videos from Grace’s big night at the Grammys.
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GRACE BOWERS Red Carpet Interview | 2025 GRAMMYs