Finally, a political cause worth supporting!
A new petition was introduced on February 10th, urging the Obama administration to nominate the Grateful Dead for The Kennedy Center Honors in 2015. The award is given to a musical artist for a lifetime achievement in the performing arts, and has been awarded to practically everybody one would expect. The 2013 honorees included Martina Arroyo, Herbie Hancock, Billy Joel, Shirley MacLaine, and Carlos Santana.
The text of the petition cites the band’s widespread musical influences, their devotion to live performances, and the band’s 50th anniversary. Here it is:
“The band was the first of its kind whose musical style was drawn upon the influences of not one musical genre but many including, but not limited to, country, blues, jazz, rock, bluegrass, improvisational, folk, psychedelic, reggae and just about every other form of music heard around the world. This newly created musical tapestry became so passionately enjoyed by so many it ultimately led to over 2,300 concerts experienced in nearly every state in the Union in their 30 year existence and included over 500 different songs performed at least once in a live setting. Only in America could a group of individuals from diverse backgrounds come together and create their own style/sound that bettered the world of music and left their own fiercely unique imprint on our nation’s proud history.”
You can add to the 3,000-or-so signatures by following this petitions.whitehouse.gov link. The petition aims for 100,000 signatures by March 12th.
-David Melamed (@Dmelamz)