Grammys 2022: Artists We Lost

The Music awards show is tonight, so let's remember the artists who could not be here.

Photo: Getty Images Michael Ochs Archives

The 64th Annual Grammy Awards is finally here, but there are many Black artists we’ve lost in the past few decades who could not grace this year’s Red Carpet. Each of them influenced our current nominees in some way.

Video will return here when scrolled back into view
Trump’s Tariffs Might Stick Around. What Should We Buy Now?
Trump’s Tariffs Might Stick Around. What Should We Buy Now?

Ella Fitzgerald opened the door first, winning both of her nominations at the first ever Grammy Awards ceremony. Not every Black artist following Fitzgerald got to take home the gold, shiny record player. However, we remember their influence and contributions to American music and culture as a whole.

Sidney Poitier (1927-2022)

Photo: Getty Images Archive Photos

Poitier won the award for Best Spoken Word Album in the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards and was nominated for Best Spoken Word Album (Includes, Poetry, Audio Books & Story Telling) in the 51st Annual Grammy Awards.

James Mtume (1946-2022)

Photo: Getty Images Archive Photos

Mtume was nominated for Best Rhythm & Blues song for “Never Knew Love Like This Before” in the 23rd Annual Grammy Awards and won.

Betty Davis (1944-2022)

Photo: Getty Images Fin Costello

Though Davis did not receive a Grammy nomination, she was noted on the Grammy website to have inspired Grammy award-winning artists such as Prince, Erykah Badu and Janelle Monáe.

Little Richard (1932-2020)

Photo: Getty Images Archive Photos

Richard was not a Grammy nominee. However, he is remembered for reminding the audience of the 30th Annual Grammys that he was “architect of Rock n Roll” and influenced the many of the artists who were nominated that night.

DMX (1970-2021)

Photo: Getty Images KMazur

Earl Simmons, known as DMX, was nominated for four Grammy Awards in the 43rd, 44th and 64th Annual Grammy Awards. His last nomination was for Best Rap Song with “Bath Salts.”

Charley Pride (1934-2020)

Photo: Getty Images Bettmann

Pride won three Grammy awards and landed 13 nominations. Pride had been nominated since the 9th Annual Grammy Awards, dominating the Country/Western Vocal Performance category.

Malik Abdul Basit (1972-2020)

Photo: AP James Johnson

Malik B., founder of the Roots, won one of his two Grammy nominations. His win was for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for “You Got Me” featuring Erykah Badu.

McCoy Tyner (1938-2020)

Photo: Getty Images Keystone, Dominic Favre

Tyner landed 12 Grammy nominations and won five awards. His last win was at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group.

Diahann Carroll (1935-2019)

Photo: Getty Images Anthony Barboza

Carroll was nominated twice, once for Best Solo Vocal Performance, Female in 5th Annual Grammy Awards and once for Best Recording for Children in 8th Annual ceremony.

Nipsey Hussle (1985-2019)

Photo: Getty Images Steve Granitz

Hussle was nominated for five Grammy awards and won two for Best Rap Performance with “Deep Reverence” and Best Rap/Sung Performance with “Higher” in the 62nd annual awards.

Lashawn Daniels (1977-2019)

Photo: Getty Images Lester Cohen

Daniels won one Grammy award and landed nine nominations in the Gospel categories. His last win was for Best Gospel Performance/Song with “Come Together.”

Toni Morrison (1931-2019)

Photo: Getty Images Newsday LLC

Morrison was Grammy nominated for Best Spoken Word Album with “Beloved” and Best Spoken Word album for Children with “Who’s Got Game? The Ant or The Grasshopper? The Lion Or The House? Poppy Or The Snake?”

Art Neville (1937-2019)

Photo: Getty Images Skip Bolen

Neville won two Grammy awards out of four nominations spanning across the R&B, Rock and Pop categories. His last win was for Best Traditional R&b Vocal Performance with “Valence Street,” the album.

Melvin Edmonds (1954-2019)

Photo: Getty Images Raymond Boyd

Edmonds, brother of Babyface, was nominated for two Grammy awards including Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group and Best Short Form Music Video.

Kofi Burbridge (1961-2019)

Photo: AP Rick Scuteri

Burbridge received two Grammy nominations and won both in the Best Blues Album and Best Contemporary Blues Album categories.

Aretha Franklin (1954-2018)

Photo: Getty Images Michael Ochs Archives / Stringer

Franklin won 18 Grammy awards and landed 44 nominations dating all the way back to the 10th Annual Grammy Awards. Her last win was for Best R&B Performance By a Duo or Group with Vocals with “You’ve Got A Friend” at the 53rd annual ceremony.

Prince (1958-2016)

Photo: Getty Images Richard Hartog

Prince won seven awards out of his 38 Grammy nominations. He won Best Album Of Original Score Written For A Motion Picture Or A Television Special and Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal for “Purple Rain.”

Natalie Cole (1950-2015)

Photo: Getty Images Robin Platzer

Cole won nine Grammy Awards and landed 21 nominations. Her last win was for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for “Still Unforgettable.”

Whitney Houston (1963-2012)

Photo: Getty Images Bettmann

Houston won six Grammy awards and landed 25 nominations. Her last win for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for “It’s Not Right But It’s Okay.”

Etta James (1938-2012)

Photo: Getty Images House Of Fame LLC

James was nominated 17 times and won three Grammy awards. Her last win was for Best Traditional Blues with “Blues To The Bone” at the 47th Annual Grammy awards.

Donna Summer (1948-2012)

Photo: Getty Images Paul Natkin

Summer landed 18 Grammy nominations and took home five awards, three of which she won back-to-back. Her last win was for Best Dance Recording with “Carry On” at the 40th annual ceremony.

Michael Jackson (1958-2009)

Photo: Getty Images John Barr/Liason

Jackson won 13 Grammy awards and landed 38 nominations from the 13th Annual Grammy Awards all the way to the 53rd annual ceremony where he landed a posthumous nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance with “This is It.”

James Brown (1933-2006)

Photo: Getty Images Michael Ochs Archives

Brown landed eight Grammy nominations and won three awards in the 8th, 29th and 34th Annual Grammy Awards. Brown’s last win in the 34th annual ceremony was for Best Album Notes with “Star Time.”

Luther Vandross (1951-2005)

Photo: Getty Images Image Press

Vandross landed 33 Grammy nominations, 12 of them back-to-back and won eight awards in the R&B categories.

Ray Charles (1930-2004)

Photo: Getty Images David Redfern

Charles won 17 Grammy Awards and landed 37 nominations dating all the way back to the 3rd Annual Grammy Awards. His last win was at the 47th annual ceremony for Record of the Yea with “Here We Go again.”

Aaliyah (1979-2001)

Photo: Getty Images Jeffrey Mayer

Aaliyah Haughton was nominated for five Grammy awards, landing each nomination nearly one year after the other. Her last nomination was for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for “More Than A Woman.”

Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996)

Photo: Getty Images Tony Evans/Timelapse Library Ltd.

Fitzgerald won 13 Grammy awards of her 20 nominations dating back to the first ever Annual Grammy Awards ceremony where she took home two awards for the Best Jazz Performance and Best Female Vocal Performance categories.

Nat King Cole (1919-1965)

Photo: Getty Images Smith Collection/Gado

Cole won Best Performance by a Top ‘40' Artist in the 2nd Annual Grammy Awards and landed seven nominations overall.

Billie Holiday (1930-1959)

Photo: Getty Images William Gottlieb

Holiday was nominated for Best Female Solo Vocal Performance in the 4th Annual Grammy Awards and Best Spoken Word Recording in the 16th Annual Grammys.

Straight From The Root

Sign up for our free daily newsletter.

Latest from The Root

Have You Heard of The Tragic Story of Phyllis Hyman, a Beautiful, Soulful Singer Derailed By Her Own Demons?

Have You Heard of The Tragic Story of Phyllis Hyman, a Beautiful, Soulful Singer Derailed By Her Own Demons?

The soulful singer, known for hits like "Living All Alone and "You Know How to Love Me" died on June 30, 1995, just days before her 46th birthday ...
13 Ways Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' Will Impact Black Americans

13 Ways Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Will Impact Black Americans

With its hidden provisions and bold attacks to Medicaid and Pell Grant recipients, here's everything you need to know before it's way too late ...

The Real Tea Behind Tina Knowles, Mathew Divorce

The Real Tea Behind Tina Knowles, Mathew Divorce

While it's been nearly 15 years since the couple ended their marriage, we now have a good clue as to what exactly caused its dissolution ...
Suge Knight Claims Tupac's Mother Made This Shocking Move in His Final Moments

Suge Knight Claims Tupac’s Mother Made This Shocking Move in His Final Moments

Knight's latest claim follows a series of confessions that might be tough to beliieve for a lot of folks ...
Spoilers: Black TikTok Has Theories on Whether Taraji's Daughter in 'Straw'

Spoilers: Black TikTok Has Theories on Whether Taraji’s Daughter in ‘Straw’

A very interesting theory about the major plot twist of the film is now being widely dissected and we've just got to discuss it! ...
The Unbelievable Reasons Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Got off to a Rocky Start

The Unbelievable Reasons Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Got off to a Rocky Start

So far, the jury has sent five different notes to the judge, suggesting jury deliberation in this case will be tedious and difficult ...
The Gruesome Truth Behind the Death Of a 7-Year-Old Florida Girl Found Unresponsive in Her Home

The Gruesome Truth Behind the Death Of a 7-Year-Old Florida Girl Found Unresponsive in Her Home

Naikishia L. Williams originally told police her daughter became unresponsive after she was given medication, but quickly, those claims were refuted ...
Remy Ma Detained After Altercation With Daughter of Man Her Son is Accused of Killing— And it Was All Caught on Camera

Remy Ma Detained After Altercation With Daughter of Man Her Son is Accused of Killing— And it Was All Caught on Camera

Jayson Scott, Remy Ma's son, faces murder charges for his alleged involvement in the 2021 shooting death of Darius Guillebeaux ...
DDG Says He Wants Another Kid, But the Details Behind It Have the Internet Big Mad

DDG Says He Wants Another Kid, But the Details Behind It Have the Internet Big Mad

In a now viral clip, the popular streamer was caught expressing his desire to have another child, but his method has the internet in a tizzy! ...
Mike Tyson Wants to Talk to Trump About What??

Mike Tyson Wants to Talk to Trump About What??

The former heavyweight champion wants President Trump to make the changes to some current laws that the Biden administration did not ...
Why a Lot of Black Folks Aren't Feeling Michelle Obama's Post-White House Era

Why a Lot of Black Folks Aren’t Feeling Michelle Obama’s Post-White House Era

After her podcast with her brother launched in March, some dedicated fans say silence is golden ...
Chris Brown Wants This... To Stop Right Now!

Chris Brown Wants This… To Stop Right Now!

Conversations about where Brown stands amongst the R&B space specifically, were renewed recently but it doesn't seem like he's here for it ...
Huge New Development in Case of Black Daycare Owner Who Shot Husband After Discovering Abuse

Huge New Development in Case of Black Daycare Owner Who Shot Husband After Discovering Abuse

Supporters say Daycare Owner shouldn't have spent a single day behind bars ...
Plot Twist: MAGA Drags Ex-Rep. Jamaal Bowman for N-Word Claims And They Are ... Right

Plot Twist: MAGA Drags Ex-Rep. Jamaal Bowman for N-Word Claims And They Are … Right

Past studies have noted a link between racism and health concerns for Black Americans, but there's no evidence to directly back up Bowman's claims ...
Photo: Getty Images Paras Griffinfor Idol Roc; Win McNamee

Why Nelly Needs to Finally Admit the Real Reason He Performed For Trump

Nelly is still defending his decision to perform at President Donald Trump's inauguration, when he should just own up to it ...
Black TikToker Who Sprayed Bug Killer on Walmart Food Learns His Fate

Black TikToker Who Sprayed Bug Killer on Walmart Food Learns His Fate

Wolfie Kahletti pleaded guilty in April, and now, he's officially been sentenced for his December crimes ...
Three Friends Were Headed To A Beyoncé Concert, But One  Dies On the Way. Guess What The Other Two Did Next?

Three Friends Were Headed To A Beyoncé Concert, But One Dies On the Way. Guess What The Other Two Did Next?

A group of friends who experienced tragedy on their way to a Cowboy Carter show have sparked a viral debate about what would keep fans from seeing Queen Bey ...
This White Singer Sang This Chaka Khan Iconic Hit and Black Internet Lost Its Mind

This White Singer Sang This Chaka Khan Iconic Hit and Black Internet Lost Its Mind

Once Hayley Williams' clip began to make the rounds on social media, a lot of Black folks had a myriad of reactions! Let's get into it ...
Will Smith Just Brought Up the Chris Rock Oscars Slap And He Doesn't Seem Sorry ...Anymore

Will Smith Just Brought Up the Chris Rock Oscars Slap And He Doesn’t Seem Sorry …Anymore

It looks like the "Fresh Prince" star is feeling a bit differently about it than before and we've got the tea to prove it! ...