Foo Fighters, St. Vincent, And Many Others Cover Prince For The Grammys Tribute Concert

Live entertainment is a rare luxury these days, since the coronavirus pandemic has necessitated that concerts and tours either be rescheduled or canceled entirely. Fortunately, though, there are a number of events that were filmed before self-isolation became widespread. One of those things is “Let’s Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute To Prince,” a tribute concert that was taped in late January. Last night, on the fourth anniversary of Prince’s death, the show was aired, and it featured some special performances.

Foo Fighters busted out a rendition of “Darling Nikki,” which fans know is far from their first experience with the song: They released a cover of the track in 2003, as a B-side on the Australian version of the “Have It All” single. The band’s Tayor Hawkins previously said Prince originally objected to the band’s cover, which is why it wasn’t released in the US. It seems that issue eventually became water under the bridge, though, as Dave Grohl and Prince later jammed together.

Another highlight was St. Vincent’s funky performance of “Controversy”:

Deborah Dugan, then the Recording Academy President/CEO and now famously not, said of the show when it was announced, “Prince. The Purple One. His Royal Badness — regardless of how you identify him, he is indisputably one of the greatest musical virtuosos of all time. With his subversive attitude and commanding nature, he straddled musical genres and created electrifying music that was bursting with character. He continues to serve as an inspirational icon for artists and fans worldwide, and we are so honored to pay tribute to his legacy.”

Other performers included Earth, Wind & Fire; Chris Martin; John Legend; Usher; and others; so watch more clips from the show below.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.