Stevie Wonder and Janelle Monáe will headline a star-studded lineup in tribute to Quincy Jones at the 67th Grammy Awards.
Rolling Stone reports that Wonder and Monáe will lead the performance on Feb. 2. They will be joined by Cynthia Erivo, Herbie Hancock, Lainy Wilson, and other unnamed acts. The tribute has been in the works since Jones’s death last November at age 91.
With a career spanning over six decades, the tribute to Jones is expected to be a highlight of music’s biggest night.
“The entire Grammys could have actually been Quincy Jones,” executive producer Raj Kapoor said. “The wealth of work, the wealth of genres, the amount of music that he has touched — he really is the dude.”
Considering Jones’ influence and the many artists whose careers he helped shape, numerous music stars wanted to participate in the tribute.
“We’ve been working on creating something really special. We’ve had so many artists that have wanted to participate,” Kapoor shared. “I think it’s going to be one of the definitive performances of the show, [showing] how much love we have for him as a music community.”
The prestigious
award show will also feature additional in-memoriam tributes and special Los Angeles-themed performances in response to the wildfires that have devastated the show’s host city. Brad Paisley, Brittany Howard, Chris Martin, Jacob Collier, John Legend, Sheryl Crow, and St. Vincent are included in the tributes.“When we decided to move forward, it was like, how do we shine a positive light on the city of Los Angeles?” Kapoor said. “Thousands of people depend on this show in Los Angeles, including the thousands of crew that actually work on this show. And then also the [wider] economic impact that the show has.”
Kapoor continued. “Los Angeles has actually been quite incredible in the past few weeks. I think we have a stronger sense of community than we have had for a very long time.”
To coincide with the tribute, “There’s a film piece that is going to honor Los Angeles,” Kapoor explained.
“I think the opening of the show is definitely going to touch on our love for Los Angeles. We’re putting a spotlight on small businesses that may have been impacted by the fires.”
The Grammys kick off Sunday, Feb. 2,
live from 8:00-11:30 PM PT/5:00-8:30 PM ET on the CBS Television Network. In addition to the tribute artists, there will be performances from Shakira, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, Charlie XCX, Benson Boone, Raye, Doechii, and Teddy Swims.RELATED CONTENT: Quincy Jones’ Cancer-Related Cause Of Death Revealed