BRADFORD, PA. – When viewers watch the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards on January 31, they’ll see a Bradford native among the winners: Marilyn Horne.
The Recording Academy announced this week that the opera singer is one of the winners of the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Matthew Hileman, director of the Marilyn Horne Museum & Exhibit Center and an associate faculty member at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, said they were “excited” to hear about the award.
“She was nominated 15 times and won 4 Grammys over the course of her career,” he noted.
Hileman spoke about how this honor exemplifies Horne’s impact on the music industry.
“She is being honored along with a very diverse group of singers from different genres. It’s a testament to her career and the impact she has had and continues to have on the music world, ”he explained. “And this is another achievement that sheds light on Bradford and our entire community. Marilyn’s story should inspire young people in our community to always follow their dreams. “
Jim Guelfi, a longtime art attorney in Bradford who was instrumental in founding the Marilyn Horne Museum, described Horne as “one of the best singers of her caliber in the world” and stated that she had a “special voice” to help in the Be able to reach ups and downs that others cannot. In fact, she is the best mezzo-soprano in the world, he said.
“She’s probably one of the best opera stars of all time, to be completely honest,” said Guelfi.
He explained that with the support of her father, Marilyn Horne began her singing career as a child. Her father sang too and recognized his daughter’s talents.
When she was around 11, her father asked the man in charge of Bradford’s civic music organization if she could give a concert – the man said no.
It was then that her father made the decision to move to give her more options to bring her to California and tour Europe with her.
Around 2000, Guelfi, then president of the Bradford Creative and Performing Arts Center, tried to book Horne for a show. Hornes agent said she wasn’t sure she wanted to return to Bradford as she recalled, still hurt by the way her father was treated in Bradford before they left. He told Guelfi that she said she was taking a nap and that she would make up her mind when she woke up.
That night after her nap, the agent told Guelfi on the phone to get out the champagne.
Returning to Bradford, Horne found the city had opened its arms to her and she sang in a sold out performance in front of around 1,400 people at Bradford Area High School, Guelfi said. She also reconnected with old friends from her childhood.
“After that, she became very devoted to Bradford,” said Guelfi, noting that she was “very gracious” during her stay.
One of Guelfi’s favorite memories of Horne was when he took her back to the private plane after her visit and she got on the plane to fly home.
Suddenly the plane switched off, the door opened and the pilot came to the door and asked, “Are you Jim?”
Horne appeared with open arms and said to Guelfi: “I forgot to hug you goodbye.”
The Recording Academy describes Hornes career in a press release about the winners of the Special Merit Award in January.
“Marilyn Horne is one of the most productive opera singers of our time,” the publication said. “During her six decades of career, she has received numerous awards including four Grammy Awards, a Kennedy Center award honoring the National Medal of Arts, a Commander of the Order of the Arts and Letters of the French Ministry of Culture and a National Foundation for Art Opera. “
According to the Recording Academy, the Lifetime Achievement Award is given to “artists who have made outstanding contributions of artistic importance to the field of recording.” The Academy’s Board of Trustees selects the award winners.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, Lionel Hampton, Salt-N-Pepa, Selena and Talking Heads are also recognized as recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Awards 2021.
Due to the challenges posed by COVID-19, the Academy will announce more details about the award ceremony at a later date.
More information about the Recording Academy can be found at www.grammy.com.
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