Rhino Factoids: Introducing the American Music Awards
42 years ago today, ABC aired the first American Music Awards, a ceremony which might never have taken place if the Grammys had just been cool and stuck with the network. Instead, they moved to CBS, thereby inspiring Dick Clark to create a brand new music awards ceremony for ABC.
If there’s one thing you could say about Dick Clark, it’s that it wasn’t hard for him to get in touch with singers and musicians and ask them if they’d be interested in playing a part in his new endeavor. In turn, no one particularly wanted Clark on their bad side, given the recognized power of American Bandstand in spotlighting new music, which would possibly explain how a brand new music awards program was able to get Michael Jackson and Donny Osmond to as co-hosts for their first ceremony.
Then again, it’s not like there was really much of a downside to the gig, since who wouldn’t want two hours worth of exposure on the prime-time schedule? Also, let’s remember that Jackson and Osmond shared their co-hosting duties with Rodney Allen Rippy and Ricky Segall, two child stars of the era whose fame didn’t transcend the decade for the most part.
While there’s no question that the majority of the artists who walked away as winners from the 1st Annual American Music Awards, it would also be fair to say that the list of those who triumphed also serve to reveal just how far from edgy the AMAs choices tended to be:
Pop/Rock Category
• Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist: Jim Croce
• Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist: Helen Reddy
• Favorite Pop/Rock Band/Duo/Group: The Carpenters
• Favorite Pop/Rock Album: Lady Sings The Blues - Diana Ross
• Favorite Pop/Rock Single: "Tie A Yellow Ribbon" - Tony Orlando & Dawn
Soul/R&B Category
• Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist: Stevie Wonder
• Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist: Roberta Flack
• Favorite Soul/R&B Band, Duo, or Group: The Temptations
• Favorite Soul/R&B Album: I'm Still In Love With You - Al Green
• Favorite Soul/R&B Single: "Superstition" - Stevie Wonder
Country Category
• Favorite Country Male Artist: Charley Pride
• Favorite Country Female Artist: Lynn Anderson
• Favorite Country Band/Duo/Group: The Carter Family
• Favorite Country Album: A Sun Shiny Day - Charley Pride
• Favorite Country Single: "Behind Closed Doors" - Charlie Rich
Award of Merit: Bing Crosby
The AMAs are still alive and kicking, of course, but in regards to whether they’ve gotten any edgier in the interim, we’ll just say that 2015’s Artist of the Year winner was One Direction and leave it at that.
