Official Grammy partner Bulova hosted Nile Rodgers for their Grammy pre-show event Saturday at Cipriani!
I was always a fan of older music. My playlist is full of titles I’d shudder to show my contemporaries for the fear of being called “too old”. But it was something entirely different to witness the same tracks that adorned my Spotify come alive before my eyes. We’re talking songs like Get Lucky and Freak Out and Good Times – tracks that have left their mark on public consciousness as the highlights of the rock genre.
Fitting enough, 70’s and 80’s rock band Chic was a particular favorite of mine, and for good reason. So suffice to say, I knew the source as Nile Rodgers; one of the founding fathers of rock and the progenitor of my nostalgia. I also knew I was in the right place at the right time.
The afternoon began at Cipriani, with accompanying red-carpet and press strewn in atypical, fancy clothing (not to be self-deprecating, but a decked-out journalist means a party is close-by). Food and drink were plentiful, with Cipriani’s top-notch presentation serving the atmosphere well. Guests took photographs against a Grammy-aesthetic background. It wasn’t long before we were seated and formalities ensued.
About two hours in did we catch wind of Nile Rodger’s inevitable appearance. Eventually, the panel started. Questions to Rodgers were asked. Highlights include a question from the host asking Rodgers what it meant to win and hold so many Grammy awards. His response:
Nile Rodgers: “It’s always made me feel a little uncomfortable because I never made music to win awards and stuff. To me, my rock and roll, my hall of fame, look like Golden Platinum Records. I’d go home like ‘look at that. A million people just bought this song.’ I thought was silly, but it turned out to be emotional and wonderful. I’m just not that guy. I do this because I really, really love this. I can’t help myself. I will do it until I can’t do it any longer. And sink or swim, just like with David (Bowie) and myself, sink or swim, we either make it to shore, or we don’t.”
A special moment was when Nile was gifted with The Limited Edition 60th Anniversary GRAMMY timepiece, from the brand’s Precisionist collection. It features a stainless steel case with a multi- layer gold-tone GRAMMIUM — a custom alloy developed by John Billings, the craftsman who creates, by hand, the lustrous gold gramophone statue that is presented to GRAMMY recipients — medallion dial showcasing the New York City skyline and 60th anniversary design detail.
The new Limited Edition 60th Anniversary GRAMMY timepiece is exclusively available for purchase at Macy’s Herald Square and Macys.com. The watch retails for $1,150.
The 60th Grammy’s Awards premiered on CBS.