GRAMMY PERFORMANCE

TRIBUTE TO SOUTHERN ROCK
The tribute to Southern rock may have come out of left field, but the matching of Gretchen Wilson, Keith Urban and Tim McGraw with Lynyrd Skynyrd, Elvin Bishop, and Dickey Betts at least proved energetic. By the end of Sweet Home Alabama, there was almost enough hair flying to seem like 1974 all over again.

A Southern rock tribute was appropriately ragged, lifted momentarily by a sweet guitar duet between Aussie country hunk Keith Urban and Lynyrd Skynyrd's Ricky Medlocke, not the uncomfortable vocals of Gretchen Wilson and Tim McGraw.

SOURCE: www.urbanintensity.com
02-14-05 - KEITH'S STANDOUT PERFORMANCE AT THE GRAMMY'S
Grammy night 2005 was one of amazing performances. According to most critics, the Southern rock tribute that featured country's hottest artists Gretchen Wilson, Tim McGraw & Keith Urban performing with legendary Southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd, was not one of them. However, the same sources, pick Keith's guitar solo with Skynyrd guitarists Elvin Bishop and Dickey Betts, as the redeeming moment of the performance. In fact, it was good enough to make Bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs want to meet Keith backstage. So, Capitol's Fletcher Foster escorted Mr. Scruggs backstage where the two spent the remainder of the evening talking. About what? Music, of course.

There was no need for any catcalls of "Freebird! Freeeebird!"--Lynyrd Skynyrd served up the ultimate jukebox song with a crew of collaborators including Gretchen Wilson, Keith Urban and Tim McGraw during a mélange of country-fried classics.

The highlight of the night was a performance by Tim McGraw, Keith Urban and Gretchen Wilson, who joined remaining members of Lynard Skynard. They opened with country princess Gretchen Wilson performed “Free Bird,” followed
by Keith Urban lending his vocal and guitar talents to “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” and a rendition of “Ramblin’ Man” performed by Tim McGraw. The set ended with the entire group singing “Sweet Home Alabama,” the ultimate southern rock anthem
SOURCE:http://pacer.utm.edu/2336.htm