Alicia, Aaliyah Top AMAs

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Alicia Keys, Destiny's Child, Tim McGraw and the late R&B singer Aaliyah won two American Music Awards each last night at the twenty-ninth annual event, held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.

Keys won for Favorite New Artist in the Pop/Rock and Soul/R&B categories. Destiny's Child won Favorite Soul/R&B Band, Duo or Group and the group's Survivor took the award for Favorite Pop/Rock Album. Aaliyah, who died in a plane crash last August, was honored with Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist and Favorite Soul/R&B Album for Aaliyah. McGraw won Favorite Country Male Artist and Favorite Country Album for Set This Circus Down.

Other winners included 'N Sync (Favorite Pop/Rock Band, Duo or Group), Lenny Kravitz (Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist) and Janet Jackson (Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist). U2 won the Internet Fans Award, while Garth Brooks was honored with the Award of Merit.

After weeks of will he/won't he speculation about Michael Jackson's involvement in the program, the King of Pop did make an appearance to collect his Artist of the Century honor, but he did not perform.

American Music Award Winners:

Pop/Rock

Favorite Male Artist: Lenny Kravitz
Favorite Female Artist: Janet Jackson
Favorite Band, Duo or Group: 'N Sync
Favorite Album: Survivor Destiny's Child
Favorite New Artist: Alicia Keys

Soul/R&B

Favorite Male Artist: Luther Vandross
Favorite Female Artist: Aaliyah
Favorite Band, Duo or Group: Destiny's Child
Favorite Album: Aaliyah, Aaliyah
Favorite New Artist: Aaliyah

Country

Favorite Male Artist: Tim McGraw
Favorite Female Artist: Faith Hill
Favorite Band, Duo or Group: Brooks and Dunn
Favorite Album: Set This Circus Down, Tim McGraw
Favorite New Artist: Trick Pony

Adult Contemporary

Favorite Artist: Sade

Soundtrack

Favorite Album: Save the Last Dance

Rap/Hip-Hop

Favorite Artist: Nelly

Latin

Favorite Artist: Enrique Iglesias

Alternative

Favorite Artist: Limp Bizkit

Contemporary Inspirational

Favorite Artist: Yolanda Adams

Internet Fans Award

U2

Artist of the Century

Michael Jackson

Award of Merit

Garth Brooks

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Song Stories

“Everyday People”

Sly and the Family Stone | 1968

"Everyday People" managed to trailblaze in two different ways -- it was one of the first pop hits to deal with the subject of racial harmony, and it utilized Larry Graham's "slap" technique on the bass guitar, which would soon be copied by countless other bassists. Graham once said about his pulsating style, "I'd never done that before … that's where the freedom of creativity came in for the band, that we'd be allowed to do that." In 1978, the song's line "Different strokes for different folks" would be borrowed for the title of the hit television show Diff'rent Strokes.

More Song Stories entries »

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