George Martin Honored By Beatles Widows at Grammy Event

Famed Beatles producer George Martin was honored with the Grammy Foundation Leadership award by the widows of John Lennon and George Harrison at a ceremony Saturday night in Los Angeles. Both Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison chaired the event, which honored Martin's humanitarian and charitable efforts. While Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr were both listed as "event chairs," neither was in attendance. Several artists came out to honor the "Guinness World Records' most successful producer ever," with Jeff Beck, Michael McDonald, Tom Jones, Burt Bacharach, pianist Dave Grusin and the band America all performing at the event, all of whom had previously worked with Martin after the producer's work with the Fab Four. "Awards don't come much better than this," said the 82-year-old Martin. "I've been so lucky to work with so many wonderful people, and great talent all my life."

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Song Stories

“Push It”

Salt-N-Pepa | 1987

Originating as a B side to their cover of the Stax classic “Tramp,” Cheryl “Salt” James, Sandi “Pepa” Denton and Dee Dee “DJ Spinderella” Roper came up with the goods on this career-making, Grammy-nominated platinum single about working it on the dancefloor. “Push It” has been sampled and spliced to death since it debuted in 1987, yet the original track is as fresh and fly as when SNP — among the few original women of hip-hop — debuted it. “Most men will never believe ‘Push It’ was never about sex,” said James. “And that’s why the record went to Number One,” said Denton. “Everybody thought it was about sex.”

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