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

“Let My Love Open the Door”

Pete Townshend | 1980

A peppy, hopeful love song, "Let My Love Open the Door" became a U. S. Top Ten hit for Pete Townshend in 1980, anchored by the kind of repeating synthesizer figures that he'd used in some of the Who's recordings in the previous decade. Although Townshend brushed the song off as "just a ditty" in Rolling Stone shortly after its release, in 1996 he revealed it was about love of the holiest sort. "It's supposed to be about the power of God's love," he remarked. "That when you're in difficulty, whether it's major or minor, God's love is always there for you."

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