monkey presents a grammy award!

 

i think i look just like the rca victor dog!

 

presenting my little friend, the grammy! this coveted little bit of bric-a-brac was first created in 1958 by bob groves. the nice folks at the recording academy thought it would be nice to have a lovely memento that symbolized their distinguished award for excellence in the recording arts and science. so, bob whipped one up.

the original miniature reproduction of a gramophone was made out of lead and brass-plated with a walnut base. they were rather hefty for their size, were a bit fragile and had a predisposition to tarnishing. bob handed the reins of making these little cuties over to john billings. in 1990 john redesigned the grammy to the snazzy eye-catching design of my little pal here.

 

let's take a look at some of its features, shall we? this little chap is made of a zinc alloy that was poured into bronze molds. the base is black lacquer and is a dramatic counterpoint to the gleaming gold plate that embellishes that turntable, tone arm and bell of the gramophone.

 

did all the glitz and glamour of the grammy award ceremony go to my little pal's head? no. because he was never there! (insert dramatic music here.) geninue grammys are reclusive and shy. the statues given out at the award ceremony we see on television are stunt grammy awards which are specially trained to withstand the awards ceremony. They can think fast on their feet, can hold their own against the hard handling of winners and not flinch in the constant glare of the bright lights. yet, through it all, they remain cool, calm and glamorous.

after all the winners are announced and the stunt grammys head home to recover from a hard evening of work, the names of all the winners are sent to ridge lake, colorado. there, john, his brother larry, and john's son rich, are responsible for engraving the official grammy awards that they have spent months carefully crafting. the personalized grammy awards are then sent to the winners. after some bonding time, they settle right into being on display and lead a happy and fully life.

meet this grammy: as you can see, my pal here resides with my friend michael doucet of beausoleil. gram has been living with michael and his family since 1997 when beau soleil's album "l'amour ou la folie" were recognized for the best tradition folk album. this could be the year that a little friend comes to live with him for the best zydeco or cajun music album. fingers crossed!