The 36th Annual Grammy Awards : Loss of Category Draws Protest

Several dozen women and a few men made protest music outside the Grammy Awards ceremony Tuesday night, complaining about the elimination of a prize category for best female solo rock vocal.

As limousines lined up to drop off celebrities at Radio City Music Hall across the street and klieg lights swept the cold night sky, the protesters marched, danced, beat drums and a gong and chanted.

“Meat Loaf again?” said one of the signs they carried.

At one point they chanted, “Grammy nomination boys, hear our litany: There’s more to rock ‘n’ roll than Mariah and Whitney.”

The demonstration was organized by Strong Women in Music, a group of musicians, producers, radio staffers and other women in the music business.

The group protested the decision by the National Assn. of Recording Arts and Sciences to merge the prizes for men’s and women’s solo rock vocals--and nominate no women for the new category.

“It’s unbelievable in 1994 that we’re still having to put up with crap like that,” said Josephine Wiggs, bass player with the band the Breeders.

As she watched the demonstration, Kim Gordon, bass player with the band Sonic Youth, said: “The Grammy categories are really stupid anyway. It’s all beside the point.”