Voices

“I figured that Wu Tang was gonna win. . . . When it comes to the children, Wu Tang is for the children. We teach the children. Puffy is good, but Wu Tang is the best, OK? I want you all to know that this is ODB and I love you all. Peace.”

--Wu Tang Clan’s Ol’ Dirty Bastard, barging on stage as Shawn Colvin and John Leventhal were about to accept song of the year award

Men Without Passes:

At the end of the evening, the unscheduled onstage disruptions by ODB and the man with “Soy Bomb” painted on his bare chest (dancing on stage during Bob Dylan’s performance) remained largely unexplained. A rather harried-looking publicist for the recording academy told the backstage press that the rapper apologized before leaving the building, but shed no further light on his actions nor on why he had chosen that particular moment. The identity of “Soy Bomb” man was a bigger mystery.

“Maybe next year we’ll set up a mosh pit or something . . . and people will get their frustrations out in front of the stage. Sorry, Bob.”

--Recording academy president Michael Greene following the Dylan performance

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“It’s [my daughter’s] first time in New York City, and according to the mayor, maybe the last.”

--Vince Gill, referring to the recent tiff between the recording academy and New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani

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“As a music fan I was struck by her haunting imagery. As a father I wanted her to clean up her room.”

--Kelsey Grammer, above, introducing Fiona Apple

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“Everyone worked especially hard, even the musicians.”

--Bob Dylan about making his “Time Out of Mind” album

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“Everybody has a bad day. I was just rushing through. I got excited.”

--R&B; singer Usher, apologizing for calling Bob Dylan “Bill” while reading album nominations

Veterans Night:

Shawn Colvin’s wins for song and record joined Bob Dylan’s wins in leading the way in a big night for musicians rooted in the ‘60s-’70s singer-songwriter tradition. Backstage, she said she found this an encouraging development.

“There were interesting wins tonight that I have to say made me happy: Dylan, Van Morrison and John Lee Hooker, James Taylor,” she said. “I guess that what can be derived by this is that you don’t necessarily have to be a multi-platinum artist to have the respect of the NARAS members.”

“I used to say that if any one guy stopped the Vietnam War, it was Bob Dylan. He influenced a whole generation of musicians, philosophers and songwriters. You like to emulate somebody like that.”

--John Fogerty, backstage

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“You have my word that you will not be seeing his bony white ass on stage tonight.”

--Grammer, referring to Marilyn Manson

Compiled by Elysa Gardner in New York and Steve Hochman in Los Angeles