Musicares, Grammys to honor Bruce Springsteen

Listen quietly. That soft hum heard in the distance isn’t your television set or your tinnitus. It’s a medley, one slammed together by an all-star cast of pop stars and a reminder that the 2013 Grammy Awards are not all that far away.

OK, so we don’t actually know what the medley is yet, but the Recording Academy, the music industry body that hosts the Grammy Awards, is already making noise regarding next year’s ceremony. This morning, the academy revealed that Bruce Springsteen will be feted as the 2013 Musicares Person of the Year. Musicares, the charitable spinoff of the Recording Academy, is to host an A-list gala two nights before the Grammys on Feb. 8.

It’s typical for the Musicares honoree to receive a lengthy tribute section on the Grammy telecast. Paul McCartney was recognized in 2012, and he performed twice on this year’s broadcast, once with new song “My Valentine” and another with the grand finale medley from “Abbey Road” featuring “Golden Slumbers,” “Carry That Weight” and “The End.” The show-closing performance featured an assist from none other than Springsteen.

Springsteen, of course, is no stranger to the Grammy Awards. He opened the 2012 show with his recent single, “We Take Care of Our Own.” Its accompanying album, “Wrecking Ball,” was released in March of this year and should be considered a favorite for multiple Grammy nods, especially with its heavy political and social undercurrent. To date, he’s received 20 Grammy Awards.

The Musicares Person of the Year recognizes a musician’s artistic and philanthropic efforts. “Bruce Springsteen is a truly gifted and renaissance artist of our time, a national treasure, and an exemplary humanitarian,” Recording Academy chief Neil Portnow said in a statement. “His career is a testament to the power of creative excellence, and his contributions as a philanthropist speak to the tenacity of the human spirit.”

As part of the Musicares acknowledgment, Springsteen is to be the guest of honor at the charitable ball two nights prior to the Grammy telecast. The fundraiser is one of the most-coveted music industry events, as it features a host of pop stars past and present reinterpreting the works of the honoree.

At this year’s event, a bevy of unexpected artists tackled the McCartney catalog. The event’s guests spanned from young pop princess Katy Perry to veteran pop music institution Tony Bennett, with the Foo Fighters, Coldplay, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Alison Krauss, Duane Eddy, Alicia Keys, Norah Jones, James Taylor, Diana Krall and Sergio Mendes joining them.

The 2013 Grammy Awards ceremony is to be held at Staples Center on Feb. 10 and broadcast live for the East Coast on CBS.