Grammys 2018 In Memoriam: Chris Cornell, Chester Bennington, Tom Petty honored

Going into the Grammys 2018, we knew that there was a high likelihood that we were going to see a wide array of big, powerful moments. We definitely knew that the In Memoriam segment was going to be one of them.

Tonight, the segment actually started by honoring the lives who were lost both in Las Vegas and Manchester, who were both victims to mass violence over the past twelve months. We had a moving tribute to them set to the classic Eric Clapton song “Tears in Heaven.”

Later in the night, we saw Chris Stapleton perform the In Memoriam tribute proper, taking on a duet to a classic Tom Petty song.

The following names were mentioned in the In Memoriam segment this year: Tom Petty, Walter Becker, John Warren, Gord Downie, Ray Thomas, Cuba Gooding Sr., Chuck Berry, David Cassidy, Glen Campbell, Troy Gentry, Bill Hearn, Fats Domino, Kelly Smith, Sylvia Moy, Wayne Cochran, Leon Ware, Gregg Allman, James Cotton, Rick Hall, Jimmy Beaumont, Jay Lowy, Paul Buckmaster, Joni Sledge, Don Williams, Mel Tillis, Jon Hendricks, Grady Tate, Roberta Peters, Jerry Lewis, Jim Nabors, Prodigy, Lil Peep, Reggie Ossie, Chris Cornell, Ed Greene, Harry Sandler, Edwin Hawkins, Della Reese, Dave Valentin, Jerry Ross, Tom Coyne, and Chester Bennington. The Linkin Park frontman was the last name that was highlighted before we got into the performance by Logic — one that seemed very appropriate given the circumstances. (We don’t have all of the featured names included here, as the entire segment went by rather quickly — one of the few things that did during the show tonight.)

The hardest part about the In Memoriam segment is forgetting about a few people who left us only to see their names mentioned in this lest. Cornell did that to us this year, as did Fats Domino and, to a certain extent Bennington. We know in his case that it was coming but we still weren’t ultimately ready for it when it actually happened.

Are there omissions? Certainly, but they always are. We do think that the Grammys do continue to do their best with this segment and to honor as many different people that they possibly can. It’s done in good faith with the best of intentions.

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