Chris Stapleton Joins Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson For Show-Stopping GRAMMYs Performance
Their performance was one of the most buzzed-about moments of the night.
Chris Stapleton and Stevie Wonder; Photo by Francis Specker/CBS ©2023 CBS Broadcasting, Inc.
Stevie Wonder, Chris Stapleton and Smokey Robinson teamed up for a show-stopping performance during the 2023 GRAMMY Awards.
On Sunday (Feb. 5), during “Music’s Biggest Night,” Wonder performed a collection of Motown hits with Robinson, including The Temptations’ “The Way You Do the Things You Do” and Smokey Robinson and The Miracles’ “The Tears Of A Clown.”
Chris Stapleton then joined Wonder onstage for “Higher Ground” from Wonder’s classic 1973 album, Innervisions.
“Chris, do it!” Wonder shouted before Stapleton took to the mic.
The pair of superstars then traded verses before blending their vocals together during the tune’s chorus. Wonder and Stapleton concluded their performance as they rocked out on guitar and keyboards, respectively.
The performance was well-received by viewers and many took to social media to applaud the three music icons.
Now THAT was a #Grammys performance! Smokey Robinson and Stevie Wonder, with an assist from Chris Stapleton. Amazing,” wrote one Twitter user, while another shared, “Stevie Wonder with Smokey Robinson and Chris Stapleton was out of this world.”
The collaborative performance was in honor of MusiCares Persons Of The Year: Robinson and Motown founder Berry Gordy.
Ahead of the 65th Annual GRAMMY Awards, Stapleton recalled the moment he got the call to perform.
“I was just like, ‘man, okay, let’s do it because what are you going to say to that? Can’t say no to that!,” he shared.
He went on to praise Wonder and express his gratitude for the opportunity to work alongside him.
To get to be up there and feel Stevie kicking that one off, that’s something else. What do I remember about Stevie?…Stevie Wonder is one of those people that’s almost, it’s not like a person. It’s like this entity to me like that. It’s almost feels like you’re meeting… I don’t know what the comparison even is. It’s another worldly kind of person that exists and has so much influence over what music is, and it has been, and you can feel threads of him through everything. I can’t tell you how many times people would say, let’s do something like Stevie Wonder would do, and none of us can do it, but we would try to do it.”
He added, “And if I think about it too much, I’m going to be real nervous, so I’m not going to maybe think about it too much. But yeah, it’s an incredible experience for me.”
The 65th Annual GRAMMY Awards featured performances from Bad Bunny, Mary J. Blige, Brandi Carlile, Luke Combs, Steve Lacy, Lizzo, Kim Petras, Sam Smith, Harry Styles, Chris Stapleton, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson and more.
“Music’s Biggest Night” also included an all-star 50th Anniversary celebration of hip hop, which included performances by Big Boi, Busta Rhymes with Spliff Star, De La Soul, DJ Drama, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Missy Elliott, Future, GloRilla, Grandmaster Flash, Grandmaster Mele Mel & Scorpio/Ethiopian King, Ice-T, Lil Baby, Lil Wayne, The Lox, Method Man, Nelly, Public Enemy, Queen Latifah, Rahiem, Rakim, RUN-DMC, Salt-N-Pepa and Spinderella, Scarface, Swizz Beatz, and Too $hort. LL COOL J will be on hand to introduce the segment and give a dedication to hip hop.
Several tributes also took place during the In Memoriam segment at the all-genre ceremony. Kacey Musgraves took to the stage to honor the late Loretta Lynn with a cover of Lynn’s signature hit “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” while Sheryl Crow, Mick Fleetwood and Bonnie Raitt paid homage to late Fleetwood Mac member, Christine McVie, with a performance of McVie’s “Songbird.”
Maverick City Music and Quavo also remembered the late Migos rapper, Takeoff, with a special tribute performance of “Without You,” a song that Quavo wrote after his passing.
First Lady Jill Biden, Cardi B, James Corden, Billy Crystal, Viola Davis, Dwayne Johnson, Olivia Rodrigo, and Shania Twain, and more were on hand to present during the ceremony.
Beyoncé led the pack with nine nominations, including the prestigious Album Of The Year (Renaissance). Following behind Beyoncé are Kendrick Lamar with eight nods, Adele and Brandi Carlile with seven nominations as well as Mary J. Blige, DJ Khaled, Harry Styles, Future, The Dream and Randy Merrill have six. For a full list of 2023 GRAMMY nominees click HERE.
Prior to the GRAMMY Awards, several winners were revealed during the GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony at the Microsoft Theater in the City Of Angels. For a full list of winners, visit live.GRAMMY.com.
Co-hosted by GRAMMY-nominated comedian Trevor Noah, the 2023 GRAMMYs broadcasted live from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 5 at 8/7c on CBS. The coveted awards ceremony also streamed live and on-demand via Paramount+.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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