Prince and George Michael, two Grammy-winning pop veterans who died months apart last year, were honored with special musical tributes from younger stars on Sunday during the recording industry’s top awards show.
The memorial segments were decidedly different in tone and delivery, accounting for two of the emotional highlights.
Adele paid homage to Michael in a delicately rendered, somber version of his 1996 dance tune “Fastlove,” which she sang as video clips of her fellow British singer-songwriter flashed on a large screen.
The Prince tribute was a wild, dance-filled celebration capped by Bruno Mars, clad in a purple jacket and white scarf playing “Let’s Go Crazy,” a signature hit of his late musical hero.
The two posthumously honored artists, both known for provocative performance styles and lyrics, each hit their creative strides in the 1980s – Prince with the blockbuster album and motion picture “Purple Rain” and Michael as part of the British pop duo Wham!
