UPDATED: Kings of Leon, Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert among Oklahomans nominated for Grammys
Kings of Leon
Kings of Leon, Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, Brooks & Dunn, Rascal Flatts and Charlie Wilson are among the musical standouts who will represent Oklahoma at the 2010 Grammy Awards.
The Recording Academy announced nominees in the top Grammy categories during a televised concert Wednesday night in Los Angeles.
Rockers Kings of Leon have earned four Grammy nominations, including nods in the cross-genre record and song of the year categories for their hit “Use Somebody.” The band also was nominated for best rock song and best rock vocal performance with vocals for “Use Somebody.”
“It’s pretty cool to have a record people can tolerate for that long,” said Kings of Leon drummer Nathan Followill backstage at Wednesday’s concert, referring to the band earning nominations from the same album two years in a row.
Released in December 2008, “Use Somebody” is the second single from the band’s fall 2008 album “Only By the Night,” which last year was nominated for the best rock album Grammy.
Kings of Leon includes three brothers —Caleb (vocals, guitar), Nathan (drums) and Jared (bass) Followill — and their first cousin Matthew Followill (lead guitar). Matthew and Nathan were born in Oklahoma City, and the Followills grew up crisscrossing the Bible Belt between Memphis, Tenn., and Oklahoma City with the brothers’ Pentecostal preacher father.
Alice in Chains, which includes Jerry Cantrell, who has an Atoka ranch, is nominated for best hard rock performance for “Check My Brain,” from the band’s album “Black Gives Way to Blue.”
In the country music categories, several Oklahoma stars will vie for awards. Checotah native Carrie Underwood (pictured left) is nominated for best female country vocal performance for her chart-topper “Just a Dream.” She will compete in the best country collaboration with vocals category for her rendition of “I Told You So” with Randy Travis.
Tishomingo resident Miranda Lambert also is nominated for best female country vocal performance for her brokenhearted ballad “Dead Flowers.”
Duo Brooks & Dunn, which includes former Tulsan Ronnie Dunn, is nominated for best country performance by a duo or group with vocals for the tearjerker “Cowgirls Don’t Cry.”
Trio Rascal Flatts, which includes Joe Don Rooney of Picher, also earned a nomination for best country performance by a duo or group with vocals for the heartrending “Here Comes Goodbye.”
In other genres, Tulsa native and GAP band founder Charlie Wilson (pictured right) garnered two 
nominations, for best R&B album for “Uncle Charlie” and best male R&B vocal performance for “There Goes My Baby.”
Tom Paxton, a Bristow High School and University of Oklahoma graduate, is featured on the compilation “Singing Through the Hard Times: A Tribute to Utah Phillips,” which is nominated for best traditional folk album.
Tulsa-born actress Alfre Woodard scored a nod for co-producing “Nelson Mandela’s Favorite African Folktale,” a nominee for best spoken word album for children.
Mason Williams, who grew up in Oklahoma City, earned a nomination for best historical album for co-producing “Woodstock — 40 Years On: Back to Yasgur’s Farm.”
“My Dusty Road,” a box set chronicling the career of Okemah-born songwriting icon the late Woody Guthrie (pictured left), is nominated in the best historical album and best album notes categories.
In the classical categories, Norman-born harpist Yolanda Kondonassis shares her first Grammy nomination with flutist Joshua Smith and violist Cynthia Phelps for best chamber music performance. The nod is for their performance of late Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu’s “And Then I Knew ‘Twas Wind,” from their album “Air.”
Pop diva Beyonce earned a leading 10 nominations, among them, album of the year for her double CD, “I Am … Sasha Fierce,” song of the year for her hit anthem, “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)” and record of the year for “Halo.” Contemporary country star Taylor Swift was close behind with eight nominations, including nods for album of the year for her sophomore CD “Fearless” and record and song of the year for “You Belong With Me.”
The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards will be handed out Jan. 31 in Los Angeles, with the show televised live on CBS.
To see the nominees in all 109 Grammy categories, go to www.grammy.com.
Contributing: The Associated Press.
-BAM
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Comments
Hi, Greg –
The story has been corrected to say that Miranda Lambert is a Tishomingo resident. Lambert is a Lindale, Texas, native, but for the past few years, she has lived in Tishomingo. This is well documented, and she and I have discussed it in our last three interviews. Thanks for pointing out the error (though you could have been a bit nicer about it.)
And just out of curiosity, how long does someone have to live here before you think they should be considered someone with Oklahoma ties? I mean, since she’s apparently paid property taxes and definitely talked about living in Oklahoma in countless interviews for two or three years, I think it’s probably safe to count Miranda. Or maybe we should be snobby and exclusive instead of friendly and welcoming, as Oklahomans are often considered?
-BAM
Once again, The Daily O considers anyone famous who has ever passed through or flown over Oklahoma to be a native. And for the second time in 2 weeks, it has Miranda Lambert listed as a native of Tishomingo. Check your facts. Miranda Lambert is a native of Lindale, TX, outside of Longview. I suppose that Sarah Palin is now an Okie?