On August 25, 2012, Parade published an interview with rocker Alanis Morissette who is promoting her first CD after a four-year hiatus,Havoc and Bright Lights. The Canadian, American singer burst on the scene in 1991 with her CD Alanis. It wasn’t until 1995, however, when she released Jagged Little Pillthat her success would be recognized in the form of multiple awards and nominations. Jagged Little Pill won multiple Grammys including Best Rock Album, Album of the Year, and Morissette was nominated for Best New Artist. In another interview, however, Morissette revealed that she was influenced by the earlier, rage-fueled stylings presented by Sinead O’Connor and Tori Amos.
Speaking to The Hot Seat, Morissette discussed the new CD as well as her influences. Rolling Stone editor Anthony ‘Tony’ DeCurtis asked, “What do you listen to when you want to get angsty?”
Morissette replied, “What influenced me was Tori Amos, who was unapologetic about expressing anger through music, and Sinéad O’Connor. Those two in particular were really moving for me, and very inspiring, before I wrote Jagged Little Pill.”
O’Connor’s influence is apparent on many of Morissette’s recordings, but maybe none as obvious as in You Ought to Know. The song won Morissette two Grammys including Best Rock Song and Best Female Rock Vocal Performance.
O’Connor has been a vocal critic of awards shows, such as the Grammys. O’Connor’s first CD The Lion and the Cobra was nominated in 1987 for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. O’Connor’s second, studio album I do not want what I haven’t Got received multiple Grammy nominations and was the first album to win the Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album. She chose to boycott the show, however, citing the show was nothing more than a popularity contest. Click here to watch a 1991 video interview with Sinead O’Connor on the Arsenio Hall Show. The interview was held the day prior to the Grammys.
O’Connor stated, “It’s not just the Grammys that I’ve pulled out of. I also pulled out of the English awards as well. The reason that I wanted to pull out was because I believe very much that the music industry as a whole is mainly concerned with material success.” She addressed the correlation between award shows reinforcing the belief that commercial success is the equivalent of happiness.
She wasn’t the first person, or the last, to boycott the Grammy awards.
In 1989, Russell Simmons, Salt-n-Pepa, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Will Smith, and Kid N’ Play protested because at the time, the Hip Hop portion of the awards show was not televised.
O’Connor’s latest release is her ninth studio album How about I be Me (and you be you)? She has appeared on several compilation albums released in 2012 including Trente Hits Incontournables,Alle 30 Goed and All the Best. She will appear on the Damien Dempsey album Almighty Lovescheduled for release in September 2012.
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