Natalie Cole's tribute to her late father - including a spliced-together duet with him on his signature song - yielded an "Unforgettable" evening for the singer, winning seven Grammy awards.
The 34th annual Grammys on Tuesday also marked R.E.M.'s long climb from rock's underground to the forefront with three awards, one for best alternative music album. Bonnie Raitt, the big winner of 1990, also won three Grammys."Unforgettable," Cole's album of songs originally sung by her silken-voiced father, Nat "King" Cole, was named album of the year, and the duet on the title song was honored as best single and best traditional pop performance. The album also won Grammys for song of the year and for Cole's arranger, producer and engineer.
"I thank my dad for leaving me such a wonderful, wonderful heritage," Cole said. "And we're trying to be cool, but we love it!"
Cole shared two of her trophies with her father, who won only one Grammy in his lifetime, in 1959 for "Midnight Flyer." He died of lung cancer in 1965. "Unforgettable," the duet, was created by splicing his version and hers in the recording studio.
"Unforgettable" represented a change in direction for Cole, who has dabbled in rock, jazz and rhythm and blues in a career that included a Grammy for best new artist in 1975.
"Unforgettable" also brought song of the year honors to Irving Gordon - who wrote the tune 42 years ago. His acceptance speech to the Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences was one of the evening's controversial moments.
"It's nice to have a song accepted that you don't get a hernia when you sing it," he said. He said later he was referring to Michael Bolton, who won the best male pop vocal Grammy for belting out "When a Man Loves a Woman."
"As to how in touch Mr. Gordon is with music, I can't speak for him," Bolton told reporters. "I can say I don't get a hernia when I sing because for me it's no problem."
R.E.M. was honored for best alternative album, best pop duo or vocal group and best music video-short form, for its hit "Losing My Religion."
Raitt took home trophies for best pop female vocal ("Something to Talk About"), best solo rock performance (for the album "Luck of the Draw") and for her duet with Delbert McClinton on "Good Man, Good Woman."
The night also featured a rare tie: Patti LaBelle and Lisa Fischer both won for the best female rhythm and blues performance.
Special career awards went to Barbra Streisand, James Brown, Muddy Waters, the late jazz artist John Coltrane and late rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix.
"In all honesty, I don't feel like a legend. I feel like a work in progress," said Streisand, 49.
Here is a list of Tuesday night's Grammy Award winners:
Record of the Year: "Unforgettable" (single), Natalie Cole (with Nat "King" Cole).
Album of the Year: "Unforgettable," Natalie Cole.
Best Song: "Unforgettable," Irving Gordon, songwriter.
Best New Artist: Marc Cohn.
Producer of the Year (Non-Classical): David Foster, "Unforgettable" (album).
Best Engineered Album (Non-Classical), award to the engineers: "Unforgettable" (album), Al Schmitt, Woody Woodruff and Armin Steiner.
Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female: "Something to Talk About," (single) Bonnie Raitt.
Best Pop Vocal Performance Male: "When A Man Loves A Woman," (single) Michael Bolton.
Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal: "Losing My Religion," (single) R.E.M.
Best Traditional Pop Performance: Natalie Cole (with Nat "King" Cole), "Unforgettable." (single).
Best Rock Song: "Soul Cages," Sting.
Best Rock Vocal Performance, Solo: "Luck of the Draw" (album), Bonnie Raitt.
Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: "Good Man, Good Woman," (track from "Luck of the Draw") Bonnie Raitt & Delbert McClinton.
Best Hard Rock Performance, with vocal: "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge" (album), Van Halen.
Best Rock Instrumental Performance: "Cliffs of Dover" (single), Eric Johnson.
Best Alternative Music Album: "Out of Time," R.E.M.
Best Rap Solo Performance: "Mama Said Knock You Out" (single), L.L. Cool J.
Best Rap Duo or Group Performance: "Summertime" (single), D.J. Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince.
Best Metal Performance: Metallica, "Metallica" (album).
Best R&B Song: "Power of Love-Love Power" (single), Luther Vandross, Marcus Miller and Teddy Vann.
Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male: "Power of Love" (album), Luther Vandross.
Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female: (tie) "Burnin" (album), Patti LaBelle; "How Can I Ease the Pain" (single), Lisa Fischer.
Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal: "Cooleyhighharmony" (album), Boyz II Men.
Best Country Song, a songwriter's award: "Love Can Build a Bridge" (Naomi Judd, John Jarvis, Paul Overstreet, songwriters). Judds were performers.
Best Country Vocal Performance, Male: "Ropin' the Wind" (album), Garth Brooks.
Best Country Vocal Performance, Female: "Down at the Twist and Shout," Mary-Chapin Carpenter.
Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: "Love Can Build a Bridge" (single), the Judds.
Best Country Vocal Collaboration (for duos or groups of artists who do not normally sing together): "Restless" (single), Steve Wariner, Ricky Skaggs & Vince Gill (from the Mark O'Connor & the New Nashville Cats album).
Best Country Instrumental Performance: "The New Nashville Cats" (album), Mark O'Connor.
Best Rock-Contemporary Gospel Album, for solos, duos or groups: "Under Their Influence" (album), Russ Taff.
Best Pop Gospel Album, for solos, duos or groups: "For the Sake of the Call," Steven Curtis Chapman.
Best Southern Gospel Album, for solos, duos or groups: "Homecoming," The Gaither Vocal Band.
Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album: "Pray for Me," Mighty Clouds of Joy.
Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album: "Different Lifestyles," BeBe and CeCe Winans.
Best Gospel Album By a Choir or a Chorus: "The Evolution of Gospel," Sounds Of Blackness. Gary Hines, choir director.
Best Jazz Vocal Performance: "He Is Christmas," Take 6.
Best Jazz Instrumental, Solo: "I Remember You" (track from "Serenity"), Stan Getz.
Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Group: "Saturday Night at the Blue Note," Oscar Peterson Trio.
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance: "Live at the Royal Festival Hall," Dizzy Gillespie and the United Nation Orchestra.
Best Contemporary Jazz Performance: "Sassy" (a track from "The Offbeat of Avenues"), The Manhattan Transfer.
Best Traditional Blues Album: "Live at the Apollo," B.B. King.
Best Contemporary Blues Album, Vocal or Instrumental: "Damn Right, I've Got The Blues," Buddy Guy.
Best Orchestral Performance: "Corigliano: Symphony No. 1," Daniel Barenboim conductor, Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Best Classical Album, award to the artist and to the album producer: "Bernstein: Candide," Leonard Bernstein conductor; London Symphony Orchestra; principal solos: Hadley, Anderson, Ludwig, Green, Gedda, Jones, Ollmann, Hans Weber, album producer.
Classical Producer of the Year: James Mallinson.
Best Engineered Recording, Classical, an engineer's award: "Candide," (Leonard Bernstein conducting London Symphony Orchestra; principal solos: Hadley, Anderson, Ludwig, Green, Gedda, Jones, Ollmann) Gregor Zielinski, engineer.
Best Classical Vocal Performance: "The Girl With Orange Lips (De Falla, Ravel, Kim, Stravinsky, DeLage)," Dawn Upshaw, soprano (ensemble accompanist).
Best Classical Performance-Instrumental Soloist (without orchestra): Granados: "Goyescas; Allegro de Concierto; Danza Lenta," Alicia de Larrocha, piano.
Best Classical Performance-Instrumental Soloist (with orchestra): Barber: "Piano Con. Op. 38," John Browning, piano (Leonard Slatkin conductor, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra).
Best Contemporary Composition, a composer's award for a classical composition, premiered within the past 25 years and released on a recording for the first time during the eligibility year: Corigiliano: "Symphony No. 1," John Corigliano, composer (Daniel Barenboim conducting Chicago Symphony Orchestra).
Best Performance of a Choral Work, awarded to the choral conductor, and to the orchestra conductor if an orchestra is on the recording and to the choral director or chorus master as applicable: Bach: "Mass in B Minor"; Sir Georg Solti, conductor; Chicago Symphony Chorus and Orchestra; Margaret Hillis, choral director.
Best Chamber Music Performance, vocal or instrumental: Brahms: "Piano Quartets (Opp. 25-26)," Isaac Stern and Jaime Laredo, violins; Yo-Yo Ma, cello; Emanuel Ax, piano.
Best Opera Recording: Wagner: "Gotterdammerung," James Levine, conductor; Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus; principal soloists, Behrens, Studer, Schwarz, Goldberg, Weikl, Wlaschiha, Salminen; Cord Garben, album producer.
Best Musical Show Album, award to the album producer and lyricists and composers of over 50 percent of the new score: "The Will Rogers Follies" (original Broadway cast album), Cy Coleman and Mike Berniker, producers; Betty Comden, Adolph Green, lyricists; Cy Coleman, composer.
Best Album for Children: "A Cappella Kids," The Maranatha!Kids.
Best Historical Album, award to the producer: "Billie Holiday, The Complete Decca Recordings," Steven Lasker and Andy McKaie.
Best Latin Pop Album: Cosas Del Amor, Vikki Carr.
Best Mexican-American Album: "16 De Septiembre," Little Joe.
Best Comedy Album: "P.D.Q. Bach: WTWP Classical Talkity-Talk Radio," Professor Peter Schickele.
Best Spoken Word or Non-Musical Album: "The Civil War," Ken Burns.
Best Pop Instrumental Performance: "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves." (album, Michael Kamen conducting the Greater Los Angeles Orchestra).
Best Arrangement on an Instrumental, award to the arranger: "Medley: Bess You Is My Woman-I Love You Porgy" (track from "The Gershwin Connection"), Dave Grusin, arranger.
Best Instrumental Composition, a composer's award: "Basque" (track from "The Wind Beneath My Wings"), Elton John.
Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocal award to the arranger: "Unforgettable" (single), Johnny Mandel (a track from "Unforgettable").
Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television, a composer's award: "Dances with Wolves" (album), John Barry.
Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television: "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" (from "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves"), single, Bryan Adams, Robert John "Mutt" Lange & Michael Kamen.
Best Bluegrass Album, Vocal or Instrumental: "Spring Training," Carl Jackson, John Starling & the Nash Ramblers.
Best Music Video-Short Form: "Losing My Religion," R.E.M. (Tarsem, video director; Dave Ramser, video line producer).
Best Music Video-Long Form, for video album packages consisting of more than one song or track, awarded to the artist and to the video director-producer: "Madonna: Blonde Ambition World Tour Live," Madonna; David Mallet/Mark "Aldo" Miceli, video directors; Tony Eaton, video line producer.
Best Album Package, an art director's award: "Billie Holiday, the Complete Decca Recordings," Vartan.
Best Album Notes, award to the writers: "Star Time," James Brown (intro), Cliff White, Harry Weinger, Nelson George and Alan M. Leeds.
Best Traditional Folk Album: "The Civil War (original soundtrack recording)," various artists; Ken Burns and John Coldy, producers.
Best Contemporary Folk Album: "The Missing Years," John Prine.
Best Polka Album: "Live! At Gilley's," Jimmy Sturr & His Orchestra.
Best Tropical Latin Album, Vocal or Instrumental: "Bachata Rosa," Juan Luis Guerra.
Best New Age Album: "Fresh Aire 7," Mannheim Steamroller.
Best Reggae Album, Vocal or Instrumental: "As Raw As Ever," Shabba Ranks.
Best World Music Album: "Planet Drum," Mickey Hart.