Earth, Wind & Fire, Andy Garcia & More to Perform at 'GRAMMY Salute to Music Legends'

Initial performers announced for "GRAMMY Salute to Music Legends" include Lila Downs, Earth, Wind & Fire, Andy Garcia and The CineSon All Stars, Lucrecia, Martina McBride, and JD Souther. The Recording Academy will honor its 2016 Special Merit Awards recipients with an awards ceremony and live tribute concert on Saturday, April 23, 2016, at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The event, featuring rare performances by honorees and never-before-seen renditions by those they've inspired, is produced in partnership with THIRTEEN as part of the "Great Performances" series on PBS, set to air later this year. Additional performers will be announced shortly. Tickets are on sale now at Ticketmaster.

This year's Lifetime Achievement Award honorees are Ruth Brown, Celia Cruz, Earth, Wind & Fire, Herbie Hancock, Jefferson Airplane, Linda Ronstadt, and RUN DMC. John Cage, Fred Foster, and Chris Strachwitz are Trustees Award honorees; and EMT and Dr. Harvey Fletcher are Technical GRAMMY Award recipients. Also being honored is Phillip Riggs, this year's recipient of the Music Educator Award.

Paying tribute to three-time GRAMMY winner and four-time Latin GRAMMY winner Celia Cruz - internationally known as the "Queen Of Salsa" - are Latin GRAMMY nominee Lucrecia and GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY winner Andy Garcia, who will bring his Cuban musical group, Andy Garcia and The CineSon All Stars, to the stage.

Honorees and six-time GRAMMY winners Earth, Wind & Fire, one of the most important and innovative musical forces influencing music and popular culture across generations, are set to give what will be a roof-raising performance.

A salute to 10-time GRAMMY winner Linda Ronstadt will feature pop, country, and Latin musical offerings from GRAMMY and four-time Latin GRAMMY winner Lila Downs and GRAMMY nominees Martina McBride and JD Souther.

Previously held during GRAMMY Week, this is the first time The Recording Academy has celebrated the Special Merit Awards with a stand-alone event and musical tribute. In addition to the tribute concert, special celebrity guests will present recipients their award statues and guests will enjoy never-before-seen video packages celebrating each of the honorees' contributions to the music industry and our cultural heritage.

A production of THIRTEEN Productions LLC for WNET, "GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends" will be written by David Wild and directed for television by David Horn, with Mitch Owgang as producer, and Horn and Neil Portnow as executive producers. Don Was is music director.

The Lifetime Achievement Award honors performers who have made contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording, while the Trustees Award recognizes such contributions in areas other than performance. Both awards are determined by vote of The Recording Academy's National Board of Trustees. Technical GRAMMY Award recipients are determined by vote of The Academy's Producers & Engineers Wing Advisory Council and Chapter Committees, and are ratified by The Academy's Trustees. The award is presented to individuals and companies who have made contributions of outstanding technical significance to the recording field. Presented by The Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Foundation, the Music Educator Award was established to recognize current educators (kindergarten through college, public and private schools) who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education.

Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, songwriters, producers, engineers, and recording professionals dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY AWARDS - the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music - The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education, and human services programs. The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music MAKERS and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture. For more information about The Academy, please visit www.grammy.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, follow @TheGRAMMYs on Twitter, "like" THE GRAMMYS on Facebook and join The GRAMMYs' social communities on Google+, Instagram, Tumblr, and YouTube.

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