The Night That Honored the Beatles: A Grammy Salute
On February 9, 2014, CBS aired The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to the Beatles, a star-studded tribute celebrating the legendary band. The evening was filled with unforgettable performances of classic Beatles hits by renowned artists, including Stevie Wonder’s soulful rendition of We Can Work It Out, Eurythmics’ take on The Fool on the Hill, Ed Sheeran’s heartfelt In My Life, and Katy Perry’s emotional version of Yesterday. The highlight of the event was, of course, the presence of Beatles legends Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr.
Originally recorded on January 27, 2014—just a day after the 56th Annual Grammy Awards—the concert took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Several artists collaborated for special performances, with John Mayer and Keith Urban joining forces on Don’t Let Me Down, Brad Paisley and Pharrell Williams delivering Here Comes the Sun, and Jeff Lynne teaming up with Dave Grohl for a powerful version of Hey Bulldog.
One particularly memorable moment was Jeff Lynne’s performance of Something, alongside Joe Walsh and George Harrison’s son, Dhani Harrison.
Jeff Lynne’s Beatles Connection
Before taking the stage, Jeff Lynne shared a personal reflection on how deeply the Beatles influenced his life.
“The Beatles completely changed everything for me,” Lynne recalled. “Back in 1968, when I was working on my first album, I somehow had the unbelievable luck of being invited to Abbey Road Studios to watch them record. I was in absolute awe—I had no idea how I ended up there. I couldn’t sleep for days after witnessing that.”
He continued, “Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d one day work with them, let alone produce their music. That remains the biggest thrill of my career.”
The Legacy of Something
Following Come Together on the Abbey Road album, Something—a deeply personal composition by George Harrison—takes center stage. The song, written as an ode to his then-wife, Pattie Boyd, also reflected Harrison’s spiritual journey through Krishna consciousness.
As one of only two Harrison-penned songs on Abbey Road (Here Comes the Sun being the other), Something was first demoed on February 25, 1969—Harrison’s 26th birthday. Inspired by James Taylor’s Something in the Way She Moves, the song was initially intended for Apple Records artist Jackie Lomax. Although Joe Cocker recorded it before the Beatles, his version wasn’t released until a month after Abbey Road debuted.
Among the many Beatles tracks, Something held a special place for John Lennon, who once called it his favorite song on the album.
Reflecting on his composition, Harrison humbly admitted in 1969, “The lyrics aren’t particularly deep. I have so many songs like this in my head—I just need to get them down. Some say Something is one of the best things I’ve ever written, but I don’t know. Maybe they’re right, maybe not. Either way, it’s flattering. It’s probably the nicest melody I’ve ever composed.”
