Grammy nominees face music

MELODY REVELRY: The Recording Academy’s 60th annual Grammy Awards ceremony, celebrating accomplishments in music, takes place today — 6:30 p.m. on CBS — for those who wish to “tune” in.

And Arkansas has its share of nominees. A few that stand out:

The late Glen Campbell of Delight is nominated for Best American Roots Performance for “Arkansas Farmboy.” The song off his farewell album Adios certainly honors his own roots.

Zach Williams of Jonesboro is nominated for Best Contemporary Christian Album for his debut Chain Breaker. The former leader of Zach Williams & The Reformation reformed the wild life he was leading and began working at the Refuge Campus of Central Baptist Church. From his bio: “It was while on the road that the Lord grabbed a hold of him and he decided to leave the rock star life behind.”

Also from Jonesboro, Jonathan Smith — Williams’ writing partner on the single “Chain Breaker” that was nominated for a Grammy last year — is again nominated for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song, this time for co-writing “Hills And Valleys” (recorded by Tauren Wells, who hails from the hills and valleys of Houston).

And up for two awards (Best Country Duo/ Group Performance and Best Country Album) is country foursome Little Big Town. Member Phillip Sweet was raised in the Little Little Town of Cherokee Village.

NAME GAME: The Old State House Museum’s young professionals group has shed its old name.

The Old State House Museum 1836 Club (shortened from The Friends of the Old State House 1836 Club) will now be called Arkansas State House Society. In a news release, President Mallory Cupples said, “As Arkansas State House Society, we want to convey that we are not an exclusive club, but an energetic community of people who appreciate Arkansas history and the teaching of our past to future generations.”

We guessed the group, founded in 2004, wished to separate itself from the other 1836 Club, which opened in 2016 in the historic Packet House on Cantrell Road and is an exclusive, members-only club. From the latter’s website, the1836club.com: “Individual dues will be $250 monthly with a one-time initiation fee of $250. Corporate dues will be $1,000 monthly with a one-time initiation fee of $1,000.”

Not exactly, says Cupples who said her group decided “we would need a name that would set us apart.” Though she admits having another 1836 Club in town “did cause some confusion, but because our organization isn’t as wellknown, I feel like we had more of a problem with recognition as an organization in general.”

What’s the significance of the number 1836? June 15, 1836, is when Arkansas became our nation’s 25th state.

“June 15th” is still available as a club name.