At the 2017 Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 17, 2017, Douglas resident Maureen “Moe” Tucker will receive one of the Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Awards. Tucker, a drummer with the iconic punk band Velvet Underground, will join her surviving bandmates onstage to accept the award.
If you’re not familiar with Velvet Underground, it’s hard to put into words just how influential the band has been. Though the Underground enjoyed limited financial success, the band in general, and Tucker’s drumming in particular, has influenced scores of musicians across every genre since the 1960s. The band’s debut album, The Velvet Underground and Nico, is often cited as one of the greatest albums ever recorded. Rolling Stone placed the band at 19th on its list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, and in 1996, the Velvet Underground was inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame.
Of Velvet Underground, the Recording Academy wrote the following, as quoted in Rolling Stone: “Despite a relatively brief lifespan and limited commercial success, the Velvet Underground are now recognized as one of the most influential rock bands of all time. Comprising Lou Reed, John Cale, Sterling Morrison, and Maureen ‘Moe’ Tucker, the band was, perhaps, ahead of their time, both visually and sonically. Often dubbed the quintessential proto-punk band, they’ve continued to be the benchmark for countless modern-rock movements over the past 50 years.”
Tucker has lived in Douglas for over 30 years. While she has at times returned to the music industry, she has spent much of her time in relative anonymity raising her family. She will step into the spotlight once again in February as she and her bandmates are recognized for their innumerable contributions to the history of rock n’ roll.