The Roxy Still Rocks At 50: Why The Sunset Strip Staple Remains A Music Mecca | GRAMMY.com (2024)

A rite of passage for countless bands over the decades and a touchstone for myriad genres, Los Angeles venue The Roxy still rocks at 50.

When the intimate club opened on Sept. 20, 1973 with a three-night stand by Neil Young and the Santa Monica Flyers (who had just finished recording Tonight’s the Night nearby at Studio Instrument Rentals), the sidewalk beneath the marquee was jammed with thousands of people hoping for a ticket.

Neil and Crazy Horse baptized the venue with a blistering garage rock set, while Graham Nash and Cheech & Chong opened. (The Roxy appeared in the comedy duo’s debut movie, Up in Smoke, a few years later.)

The Roxy's opening day┃Mark Sullivan/Getty Images

In its first decade, a who’s who of legends played The Roxy, including: Billy Joel, Jimmy Cliff, the Ramones, Patti Smith, Ettta James, B.B. King, Prince, Herbie Hanco*ck, and the late Jimmy Buffett. Fifty years since Lou Adler opened the doors at 9009 Sunset Boulevard, live music still reverberates inside its four walls.

The legendary venue survived while countless clubs shuttered, thanks to Adler’s passion. The astute entrepreneur and 2019 GRAMMY Trustee Award recepient eventually bought the building — guaranteeing control and preventing a landlord from ever telling him to go.

The club is part of the cultural fabric of the Sunset Strip along with the Whisky A Go Go and the Troubadour. Today a mix of local acts, national touring artists and legends take the stage— earlier this year, two-time GRAMMY winner Shooter Jennings paid tribute to Warren Zevon with a set devoted to the LA songwriter.

A new exhibit at the GRAMMY Museum will pay tribute to the club's legendary past and continued relevance. "Roxy: 50 and Still Rockin’" opens Sept. 18 and runs until Jan. 7, 2024. The exhibit includes behind-the-scenes photos of celebrities at On the Rox (the exclusive club above The Roxy), photos chronicling the original production of "The Rocky Horror Show," plus historic memorabilia from Lou Adler’s archives.

Bringing The Roxy To The Sunset Strip

Catching up with Adler finds the octogenarian in good spirits. Sporting a white toque and white sunglasses that match his goatee, Adler reminisces about The Roxy’s early days, its rich history and its legacy. A framed promotional poster for Up in Smoke hangs on the wall behind the club owner, who discovered the comedic pair at the Troubadour and directed their screen debut. Cheech & Chong returned the favor in 2013 when they inducted Adler into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

These days, Adler leaves the running of The Roxy to his sons. At 89, he prefers to get his live music fix at Coachella. The impresario never imagined the club he opened along with Elmer Valentine (who founded the Whisky) — with additional financial help from a trio of original investors: David Geffen, Elliot Roberts and Peter Asher — would last 50 years.

"I was just looking for next week!," Adler laughs when asked about The Roxy’s golden anniversary. "It is pretty amazing, but it does not feel like forever that I opened the doors. I just took it decade by decade. You put it all together and it adds up to 50."

Lou Adler┃Bezjian/WireImage

When Adler and his partners took over the lease at 9009 Sunset Boulevard, the building housed a strip club called Largo. Adler already co-owned, along with Valentine and Mario Maglieri, the Rainbow Bar & Grill next door. Opening a rock club next to the popular eatery frequented by rock stars and their groupies made sense. The Roxy never played favorites.

"It's based on music … and the music is always evolving," says Lou’s eldest son Nic, who took over ownership of The Roxy in 2000. "We are agnostic when it comes to genre; it's a room that works great for jazz, comedy, hard rock or hip-hop. We are defined by a collection of history rather than by genre."

And, if you attend an event at the storied club, you are a part of that history. "You are never at a show at the Roxy, you are part of the show," adds Nic, who was born the same year The Roxy opened.

David Wild attests to The Roxy’s mojo. Born and raised on the East Coast, Manhattan’s Bottom Line was his touchstone when it came to live music. The music critic and author saw many historic shows at this now long-gone New York City venue before moving to Los Angeles in 1991 to cover the Sunset Strip music scene for Rolling Stone. Arriving in Hollywood, he was well aware of The Roxy’s reputation. Two of his first three dates with his wife happened at the club. The shows were Japanese pop-punk band Shonen Knife and San Francisco alt-rockers Wire Train. Local rock band the Eels were also Roxy regulars in the 1990s and lead singer E (Mark Oliver Everett) played the Wild’s wedding.

In those days, the journalist was a club fixture and treated well. Except, for one strange night.

"I arrived and the doorman said, ‘I’m sorry Mr. Wild, but you are already here," he recalls. "That’s the only time in my life that this has ever happened; there was a David Wild impersonator! They found the guy who had a fake press card and removed him."

To commemorate The Roxy’s 50th, Neil Young’s name returns to the marquee 50 years to the day he inaugurated the joint. On Sept. 20-21, Neil and Crazy Horse will play a pair of sold-out benefit shows. Micah Nelson replaces longtime Crazy Horse member Nils Lofgren, who is currently on tour with Bruce Springsteen.

Springsteen and the E Street Band also have a history with The Roxy. During the 1975 Born to Run tour, the songwriter did a four-night residency there. Three years later he returned for a three-hour set that KMET FM broadcast live. This concert was one of the most popular bootleg tapes Springsteen fans traded for decades until its official release in 2018.

Asked to name a couple of his favorite nights at The Roxy, Lou Adler is quick to answer. "First, Bob Marley, mostly because you had heard about him, heard the music and read about the culture, but then all of a sudden there he was and he brought all of that to the stage. Second, The Clash at Midnight [April 27, 1980]. That was exceptional. Just shy of 500 [people] is what we are told we can put in that room. For The Clash at Midnight show there were 1,300!"

"The Rocky Horror Picture Show": Born At The Roxy, Not In Transylvania

From the outset The Roxy hosted a variety of entertainment, from stand-up comedy (it’s here back in 1981 where Paul Reubens introduced — and perfected — his Pee-wee Herman character) to live theater. "The Rocky Horror Show" opened its inaugural North American run at the club in 1974 before it was made into the cult classic movie. Adler was with his wife in London when she took him to see this off-the-wall musical. He fell in love with the story and songs and inked a deal backstage that same night with the producer to bring the satiric production to America.

For The Roxy Theater one-year run, Tim Curry played the lead role. On opening night, an A-list of Hollywood celebrities attended, including Mick Jagger, Cher, and Jack Nicholson. "The Rocky Horror Picture Show’s" first North American run is also where a young pianist and composer named David Foster got his big break.

Tim Curry performs in a stage production of "Rocky Horror"┃Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

"Everything I have today, really, came from that one year in that tight, little confined space in the Roxy’s balcony playing keyboards in the house band in 'Rocky Horror,'" says Foster in an original documentary short film made exclusively by the GRAMMY Museum to commemorate the Roxy at 50. "That’s where I met everybody. The balcony was probably supposed to sit four people and we were like eight. The two background singers had to stay in the hallway stairs right behind the balcony. That’s where they performed. Somehow we managed to get drums, bass, a saxophone, and two keyboards up there.

"It was tight, but again, I didn’t care," he continues. "I was on my way. And Lou (Adler) probably doesn’t even know this, but he gave me the greatest break of my life when he suggested I be the piano player on the [Rocky Horror Picture Show] album. To my recollection, none of the other players in the band were asked to be on the album. Somehow, I’d managed to get his attention and playing on that album was the start of me doing sessions."

The Roxy Rocks On

Due to The Roxy’s incredible acoustics, dozens of live albums have been recorded there over the past half-century, including: Genesis, Social Distortion, Patti Smith, the Smithereens and Bob Marley and the Wailers. Besides the Neil Young and Crazy Horse 50th anniversary shows this fall, The Roxy will hosting other celebratory concerts including the Wallows and Ricky Lee Jones. Stephen Marley's performance will commemorate his father’s famous set there with the Wailers in 1976.

"The Roxy has had a rich history of legendary shows, including Bob and the Wailers," says the eight-time GRAMMY winner Marley. "I can remember hitting that stage two decades ago with The Melody Makers & The Ghetto Youths Crew. What a night! I am excited to come back and perform new songs from my forthcoming album ‘Old Soul,’ as well as some of my dad’s classics to commemorate 50 years of this iconic venue."

The gravitas of The Roxy as an aspirational venue is not lost on expat Americans. Take musician Bill King. The conscientious objector to the Vietnam War arrived in Toronto in the early 1970s along with his young bride. Despite making his home in Canada for the past 50 years, King returned to the U.S. for many gigs. Playing The Roxy on his 30th birthday (Jan. 28, 1977) as the Pointer Sisters music director was one such show; it was also one of the most memorable moments of his life — and not just because he got to meet a pair of his professional basketball heroes: Julius "Dr. J" Irving and George McGinnis, who were in the crowd.

For the two-night stand, King played grand piano and clavinet along with an all-star band that included James Jamerson (bass); David T. Walker (guitar) and James Gadson (drums). Sonny Burke, Smokey Robinson’s music director, also played the Fender Rhodes.

"That gig was one momentous lesson about groove and pocket," King recalls. "As soon as the band hit the downbeat, I felt something different from the standard jam pocket. It was broader. Gadson played down front of the beat and Jamerson behind. As I’m adjusting to the beat, Jamerson says to me. ‘Gadson is out in front of the beat, and I’m back here — all the real estate in between belongs to you. Build wisely!’ I took a deep breath and searched for that comfort zone between greatness. A pocket so wide you could have a smoke and a beer before the next beat."

People love nostalgic tales like King’s story. This fall music fans, who never experienced the club in its first few decades, can feel what it was like in its heyday at the GRAMMY Museum's "Roxy: 50 and Still Rockin.’"

"I think Lou has the ability to tap into the cultural zeitgeist by setting the right tone with that space," says Jasen Eamons, Chief Curator, Vice President of Curatorial Affairs, GRAMMY Museum. "What he and Elmer [Valentine] wanted from the beginning was to create an intimate space, but also treat the artist with respect by designing dressing rooms where they felt like they were valued."

Many of the photos in the GRAMMY Museum exhibit take you backstage, including a shot of Ronnie Wood paying respect to Muddy Waters and Ringo Starr with his key in the door to On the Rox.

"This is all about Elmer Valentine," comments Lou Adler. "Originally a cop from Chicago, he turned the lights on in L.A .when it came to music venues, starting with P.J.s, followed by the Whisky, the Rainbow and eventually the Roxy. He loved music and loved musicians. He is really responsible for everything that happened and continues to happen on the Sunset Strip. That should not be lost."

As to what the next 50 years hold for The Roxy, it’s anyone’s guess, but as long as there is an Adler interested in the music and the business (Besides Nic, Lou has six other sons and seven grandchildren) the venue’s legacy will endure.

"It’s a family business," Nic concludes. "As long as there is somebody in our family discovering music for the first time — and getting that feeling that you can only get from being five feet from your favorite band — there will always be an Adler to keep the club going."

Years before she was dubbed the "Queen of Christmas" or became the recipient of the Recording Academy's Global Impact Award, Mariah Carey was making a name for herself with R&B earworms and impressive vocal range.

Released 34 years ago today, the New-York native's self-titled debut album featured a tasteful mix of slower, emotional ballads and upbeat anthems. Mariah Carey's lead single, "Vision of Love," offered listeners a first taste of her infamous whistle register and incredible range — it also caught the ear of Academy voters.

Carey was nominated in five categories at the 1991 GRAMMYs, and took home golden gramophones for Best New Artist and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female. The album broke chart records, established Carey as a household name, and ultimately paved the way for her illustrious career.

"It seems like everything I did in the first year that I came out with my first album is like a blur because everything happened so fast for me and I never had the chance to sit down and go 'Wow, this is actually happening,'" Carey recalled in an interview with MTV. "I just, like, went straight ahead."

The success of Mariah Carey was a mix of fate, talent and perseverance. In 1988, a teenage Carey left her family home in Long Island to pursue a music career. She brought with her a four-song demo tape made during her high school years with songwriter/producer Ben Marguiles (who also co-wrote Mariah Carey with several other writers). She continued to shape up the demo tape as she worked multiple jobs, and eventually crossed paths with Latin GRAMMY winner Brenda K. Starr.

Read more: Songbook: How Mariah Carey Became The Songbird Supreme, From Her Unmistakable Range To Genre-Melding Prowess

Carey found herself singing back-up vocals for the artist at live performances, and caught Starr's attention with her astonishing voice. Recognizing her exceptional talent, Starr played a pivotal role in launching Carey's career to new heights.

"I really didn't want to do it, but I said it's gotta be better than what I'm doing now," Carey confessed of the audition in Chris Nickson's book, Mariah Carey Revisited: Her Story. "So I went to the audition, and Brenda was such a great person."

Eventually, Starr brought Carey along to an industry party, where she was able to get her demo tapes into the hands of Tommy Mottola, the then-president of Columbia Records. With stars in his eyes, Mottola listened to the tape and quickly signed Carey to the label.

Upon the album's release, critics overwhelmingly praised 20-year-old Carey's vocal prowess, noting how her debut set a new standard that raised expectations for artists across various genres to follow. The New York Times noted that the release came with "more fanfare and promotional hoopla than [Columbia Records] has bestowed on a new young talent in years." The paper continued to lavish praise on Carey's "pop-gospel voice that is impressive in its power and range and that has elaborate vocal embellishments strikingly reminiscent of Whitney Houston's."

The album featured a whopping four Hot 100 chart-toppers: "Vision of Love," "Love Takes Time," "Someday," and "I Don't Wanna Cry." The album itself spent 11 weeks atop the Billboard 200 — Carey's lengthiest No. 1 to date.

Read more:

Twenty-four years and 15 studio albums later, Mariah Carey transcends time. The album not only serves as representation of Carey’s unwavering determination, but a formative piece of art that jump started a truly spectacular career. While the five-time GRAMMY winner is duly given her flowers for her complex and sprawling catalog, an equal sized bouquet should be laid at the feet of her debut album, which remains a timeless paragon for R&B artists to draw inspiration from.

Black Sounds Beautiful: How Mariah Carey Went From Feeling Out Of Place To One Of The Bestselling Woman Artists Of All Time

Maroon 5 keyboardist PJ Morton's guest-stuffed new album, Cape Town to Cairo, is built on an attention-grabbing conceit. He wrote and recorded it within a 30-day span, while journeying the African continent, visiting Johannesburg, Lagos, Accra, up to Cairo, back down to South Africa.

But a good story is just that, and the entire project — which features Fireboy DML, Mádé Kuti, the Soweto Spiritual Singers, and others — would collapse without quality songs. "The songs were the main thing," the five-time GRAMMY winner says. "It doesn't matter who I have on these songs if I don't have any good songs, so that was the priority."

It's a chicken-or-egg situation; the raw materials of Cape Town to Cairo are solid, but the guests helped them truly pop. Of Nigerian native Fireboy DML, who Morton worked with in his home country: "I had a bit of my song 'Count on Me' already, and he sat there and wrote that in 20 minutes," he says, with awe still palpable in his voice.

Elsewhere, Morton hails South African trumpeter and composer Ndabo Zulu's sense of instrumental space on "All the Dreamers" (which also features singer/songwriter Aṣa), and on the highlife "Who You Are," Mádé Kuti's channeling of his grandfather Fela Kuti's essence.

What was Morton's primary takeaway from the experience? Most of us abstractly understand how much Africa influenced American music; it's another ballgame altogether to witness it firsthand — as this native New Orleanian did.

"When I'm in Lagos, Nigeria, and I'm seeing the horn players play, I'm like, Man, this feels like home," Morton enthuses. "I'm in Ghana, and I hear highlife, I'm like, This feels like a second line or something. And then, I eat jollof rice, and I'm like, Man, this is jambalaya. This is their version."

Read on for the full interview about Cape Town to Cairo, and what Maroon 5's working on in 2024.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

When our CEO, Harvey Mason jr., traveled Africa, he called the experience "mind-bending," "game-changing" and "eye-opening." What was your reaction?

Oh, man. That was constantly happening for me over and over. When someone says, "Welcome home," or I look at money and see a Black man on the money, I'm like, Man. This is a different place, and so much love.

But for me, it was all the connections I was making to my home. I mean, being from New Orleans, a lot of the food, the music, the way they dance in the streets, and the way they celebrate, it just was really a bunch of connections happening for me. I'd say it was a life-changing trip for me.

I totally hear that syncopation and swing in Maroon 5.

Yeah. This is a big statement, but ultimately all our music is African music. It's hard to unsee once you see that. Now, all I see and hear is Africa a lot of times. We've used those three chords and the truth forever. These banjos, these things were created in Africa.

I've been in Maroon 14 years, and I think a reason I connected with the guys is because we're influenced by the same things — even in different worlds that we didn't realize were the same things.

Can you talk about the process of making Cape Town to Cairo while on the road?

That's what was so crazy about this — I created the album in 30 days while in Africa from scratch.

So, there was no time to process and then put it together, which was also just fascinating — something I never do. I take my time. I'm intricate. I cross every T and dot every I, so this was an experiment in trusting my instincts and just trusting what I know that has gotten me this far in music.

That was a really interesting part — because I had to quickly process what I was feeling, or not even fully process, but allow my soul and my body to process it and just write whatever was coming out, and create whatever music that was happening in South Africa.

Sounds like a heavy readjustment of your usual thinking.

As soon as I stepped on the ground and the first day we were in the studio, everybody was kind of on edge because they didn't know what I was going to write. I didn't know what I was going to write, but three songs came immediately.

Three ideas came that very first day I was in the studio, and that kind of relaxed me a bit, but that was the process. It was feel where you are, go in the studio, write some melodies, create some music, come back a few days later, put lyrics to that, and then redo.

And so, we did from South Africa, we started in Cape Town, obviously to Cairo, but with Cape Town. Then we went to Johannesburg, and all in between this, I was doing shows. We were doing concerts. I was doing radio interviews, TV interviews. I really wanted to just engulf myself as fast as I could.

When we got to Lagos, we landed on Fela Kuti's birthday, who's the father of Afrobeat. And man, it was so inspiring for me. I went in the studio the next day in Lagos, and the same thing happened — three songs just like that, three ideas.

One thing that was also different from my process is, sequencing is so important to me, but I couldn't leave Africa without knowing that these songs worked together. So I had to kind of work through that process in a truncated period of time, but I'm so proud of what happened. It's just really listening to my instincts, and it is raw emotion, this album is.

Some of the songs, I didn't realize what I was talking about until after I listened to them, and it was like, oh, I thought I was talking about this, but I'm talking about this.

Such as?

"Please Be Good to Me," specifically, it was like, I thought it was like a sexy love song, vibe song, but I feel like I'm talking to Africa.

Like, Take me to another place. I don't need to be in control. I've promised all these people I'm going to write an album in 30 days. Continent, please be good to me. Just give it to me. I have bad writer's block sometimes, so I was hoping that didn't happen, and it worked out.

Fela Kuti… speaking of people who should be on money. But what's his significance to you, personally?

I just think the way he was a fighter, the way he was a band leader, I really pride myself on musicianship.

Again, being from New Orleans — Afro Orleans is the name of my new band that we're going out with in the summer, and it's the horns, it's the percussion and all of that. So it is in that spirit of Fela. Also, his grandson, Mádé Kuti, is on one of the songs, "Who You Are."

He's the first person that made me pay attention to African music in general. My gateway was Fela. And so, to connect it this way, and to finally be in Lagos where he did it — to be at the shrine — was just special.

You made Cape Town to Cairo in such an intuitive and freewheeling manner. How did you ensure an album came out the other end, and not a bunch of outtakes or something?

It was trial and error, man, because initially I was trying to do so much stuff that I was like, Wait, I lost my voice. You know what I'm saying? I was just trying to do too much, and I was like, OK, let's kind of refocus and keep the main thing. So, I had to cancel some interviews; I had to cancel some things and really focus on the main things.

For me, it was trusting those ideas, the things that felt good. What happens in the studio with me is, sometimes I'll have a good idea, but I'm like, well, I can beat that. Let me try to beat it, and then I'll try to beat it. Sometimes, that first one was the one that was supposed to happen, but technically I'm beating it.

But am I beating it? I don't know, because maybe it wanted to come out in that pure form, and not have me get in the way with all my knowledge and years of [experience].

So I started to really trust that. I really just was like, OK, first idea, let's go. This first melody, that's what came out. Let's go with that. Then, I would write lyrics to my mumble track of the melody that I felt right, that moved me immediately. Thankfully, I've been writing songs for a long time, and we got to it, man.

But you're right — it wasn't just about writing songs in 30 days. It's about writing a complete album that I thought was good in 30 days, which is a completely different thing. But I just locked in, man, and I'm still kind of tripping that it happened this way, but I can literally place every song and remember where I was because it's such a short period of time.

I can't wait to fully see the footage of me creating from scratch. We're working on the documentary now, but I've never seen myself make something from nothing [like] this. So, I'm excited to see the inception to the full thing.

What's Maroon 5 up to?

We just did Questlove's podcast and talked about it a little bit, but we're definitely working on a record. Adam's been on fire writing lately, and we just finished the residency in Vegas days ago. We'll be back in Vegas in September, at Park MGM.

But it's going great, man. The music is coming out really cool. I joined at a unique time, which is after Hands All Over and before "Moves Like Jagger" and all of that stuff. It was a transition when Adam started to bring in co-work, and Hands All Over is the last time they didn't use co-writers.

So, now it's back to just him writing, and it's refreshing. I can't lie. It's exciting.

2024 GRAMMYs: How The New Best African Music Performance GRAMMY Category Is A Massive Win For The World

Of the many reviews of "The Wiz" over the years, one of the most famous comes from none other than Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim.

When asked what his favorite Broadway show is (besides his own), Sondheim named "The Wiz" and said it’s because, "it's the one show which makes you feel better when you come out of it than you did when you walked in."

The original production of "The Wiz" had its pre-Broadway tryout in 1974, with a Broadway premiere in January 1975. In the decades since, it's remained beloved among musical theatre fans, as well as a staple of community theatre. Not only does "The Wiz" boast a 50 year legacy and the distinction of being one of the first shows with an all-Black cast, but the musical itself stands the test of time because of the strength of the music and the message behind it. To accompany a tour and Broadway revival at the Marquis Theatre, the 2024 revival cast recording comes out on June 14, paving the yellow brick road for a new generation of fans to ease on down and enjoy the journey.

While many people remember the 1978 Diana Ross film The Wiz (which also starred a young Michael Jackson), it was a critical and box office flop. The Broadway show, meanwhile, had more success. The show won seven Tony Awards including Best Musical. The original cast recording is the 30th highest selling cast album of all time. In 2017, the original Broadway cast recording of "The Wiz" was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

The tale of Dorothoy's arrival in and travels through Oz has been in the cultural lexicon for over 100 years. "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" was written in 1900 and, 39 years later, the Technicolor Judy Garland movie cemented the iconic story. While "The Wiz" (full title "The Wiz: The Supersoul Musical ‘Wizard of Oz'") is still primarily set in the magical land of Oz, the creators and production team made significant, conscious choices to place "The Wiz" among Black culture of the time. The new production, with an updated book by Amber Ruffin, strives to do the same.

Of "The Wiz," the Smithsonian — which displays costumes from the original production in their National Museum of African American History and Culture — says it is "a tale that celebrates African American street style as a unique subculture and unapologetically American way of life. The song lyrics, script, sets, and costumes all reference and champion the struggles and triumphs of African Americans."

Analysis of the original cast album cites influences from popular music of the time, along with jargon. Most notably, however, and what Sondheim responded to, is that all the songs in "The Wiz" have a message and emotional core that moves the story forward both literally and within each characters’ arc. Instead of the repetitive "Follow the Yellow Brick Road" from the film, "The Wiz’s" "Ease on Down the Road" encourages the characters and then the audience to keep on keeping on with their goals. Lyrics such as "Cause there may be times/ When you think you lost your mind/ And the steps you're takin'/ Leave you three, four steps behind/ But the road you're walking/ Might be long sometimes/ You just keep on truckin'/ And you'll just be fine, yeah," can be applied to anyone’s life problems — not just Dorothy and Company on their fantastical journey.

After vanquishing the Wicked Witch, Evilene, the principals and ensemble sing, "Everybody Rejoice/ Brand New Day," a celebratory song that exudes joy. They sing, "We always knew that we'd be free somehow," which, when placed in American theatre and sung by an all Black ensemble, holds more historical significance than a simple song about escaping capture. Glinda appears and doesn’t just tell Dororthy to click her heels; she tells her to "Believe in Yourself" not only that she can go home, but that she should believe in her own feelings and power inside her heart.

Finally, "Home," which some say takes the place of the classic "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," speaks to a broader character arc and feels more like a pop anthem than a musical theatre song. It has been released as a single throughout the show’s history, including last year by Brandi Carlile to go with the "Ted Lasso" finale. While Garland’s Dorothy learns in the end, "There’s no place like home," "The Wiz’s" Dorothy sings, "And I've learned that we must look/ Inside our hearts to find/ A world full of love/ Like yours, like mine/ Like home."

The original Broadway cast recording is hard to find. It can be purchased on streaming services like Apple, but on Spotify, only the single version of "Home" is playable. "The Wiz: Live!," a well-received televised version, does have a readily streamable soundtrack, but a new Broadway cast album is very welcome. The cast features Nichelle Lewis as Dorothy and television and Broadway veteran Wayne Brady as the titular role; the stage production updates both script and set to feel more more contemporary. Meanwhile, the score has been lightly "refurbished" with additional songs.

"The original ‘Wiz’ was a definitive product of the 1970s in its glam and excess," Brady told the New York Times. "Ours is of this time: We have this place and can just be. From the queerness onstage to the costumes, the musicality, light and bricks. I think instead of fighting to be seen, this ‘Wiz’ is, ‘Oh, you see us.’"

Sondheim’s praise of "The Wiz" is particularly magnanimous because Sondheim’s own show "Gypsy" had a revival in 1974, the same year as the original production of "The Wiz," which meant the two shows battled it out both in box office and awards. A revival of "Gypsy" starring Audra McDonald and directed by George C. Wolfe has just been announced, so both "The Wiz" and "Gypsy" will again be on Broadway. This time, both shows will be led by Black actors and directors.

Broadway has struggled post-pandemic, and America has a lot to learn about love when it comes to race, but, with the release of "The Wiz" back into the world, we get a much-needed infusion of joy. Throughout the last 50 years, there have been many stories and real events that point to a world that is anything but full of love, but, through it all, "The Wiz" holds onto hope.

For countless Americans, "American Idol" is intertwined with core memories as a show that had families eagerly glued to their TVs twice a week. It brought generations together, creating moments of both suspense and excitement that are still remembered today, as the show continues to run in its 22nd season.

Created by visionary entrepreneur Simon Fuller, "American Idol" premiered on June 11, 2002, as a fresh spin-off of the British program "Pop Idol." It revolutionized how Americans engaged with reality TV through its interactive, viewer-driven voting system, which encouraged audience participation in the success of their favorite contestants. The show also offered viewers a glimpse into contestants' candid backstories and personal journeys, anchoring emotional investment and skyrocketing the show's popularity.

The show's debut season featured a dynamic trio of judges: singer Paula Abdul, TV personality Simon Cowell, and producer Randy Jackson. Their contrasting personalities brewed a chemistry as captivating as the hopeful performances. Abdul’s warmth, Cowell's blunt wit, and Jackson’s humor added extra layers of entertainment, making the twice a week broadcasts a must-watch.

The first season of "American Idol" also unforgettably introduced the country to Kelly Clarkson. Since her debut — with a heart-tugging backstory about being the average girl-next-door with big dreams — Clarkson has gone on to tour the world, host her own TV talk show, and secured her spot as one of music’s most beloved talents.

"I had dreams since I was a little girl that I wanted to be on the GRAMMYs, or some award show and sing on there," Clarkson mentioned in her pre-audition interview. Flash forward 22 years, the pop singer has accumulated 17 GRAMMY nominations and three wins, propelled by a powerful vocal gift.

Other artists who launched their careers from the show's platform include Jordin Sparks, Carrie Underwood, Adam Lambert, and Jennifer Hudson, who each serve as testament to the show’s impact in music.

"American Idol" has not only opened our eyes to some of our favorite musicians, but it also has given us some of our favorite pop culture moments.

A video that frequently resurfaces on social media captures a memorable moment between Katy Perry and contestant Noah Davis, where they bond over the slang term 'wig'.

"No, it’s not your language. It’s just for us," Perry joked to her fellow judges, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, when they questioned the term’s meaning.

After two decades on air, "American Idol" has etched a lasting legacy in pop culture. It has paved the way for other reality TV music shows and created lasting memories for music fans along the way.

“The show transcends age, gender, ethnicity, everything,” Underwood told Billboard in 2005.