The Special Merit Awards Ceremony, where The Clash and other honorees will be celebrated, is scheduled for February 1, 2025, at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles. This event precedes the main Grammy Awards ceremony, which will be broadcast live from the Crypto.com Arena on February 2, 2025.

This year’s #RecordingAcademy‘s Special Merit Awards honorees, from soul-stirring legends to gospel and hip-hop trailblazers, embody a rich tapestry of musical excellence. #GRAMMYs

Learn more: https://t.co/ZKZpzaKm2p pic.twitter.com/PxVnIOGtld

— Recording Academy / GRAMMYs (@RecordingAcad) December 20, 2024

The Clash, formed in 1976, became one of the most iconic rock bands of their era, known for their intelligent protest and stylish rebellion in the late 70s and early 80s. Their recorded legacy spans five albums, including ‘The Clash’, ‘London Calling’, and ‘Combat Rock’, with their music confronting issues such as racism, violence, drugs, love, and police corruption. The dystopian anthem released in 1979, ‘London Calling’, reflects the social, political, and environmental anxieties of the late 1970s in the UK. 

This Lifetime Achievement Award adds to The Clash’s previous Grammy recognition; they won the Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video in 2003 for ‘Westway to the World’.

Strummer’s influence extended far beyond music, as he became a symbol of rebellion, creativity, and activism during his career. The musician co-founded The Clash with Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, and Terry Chimes. The band emerged as part of the first wave of British punk rock. After The Clash disbanded in 1986, Strummer formed Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros in 1999, blending world music, folk, and punk influences.

Strummer was a vocal advocate for various causes, including racial equality, anti-war movements, and environmental protection. He organised and performed at benefit concerts, such as the Rock Against Racism campaign. The Clash’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 further cemented their legacy.

Joe Strummer passed away on December 22, 2002, at age 50 due to an undiagnosed congenital heart defect. The charity Strummerville (The Joe Strummer Foundation) was established in his honour, supporting aspiring musicians and social change projects.

The 2025 Special Merit Awards will also honour other notable artists, including Prince, Frankie Valli, and Taj Mahal, acknowledging their significant impact on the music industry.

Speaking on Strummer and the posted performance, Vedder stated, “I just think that what Joe did with the Mescaleros and those records, those songs and those words, it was a very communal sound, I think when you have a communal sound, the listener feels like they can be part of that community. I can only imagine that he facilitated thousands and thousands of connections.”

Joe Strummer first rose to fame as the co-founder, singer and guitarist of The Clash, the group was formed in the late 70s and soon became a beacon within the era’s rising punk movement. Soon after their formation, The Clash created a key part of music and cultural history, the band’s third studio album London Calling was released in 1979. The album’s lead single “London Calling” soon became a staple of the genre and would go on to define an era and generation.

After Strummer disbanded the band in 1986 he embarked on the next chapter of his career, the talented artist then began his work in film soundtracks and began to release solo material. One of Strummer’s first forays into film music was in 1986 within the film Sid and Nancy, the film charted the chaotic relationship between Nancy Spungen and Sid Vicious from fellow UK punk outfit The Sex Pistols. During the ’90s, Strummer formed his own personal supergroup, The Mescaleros would go onto release three studio albums including “Long Shaddow’s” partner album Streetcore.

The album was released on 21st October 2003 via Hellcat, an independent record label based in California’s Los Angeles. The album was posthumously released after the tragic passing of Strummer in December 2002 and was received with great applause. At its time of release, Mojo magazine stated that “Streetcore is an amalgam of all that made Joe Strummer, the musician and the man, so great.”

JOE STRUMMER 002: THE MESCALEROS YEARS is available September 16th, 2022. Pre-order the 7LP and 4CD boxset NOW at https://t.co/b8vpOhAaev

Including the remastered Mescaleros albums plus demos, outtakes, rarities, previously unreleased songs & items from the Strummer archive. pic.twitter.com/qTrUFwzr3T

— JoeStrummer (@JoeStrummer) July 27, 2022

Last month it was announced that a new box set would be released, Joe Strummer: 002: The Mescaleros Years is set to drop on 16th September 2022. The collection will feature songs by Strummer and The Mescaleros, the box set will mark the first-ever release of an anthology take from group’s entire discography.

Strummer’s widow Lucinda Tait was the executive producer of the upcoming collection and has given the following statement, “There’s so much great music that Joe left us in his archive. To focus on Joe’s work with The Mescaleros was the natural second step on ‘002’ because those songs he made with them just seemed to resonate so strongly and reinvigorated his connection with his audience at a level he hadn’t experienced since his days with The Clash.”

Click here to pre-order Joe Strummer: 002: The Mescaleros Years.

The song played by the talented Clash City Rocker will provide fans a sense of closeness and connection with the singer, the track features Strummer playing an acoustic solo guitar whilst singing a song that was held close to his heart. First heard on an old R&B cassette tape, the song saw Strummer through his music career, from his first band The 101’ers, to The Clash, featured on the bands 1980 album ‘Sandinista!‘, then later in life with Joe Strummer and ‘The Mescaleros. The unreleased cover was found within the artists material and is a must-have for any Joe Strummer or music fan.

The song was originally recorded by James Waynes in 1951 as a blues song, and has been covered by various artists from various musical genres including Dr John and James Booker, as well as The Clash. The song has even influenced other tracks, Chuck Berry himself as admitted that the melody for ‘The Man and The Donkey’ was based and inspired by ‘Junco Partner‘.

The recording will be featured on a new compilation full of carefully selected tracks from Strummer’s career. The album entitled ‘Assembly’ is set to be released on 26th March and will be available in all formats, including limited edition 2LP red vinyl and streaming services everywhere. ‘Junco Partner‘ is available to be streamed immediately and is partnered with a music video created by Spencer Ramsey. The 16-track compilation will also feature remastered and live recordings not just from Strummer’s solo career but will also treat the listener to some covers such as Strummer’s cover of ‘Redemption Song’ originally recorded by Bob Marley. As well as his work on the soundtrack for the 1986 film ‘Sid and Nancy’, on which Strummer had recorded the title track ‘Love Kills’. The film soundtrack also featured another Strummer track entitled ‘Dum Dum Club’.

As well as a deep dive into the legend’s repertory, Strummer fans will also rejoice with the inclusion of live tracks performed by The Clash, the compilation features three unreleased tracks performed by the prolific band including a live performance of ‘Rudie Can’t Fail’. Other live performances include the 1977 ‘I Fought The Law’ off of their self-titled album ‘The Clash’ released the same year. This recording on the compilation was recorded during a live performance at Brixton Academy by Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros. And as a further treat for fans, the compilation includes liner notes which were written specifically for the compilation. The notes are written by Jakob Dylan, an American singer-songwriter best known for his work in the band The Wallflowers as well as being the son of music royalty Bob Dylan.

Born John Graham Mellor, Strummer started his career in The 101ers which he famously left to join The Clash. The Clash went on to be hailed as one of the most influential bands and grace each ‘best of’ lists’ made by magazines and musical institutions. Famed for their arguably best-known track ‘London Calling’, the band released six studio albums from 1977 to 1985. Strummer became a cultural hero and is regarded by many as a huge inspiration in their music as well as their lives. And ‘Assembly‘ is a perfect form of documentation of Strummer’s inspirational creativity.

‘Junco Partner‘ is a perfect expression of Strummer’s raw talent and will give any music fan goosebumps with its magical sense of intimacy.

The album will consist of 15-tracks and a series of live performances of the hit songs Rudie Can’t Fail and I Fought The Law. These performances were from Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros live show at London’s Brixton Academy in 2001.

Yalla Yalla and Johnny Appleseed are among the famed tracks that will feature on Assembly, alongside three previously unreleased mixes of songs by The Clash. Notably, Joe Strummer’s cover of Bob Marley’s Redemption Song will be included in the album, as well as a song that has never been released in any form Junco Partner Acoustic by The Clash.

In 2020 it was announced that Dark Horse Records would be releasing music by Joe Strummer on its platform that year, Dhani Harrison (George Harrison’s son and now owner of Dark Horse Records), stated “It is with great pleasure and excitement that I can finally announce a new chapter for Dark Horse Records in the music industry alongside our friends at BMG. The label started by my father in 1974 has been a family business my whole life (and is indeed even the reason that my parents met.)

That same year Dark Horse released the Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros’ albums Rock Art and The X-Ray Style, Global A Go-Go, and Streetcore. Dhani Harrison continued explaining the new era that included Strummer saying that “From the Indian classical Ragas of Ravi Shankar to the Rock and Roll of ‘Attitudes’ I look forward to reintroducing, to a new audience, all of those artists that my father loved so much. We will also be expanding the Dark Horse family with new artists and classic catalogues in the coming years to include a rich and varied roster of incredible musicians whom we love. Please watch this space! With love, Dhani Harrison.”

Assembly Track List:

01 ‘Coma Girl’, ‘Johnny Appleseed’, ‘I Fought The Law’ (Live at Brixton Academy, London, 24 November 2001)
02 ‘Tony Adams’
03 ‘Sleepwalk’
04 ‘Love Kills’
05 ‘Get Down Moses’
06 ‘X-Ray Style’
07 ‘Mondo Bongo’
08 ‘Rudie Can’t Fail’ (Live at Brixton Academy, London, 24 November 2001)
09 ‘At The Border, Guy’
10 ‘Long Shadow’
11 ‘Forbidden City’
12 ‘Yalla Yalla’
13 ‘Redemption Song’
14 ‘Junco Partner’ (Acoustic)