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Oklahoma composer Kitt Wakeley wins Grammy Award for Best Classical Compendium

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The Recording Academy
Starr Parodi, Kitt Wakeley and Jeff Fair pick up their Grammy Award on Sunday.

Several Oklahoma musicians were honored with Grammy nominations, but only one came home a winner Sunday night.

First time nominee Kitt Wakeley won a Grammy in the Best Classical Compendium category, along with co-producers Starr Parodi and Jeff Fair.

The orchestral album, An Adoption Story, was recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios, and partially engineered at ACM@UCO's studios in Oklahoma City.

Wakeley, who was raised in Holdenville and lives in Edmond, says the album is a musical interpretation of his own journey as a child in the foster care system, and now as an adoptive parent of three siblings.

Wakeley appeared on KOSU's music podcast in 2021. Listen to that conversation here, or wherever you get podcasts.


In another Oklahoma connection, Tulsa singer, songwriter and producer Ryan Tedder co-wrote songs featured on two Grammy-winning albums.

Tedder's song "Higher" is on Michael Bublé's album by the same name, which won Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, and his song "A Thousand Shades" is featured on Ozzy Osbourne's Patient Number 9, which took home the Grammy for Best Rock Album.

Ryan LaCroix is the Director of Content and Audience Development for KOSU.
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