Today in Apple history: Steve Jobs wins posthumous Grammy

By

Cue
Steve Jobs' death caused an outpouring of support.
Photo: Grammys

February 12: Today in Apple history February 12, 2012: Months after his untimely death, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs is honored with a Special Merit Grammy Award in recognition of his contributions to the field of music with the iPod and iTunes Music Store.

Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of internet software and services, collects the Grammy on behalf of Jobs’ family and “everyone at Apple.”

Steve Jobs wins Grammy

Here’s an excerpt from Cue’s speech accepting the Trustees Grammy Award for his late boss:

“Steve was a visionary, a mentor, and a very close friend. I had the incredible honor of working with him for the last 15 years. Accepting this award means so much to me because music meant so much to him. He told us that music shaped his life, it made him who he was. Everyone that knows Steve knows the profound impact that artists like Bob Dylan and The Beatles had on him.

Steve was focused on bringing music to everyone in innovative ways. We talked about it every single day. When he introduced the iPod in 2001, people asked, ‘Why is Apple making a music player?’ His answer was simple: ‘We love music, and it’s always good to do something you love.’ His family and I know that this Grammy would have been very special to him, so I thank you for honoring him today.”

Celebrating Apple’s contribution to the music industry

Jobs’ death on October 5, 2011, caused a massive outpouring of public grief rarely seen for a business executive.

The way Jobs helped bridge the gap between technology and the humanities made him particularly relevant to the Grammys crowd. Apple shook up the music industry as everything went digital. The iTunes Music Store opened for business in 2003. By February 2010, it ranked as the biggest music vendor in the entire world.

“iTunes is the number one music retailer in the world and features the world’s largest music catalog with over 12 million songs,” Apple said in a 2010 press release.

Jobs’ posthumous Grammy win in 2012 marked the second time The Recording Academy honored him and his company’s accomplishments. Apple won a Technical Grammy Award in 2002 for “outstanding technical contributions to the music industry and recording field.”

What do you think Apple’s biggest contribution to the music industry is? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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