Former Ashevillean Secret Agent 23 Skidoo was awarded a Grammy for Best Children’s Album for his record Infinity Plus One. The album, recorded at Echo Mountain, is high concept, genre-crossing, and was the kid-hop artist’s leap into all-ages music.
“The ideas I had were all over the map musically, and I wanted to indulge all of it, from full brass band and a DJ, to strings, harp, Gypsy-jazz guitar, analog synths — everything,” Skidoo told Xpress last year. “Also, I went in deep on the album art. I collaborated with three artists [from] London, NYC and Asheville to make it look tight, and it even glows in the dark. There’s a secret message on the back when you activate the glow-in-the-dark layer that is the first clue to guide you toward a hidden prize and free stuff. I went crazy and did everything I wanted on this one.”
This was Skidoo’s second Grammy nomination and first win. During his acceptance speech, at the 59th annual awards show, he dedicated the win to his daughter Saki, who was at the ceremony. He also thanked his wife and bandmate Brooke Sullivan, Echo Mountain Recording and Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band who, he said, “played most of the music on this album.” Marley Carroll, Ryan Barber, Debrissa McKinney, members of stephaniesid, Zansa, Sirius B, The Fritz and The Secret B-Sides also contributed to the album.
Skidoo also thanked “all the other musician who made me who I am, especially GFE for raising me, and the Asheville, North Carolina, music scene for being endlessly unique.” And, in a speech that was both thoughtful and wholly authentic, he went on to cheer “all the fantastic musicians making intelligent music for families that is awesome and does not suck.”
