Booker T. won a GRAMMY in 1997 for his work with Booker T. & The MGs, taking home honors for Best Pop Instrumental Performance. He was named a GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award recipient ten years later, also for his work with the MGs.

But on Sunday night at the 52d Annual GRAMMY Awards, Booker T. scored his first-ever GRAMMY as a solo artist, winning the Best Pop Instrumental Album trophy for his April 2009 release Potato Hole (Epitaph/ANTI-). Potato Hole, on which Booker is backed by the blistering Drive-By Truckers, was Booker T.'s first new album in nearly two decades, and the lead single "Warped Sister" had been nominated for Best Rock Instrumental (the legendary Jeff Beck took home that award.)

On the Friday night before the GRAMMY ceremony, Booker T. appeared at the MusicCares benefit event honoring his old friend Neil Young--who contributed guitar work to Potato Hole . As part of what Rolling Stone called "a true power trio" (along with Keith Urban and John Fogerty) Booker T. played keys on a rousing rendition of “Rockin’ in the Free World.”

Potato Hole and two tracks from the album, "Hey Ya" and "Space City," were all included in The Village Voice's annual Pazz and Jop poll, which tablulates the votes of over 697 music critics' in an attempt to distill the most important music of the prior year. Potato Hole was also recognized by No Depression in its Top Albums of 2009. Finally, yet another Potato Hole track, "Pound It Out," will be prominently featured in Ken Burn's forthcoming "Tenth Inning," an epilogue to the filmmaker's acclaimed nine-part "Baseball" documentary series.

Following the GRAMMY's, Booker T. left California for the Pacific Rim, where he has a whirlwind tour of Japan slated, prior to returning to the States to work on his as-yet-untitled follow-up to Potato Hole.

Booker T scored two nominations for the 52d Annual GRAMMY Awards for his April 2009 release Potato Hole, including Best Pop Instrumental Album. The track 'Warped Sister' from the album was nominated for Best Rock Instrumental, competing for that honor with tunes by Jeff Beck, Brad Paisley, Brian Setzer and Steve Vai. Booker previously won a GRAMMY for Best Pop Instrumental in 1994 with the MGs for the song Cruisin', but this marks the first time he has been nominated for a solo record. Potato Hole was Booker T's first new album in nearly two decades. The GRAMMYs will be held January 31, 2010 in Los Angeles and telecast on CBS at 8 PM EST.

Booker is also going to perform at the MusiCares Person of the Year Tribute to Neil Young to be held January 29th in Los Angeles. Performers include Jack Black, Jackson Browne, CSN, Elton John, Norah Jones, Dave Matthews, John Mellencamp, Dierks Bentley, Red Hot Chili Peppers, James Taylor, Wilco and many others.

Stay tuned for word on a new record and upcoming tour dates.

Booker is on Twitter and if you'd like to follow him and get the latest updates on what he's doing directly from Booker, you can do so here :
http://twitter.com/BookerTJon

Click here to check out the USA Today preview on Booker T.'s new record, Potato Hole, out April 21, 2009 on ANTI- Records.

The official word:

TRAILBLAZING SOUL MAN BOOKER T WRITES MOST AUDACIOUS CHAPTER OF HIS CAREER WITH ANTI- RECORDS DEBUT POTATO HOLE, SET FOR APRIL 21 RELEASE

ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAMER IS BACKED BY DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS AND NEIL YOUNG ON FIRST SOLO ALBUM IN TWENTY YEARS

JAZZFEST PERFORMANCE CONFIRMED WITH OTHER FESTIVAL DATES FORTHCOMING

With Booker T. and the MGs he led one of the first-ever integrated groups to soul immortality. As a producer, he has helmed sessions for million sellers. On April 21st, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Booker T will write the boldest, most dramatic chapter of his fifty year career with the release of his searing new album Potato Hole, on Anti- Records.

With backing from the Drive-By Truckers (at left) and guitar contributions from Neil Young on nine of the album's ten tracks, Potato Hole is the rawest, funkiest music Booker T has recorded since his archetypal hit Green Onions. Booker T plays organ, acoustic and electric guitar on Potato Hole and wrote seven of the album's songs. Potato Hole was recorded last fall in Georgia and California and produced by Booker T and Rob Schnapf.

Booker T will tour extensively in support of Potato Hole. An April 24 Jazzfest performance with the Drive-By Truckers has already been confirmed, with other festival dates to be announced soon.

Booker T was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 with his group The MGs. In 2007 he earned a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. His production credits include Bill Withers' debut album Just As I Am, and Willie Nelson's Stardust.

Booker T :: Potato Hole

For more info and press tool, visit:
http://www.shorefire.com/clients/bookert