People do remarkable things. Here is where I pay tribute to them for making the world a better place.

As someone who often writes songs about social issues, I feel it only fitting to pay tribute to artists whose songs strike a meaningful chord with contemporary issues.

One such song is “Baraye” (2022), by Iranian singer-songwriter, Shervin Hajipour. It was honored at the 2023 GRAMMY AWARDS® with the first-ever Grammy for “Best Song for Social Change.” He wrote it in the wake of Mahsa Amini’s murder and the subsequent protest in Iran, led by women. First lady Jill Biden presented him with the GRAMMY at the awards. You can experience the song here:

Another important song is “In This Twilight,” by American Roots singer-songwriter, Grant Maloy Smith. It is about one man's story of going through cold turkey withdrawal from opioids – a problem especially serious in impoverished parts of America, such as Appalachia, an area near and dear to Grant’s heart. This poignant song is from his album, APPALACHIA: AMERICAN STORIES, and can be heard here in this powerful video:

TRIBUTE