The 2014 Grammy nominations for Best Dance Recording were a stacked deck. The titans of the genre, Skrillex, Avicii, Calvin Harris, and Swedish House Mafia, were competing with each other. And then there was Al Walser. Yeah, there were surprises about how in the world this guy made it.
People also wondered. The music industry, in general, was perplexed by this relatively unknown person breaking into Grammy nominations. Al Walser has always been a hustler, and this nomination was the only one stop in a career made from a reckless all-in attitude, for better or worse.
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All About Al Walser
Al Walser is a Swiss-born Liechtenstein singer, songwriter, and record producer. Walser first gained fame as a member of the German Eurodance group Fun Factory. Soon he moved away from the dance group to produce and host a weekly syndicated US TOP 20 Show. He also hosted the now-defunct syndicated radio show Al Walser’s Weekly Top 20.
In 2008, Al Walser released his debut album ‘Heart Breaker.’ His single ‘Living Your Dream‘ in collaboration with American singer Jermaine Jackson came out in 2009. He released another ‘I Can’t Live Without You‘ in 2012. This song got him nominated for Best Dance Recording at the 55th Grammy Awards.
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Al Waser’s Controversial Grammy Nomination
The entire music industry was up in arms with Al Waser’s nomination. People wondered how someone with a low profile made it to the Grammys. German musician Zedd accused Al of sampling some beats from the song ‘Spectrum‘ There were speculations that Waser had misused his membership in the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. As a Grammy voter, he could have played a part in his nomination through loopholes in the voting rules.
Al Waser soon rejected these theories around his nominations, saying the nomination resulted from “great music” and “drive.” In an interview with FUSE TV, Walser didn’t mince his words while reacting to the people’s shock at his Grammy nomination, saying, “Some people pay money under the table or exchange sexual favors, and I came in clean!“
Since then, Al Waser has gone on to make more music. He New York International Independent Film and Video Festival Award for Best Music Video for his single ‘I Want My Money Now‘ in 2014. Al has always been an oddball in the eyes of the industry, but he did fulfill his dream of winning a Grammy. This moment of fulfillment came during the Grammy Awards in 2020. As a producer, Al Waser won the Best Children’s Music Album Grammy Award.
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