Singer Thelma Houston scores replacement for Grammy damaged in Northridge earthquake

Thelma Houston has finally received a replacement for her earthquake-damaged Grammy on the 25th anniversary of the Northridge terror tremors.
The singer took receipt of her brand new Grammy during her An Evening With Thelma Houston at The Grammy Museum in Los Angeles on Thursday (17Jan19).
The original 1978 R&B Vocal Performance of the Year statuette for Don’t Leave Me This Way was broken when a 6.7 magnitude earthquake shook her home in 1994.
“The horn portion of it was all smashed in, so the Grammy folks said, ‘We’d better do something about that’,” Thelma told Billboard ahead of her show.
“Someone told me years ago that I should get it replaced. And you do have to give up the old one. But though it was broken. That Grammy had all my vibes. It had been there with me through all the changes in my life. So even though I was excited about getting a new one, it was still hard to replace it. I had the three pieces sitting up proudly. People might think I was being cavalier about this, but it’s just the opposite. It meant a lot to get this, and it still means a lot because everyone that records doesn’t get a Grammy.”
The singer admits Thursday night’s presentation was much more special than her original victory – Thelma was mopping the kitchen floor when she learned she’d won a Grammy.
“This was my second nomination… (and) I was like, ‘Oh, I’ve got strong competition this time’,”she recalled. “My reasoning (for not going to the awards show) was I wasn’t sure how I’d respond if they didn’t call my name. I was at home mopping the kitchen when I got the call that I’d won… That’s the biggest regret I have in my career – that I wasn’t there to receive the award myself.”