In what might have been the cutest moment of last night’s Grammy Awards, singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile’s wife Catherine Shepherd and their two children introduced her live performance. Take a look—and see what advice she’s shared for other LGBTQ families.
Carlisle won Grammys for Best Rock Song (“Broken Horses”), Best Rock Performance (“Broken Horses”), and Best Americana Album (In These Silent Days), bringing her lifetime Grammy total to nine.
Shepard took the stage before Carlile’s live performance to say:
Millions of you watching tonight fell in love with the next performer four years ago when she took the Grammys stage for the first time and delivered one of the most iconic performances in Grammy history. I was lucky enough to marry her more than a decade ago, so I was way ahead of you. It means the world to me to stand here tonight with our beautiful daughters by my side and introduce you, in our humble opinion, to one of the greatest, most authentic artists and human beings on the planet. Here to rock our faces off with “Broken Horses,” from her Grammy-nominated album In These Silent Days, my wife and their mama, Brandi Carlisle!
The kids chimed in to shout Carlile’s name together at the end.
(Thanks, GLAAD!)
Broken Horses is also the name of Carlile’s memoir, in which she shares the story of her life, from a childhood growing up in poverty, to nearly dying from bacterial meningitis at age five, coming out as a lesbian in her teens, starting her music career, and continuing to tour and perform while raising two children with her wife.
In a 2021 piece for Parents magazine, she wrote about raising two kids with her wife and how we queer parents have to pave our own way. She offered this advice: “This is my wish for LGBTQ+ families who are treading out on the ice: Keep on moving the world forward and being honest about your family and your experience. Be clear and vocal about the importance of cultural representation.”
Congratulations to her and to her whole family! May she keep singing out and speaking out.