Washington, December 13
Sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar will be honoured with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously, organisers of the Recording Academy announced today, the first Indian to get the prestigious award.

The award would be presented on February 10 at the 55th Grammy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles.

The 92-year-old Shankar, a three-time Grammy winner, died yesterday after undergoing a heart-valve replacement surgery at the Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, California.

“The decision to honour Ravi was made before his death. He was personally notified by phone by our President/CEO Neil Portnow last week,” Grammy spokeswoman Stephanie Schell told PTI after the awards were announced.

“Just last week, I had the honour to inform him that he would receive a 2013 Lifetime Achievement this February. He was deeply touched and so pleased, that he extended a gracious and personal invitation to visit with him at his home,” Portnow said.

Shankar was a true pioneer in introducing Indian music to the West, he said, adding the music icon influenced artists across classical, jazz, pop, rock, and world music genres, including the Beatles. — PTI