Sudbury Musician Back Home to Discuss Grammy Experience

Linda Chorney isn't shy when comparing the news of being nominated for a Grammy Award and singing the National Anthem in front of a soldout Fenway Park.

She's a Bostonian at heart, and proud of it.

Last year the Sudbury native, an independent singer/songwriter, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Americana Album during the 54th Grammy Awards.

Levon Helm's Ramble At The Ryman beat out Chorney's Emotional Jukebox to take home the Grammy.

But the loss hasn't soured her experience for music, and says there is one lasting memory she is proud of.

"My book. Glad I wrote it," she said to Sudbury Patch through a Facebook conversation. "Glad I got the truth out. I think anybody, not just in the biz will enjoy my journey. Laugh at my expense. It's my pleasure!"

Chorney will read from that new book, "Who the F*** Is Linda Chorney?" at Goodnow Library on Thursday from 7-8:30 p.m.

A 1978 graduate of Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, Chorney shocked the industry by securing a nomination in the Americana category using Grammy 365, the social network for Grammy voters. The book describes her journey as she sought the nomination and the reaction of the industry to a nominee most had never heard of.

"I am very excited about coming back to Sudbury, especially having a Rob Roy at the Wayside Inn," she said. "My original plan scheduled the book tour to coincide with my high school reunion. But now I am more anxious to get to my favorite city in the U.S. to pay my respect after the (Boston Marathon) tragedy. I love Boston. I am so proud to come from Massachusetts. So I am looking forward to coming home ... I won't recite all of the lyrics to "Dirty Water," but it will always be my home no matter where I am."

In a Boston Globe article, the then 51-year-old's unexpected, and first, nomination didn’t sit well with some music industry types, who accused her of gaming the system by signing up for Grammy365, a $100-a-year social networking service that lets indie artists directly connect with Recording Academy voters.

Chorney and her husband, Scott Fadynich, did indeed lobby voters; despite meager sales of her CD they succeeded in scoring a nomination alongside Helm, Lucinda Williams, and Ry Cooder.

The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences has since changed the rules so that an Americana act receiving the most votes is no longer guaranteed a Grammy nomination. A new committee has been created to come up with the list of nominees.

"Last time I was here was a year ago to sing the National Anthem at Fenway. My book was supposed to finish with that happy ending ...," she told Sudbury Patch. "So happy, that I was more excited receiving the news that the Sox wanted me to sing on Ladies Day of the 100-year anniversary against the Yanks, than I was to hear I got nominated for a Grammy!"

Chorney did admit the entire Grammy night wasn't all bad. She attended the nominee dinner with the Allman Brothers, and did a red carpet pose wiht Gregg Allman.

"And certainly losing to the late great Levon Helm was an honor," she said.