Since its founding in 1998, the esteemed Mark Twain Prize for American Humor has been given to a number of iconic American comedians, such as Whoopi Goldberg, Will Ferrell, Adam Sandler, and, most recently, Kevin Hart. Actor Bill Murray, who starred in Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day, attended the 2016 ceremony. When Miley Cyrus opened the festivities with a rendition of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way,” nobody could have predicted the amazing caliber of her performance.
Like Sinatra’s 1969 classic, Miley’s version opens with a grand piano as the background, a waltz-like tempo embellished with pop icon vocal runs, and clever asides interspersed between words. Bill Murray, who was seated in the audience, gave Miley a standing ovation as she ascended the stage and watched her first verse with tears in his eyes.
Miley’s revised words came to the end of her cover’s first line, “Bill did it his way.” Miley said, “So am I!” as a flurry of electric guitars suddenly broke the song’s solemn tone. Her pianist, who suspiciously resembled an unidentified Matt Lucas, responded by dancing wildly and incorporating synths into Miley’s rock arrangement.
Those who have never seen Miley’s rock covers may be shocked by this edgy performance, in which she dons a silver glitterball bodycon outfit. She has received 180 million views for her three-year YouTube cover of Blondie’s “Heart Of Glass,” 24 million views for her duet with Metallica on “Nothing Else Matters,” and over 7.7 million views for her performance of Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here.” With over 3 million views on YouTube, “My Way” continues Miley’s trend of rock cover songs that are better than the originals.
