If there's one group of people you don't want to upset, it's Justin Bieber super-fans. Sunday night, these Beliebers weren't just upset when their beloved teen idol didn't take home the Grammy for best new artist; they were enraged! And unfortunately, Esperanza Spalding, the singer who did receive the prestigious honor, learned firsthand just how cruel the wrath of Bieber fever can be.
Spalding, a 27-year-old Portland, Oreg., native, is an up-and-coming jazz bassist and singer with three albums under her belt. Her last album -- and the one she was nominated for -- was 2010's Chamber Music Society, and her fourth effort, titled Radio Music Society, is on the way. Lest you think Spalding is a complete unknown, she recently supported Prince -- whom she calls a "dear friend" -- on his "Welcome 2 America" tour, and has even jammed in the Purple One's basement and talked genetic biology with him (oh, to be a fly on the wall for that conversation).
Like Bieber, Spalding is a self-taught musician raised by a single mother. But whatever hard work and talent the girl might have working in her favor meant nothing to a furious frenzy of Beliebers who hacked her Wikipedia page when she unexpectedly won the award for best new artist at the Grammys Sunday night.
At one point the Biebs' overzealous followers changed Spalding's middle name to "Justin" and "Quesadilla" in the page's bio section, and even added that the singer should "GO DIE IN A HOLE." Harsh! Spalding's Wikipedia page became a venting ground for ardent Beliebers who liberally edited in their rage and disbelief that the newcomer could "steal" this honor from their 16-year-old superstar. Several hundred scorned Bieber fans also took to Twitter to express their rage, frantically comparing the relatively unknown Grammy winner to the "robbed" mop-topped heartthrob with millions of fans.
Looks some someone needs to explain to these Beliebers what it means to be a good sport, and perhaps that a 3-D feature film and nail polish line aren't necessarily prerequisites to taking home Grammy gold. We just hope the Bieber fans' bitterness didn't put a damper on Spalding's exciting accomplishment as a musician!
Do you feel bad that Esperanza Spalding's Grammy win was tainted by angry Justin Bieber fans?
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