LOS ANGELES: Music greats such as Joan Baez, The Doors and The Grateful Dead won lifetime achievement awards on Saturday, although many of those honoured did not live long enough to receive them.   

The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, which handed out the honours, will bestow another set on Sunday at the Grammy Awards, the music industry’s biggest bash.

“The thing about a lifetime achievement award is being here. We made it and we’re alive," said the Grateful Dead’s Mickey Hart, who stood with co-drummer Bill Kreutzmann to receive the honour.

Doors’ guitarist Robby Krieger was the sole member to appear at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles, although family members of late singer Jim Morrison were on hand.