 The 51st National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Awards, otherwise known as the Grammys, honored an eclectic mix of the world’s musicians this past weekend, but a pair of the youngest ones, CHRIS BROWN, 19 and RIHANNA, 20 stole the show. In a story that is still developing, BROWN nominated for 2 awards this year, and RIHANNA, nominated for 3, are alleged to have had some kind of physical confrontation early Sunday morning, after leaving CLIVE DAVIS’ legendary pre-Grammy party at the Beverly Hilton in a rented silver Lamborghini. The two were seen together Friday night at a pre-Grammy party at Boulevard 3 where TIMBALAND and RIHANNA entertained the crowd.
BROWN and RIHANNA were scheduled to be in the broadcast Sunday evening, but about 2pm each let the organization know of their unavailability to appear for the gala. BROWN was busy turning himself in to the Wilshire division of LAPD, where he posted bail and was released after several hours. It is not known why RIHANNA pulled out of the show, but she is reported to have been “severely bruised” about the face.
NEIL PORTNOW and the producers of the show scrambled to fill RIHANNA’S planned performance of “Live your Life” and “Disturbia”, which was scheduled as the second live act after U2 opened the show, landing the combo of The Reverend AL GREEN, JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, BOYZ 2 MEN and KEITH URBAN who sang “Let’s Stay Together.” AL GREEN told the press backstage, “We had 2 hours and 40 minutes to rehearse, come back onstage and change and then go out and do it.”
The odd collaboration was in keeping with the rest of the show, which saw some interesting pairings, from the JONAS BROTHERS and STEVIE WONDER to MILY CYRUS and TAYLOR SWIFT to RADIOHEAD performing with the USC Marching Band, and Best New Artist ADELLE with SUGARLAND. Perhaps the oddest coupling was the one that won the most awards on this night, ROBERT PLANT and ALISON KRAUSS. They took home 5 Grammys, including Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Best Pop Collaboration, Best Country Collaboration and Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album.
 When it was all over, it was the 22nd through 26th Grammys for KRAUSS, the industry’s most decorated performer. But in an interesting twist, it was a rare Grammy for ROBERT PLANT, who had a legendary career with the band LED ZEPILLIN. (Actually, in some quirk of timing and NARAS rules, ROBERT and ALISON won a Grammy last year for the very same album, making it his first, but who’s counting and who can keep track of the rules of qualification for one of these statue?)
"I'm bewildered. In the old days, we would have called this selling out. Now, it seems like a nice way to spend a Sunday," PLANT told journalists in the press room, some 20 minutes after the show ended. He and krauss seemed all too excited to do the rounds after their victorious night.
LIL WAYNE, who was nominated for 8 awards took home 4, for Best Rap Album, Best Rap Solo, Best Rap Duo and Best Rap Song for the ubiquitous “Lolipop.”
He also took center stage twice in the show, Once with ROBIN THICKE, and then again with T.I., JAY-Z, KANYE WEST and a very pregnant M.I.A., who was due to deliver on this day, and who had a corner of loud protestors outside Staples condemning her “support of terrorism” in her country Sri Lanka. (She has taken it upon herself to voice the cause of Tamil minority, undergoing a tradgic genocide in her country.) M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes” is sampled in “Swagger Like Us”, and has a song, “O…Saya” in the movie Slumdog Millionaire, which is nominated for an Oscar.
 Other multiple winners included COLDPLAY who took home Song of the Year for “Viva la Vida”, as well as Best Pop Performance by Group and Best Rock Album. Ironically, Joe Satriani, who claims the song is copied from his work, “If I Could Fly”, is suing COLDPLAY for copyright infringement, and there was a fear that the band would be served papers on the red carpet, though that drama did not materialize.
DAFT PUNK won for Best Dance Recording and Best Electronic/Dance Album. ADELE, whose haunting “Chasing Pavements” has rocketed since her performance of it on SNL back in December, won twice, for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal. JOHN MAYER won for Best Male Pop Vocal and Best Solo Rock Perfomance. Actress TIA CARRERE won a Grammy for Best Hawaiian Music Album. A deceased GEORGE CARLIN beat out KATHY GRIFFIN for Best Comedy Album. And even AL GREEN, who was called out of the shower to perform on short notice, took home 2 Grammys.
The highlight of the press room, with all the supernova stars on parade, and with all the brewing drama with the youngsters, was one PAUL McCARTNEY, who as a performer, decided to pay the press a visit. Most performers, and even presenters shun doing the media rounds backstage. But here it was, 4pm, with little going on other than classical producers, and album note designers taking their turns at the microphone, and the announcement came over the speakers:
"Ladier and gentleman, a performer tonight, Mr. Paul McCartney."
The legend non-chalantly took the stage in faded Levi 501's and a simple black jacket, and proceeded to tell the few members of the media in the room at the time about the shirt he was wearing, brandishing a picture of the Beatles, taken by his late wife Linda, designed by his daughter Stella. He spoke of The White Album, calling the work "fine", and was remarkably humble in describing his finest achievment, writing the song "Yesterday", which he was so thrilled to have so many artists cover, including the likes of Elvis and Ray Charles. "I should be so lucky," he said. Wow!
He went on to say that song came to him in a dream, and that he believed in magic. Magic indeed!
On Friday, the weekend got off to a flying start when MUSICARES honored NEIL DIAMOND, 68, in a star-studded benefit, with JENNIFER HUDSON, COLDPLAY, FOO FIGHTERS, THE JONAS BROTHERS, ADELE and KID ROCK, among others, playing their take on DIAMOND classics. NEIL took the stage to sing 5 of his favorite songs, including “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” with FAITH HILL filling in for BARBRA STREISAND, and a finale with the entire cast of characters, “Sweet Caroline.”
For the first time, CLIVE DAVIS’ bash on Saturday night at the Beverly Hilton was an official Grammy event, with CLIVE being honored with the President’s Merit Award, handed over by NARAS president NEIL PORTNOW.
The guest list at this annual event is a tribute to CLIVE DAVIS’ influence in the music business and the careers of so many artists. Not only were CHRIS BROWN and RIHANNA there. They were joined by the likes of PRINCE, PAUL McCARTNEY, SYLVESTER STALLONE, PAULA ABDHUL, KARA DIOGUARDI, DUFFY, ESTELLE, KANYE WEST, THE JONAS BROTHERS, KATY PERRY, SHERYL CROW, FANTASIA, will.i.am, CARRIE UNDERWOOD, CHRIS DAUGHTRY, RYAN SEACREST, QUINCY JONES, NATALIE COLE, TAYLOR SWIFT, FOO FIGHTERS, HERBIE HANCOCK, ANDY WILLIAMS, MILEY CYRUS, MISSY ELLIOTT, VAL KILMER, JON VOIGHT, MELANIE GRIFFITH, ANTONIO BANDERAS and JOAN COLLINS.
Performances at the party of the year included JENNIFER HUDSON singing “Spotlight”, ROD STEWART doing “Some Guys Have All The Luck”, LEONA LEWIS encoring “Bleeding Heart” which she debuted at the party last year, SEAN COMBS and FAITH EVANS doing “I’ll Be Missing You”, KELLY CLARKSON singing “My Life Would Suck Without You”, “KINGS OF LEON” blazing “Sex on Fire” and JOSH GROBAN singing “Bridge Over Troubled Waters”.
But the show stopper, of all showstoppers, on a night that would stop most shows, was the triumphant return of WHITNEY HOUSTON to the performance stager. She has been rumored to be working on a comeback for years now, with an album due ad infinitum. But there she was, in a full-length leopard gown with spaghetti straps, singing a medley of her rapturous hits, “”I Will Always Love You”, “I Believe in You and Me”, “It’s Not Right” and “I’m Every Woman.”
WHITNEY is back, was the talk of most of the Grammy winners who did the press Sunday. WHITNEY has got a new album on the way, was the renewed mantra of many of her fans and collaborators. WHITNEY HOUSTON, at the age of 45 is back.
As hard as they tried, CHRIS EVANS and RIHANNA could not touch this weekend. PRINCE closed the festivities with an after hours party at his house in the Hollywood Hills for a slect few very special guests.
You can’t touch this!
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