Grammys

November
30
Grammy Museum Snares J-Lo's Dress

Jlodress
Five album of the year Grammys, guitars owned by Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger's banjo will be on display when the Grammy Museum opens to the general public on Friday.
Cool as those items are -- there will be nearly 500 artifacts on display in addition to historical and interactive displays - the amount of attention they receive may pale next to the another coveted item: The green dress Jennifer Lopez wore to the 2000 ceremony.
It was one of the first items executive director Bob Santelli inquired about requiring and one of the last pieces secured for the museum located in the L.A. Live complex.
"We traced it to Versace and they were kind enough to lend it to us," Santelli said during a tour of the museum while it was in the final stage of construction.
Among the other pieces of clothing: Luciano Pavarotti's tuxedo, a gown from Ella Fitzgerald and an outfit from 1956 worn by Johnny Cash.
Instruments: a bass owned by Jimi Hendrix, Yo-Yo Ma's cello and one of Earl Scruggs' early banjos, plus the typewriter used by lyricist Sammy Cahn.
A complete story on the museum can be found here.
The Grammy Hall of Fame will add 28 new recordings, among them the Police's 1983 album "Synchronicity," the soundtrack from the film "The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly," "Love Theme from The Godfather," Queen's "We Are The Champions/We Will Rock You" and "Let The Good Times Roll" by Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five. Full list.

November
17
Rapper, Country Thrush to Host Grammy Nominations Concert

LL Cool J and Taylor Swift will co-host “The Grammy Nominations Concert Live!” on CBS on Dec. 3. Mariah Carey has been added as a performer to the one-hour special that will take place at Nokia Theater.

October
22
Foo Fighters, B.B. King Among First Performers for Grammy Nominations Show

The televised concert that will include the announcement of the Grammy nominations will include performances by Celine Dion, Foo Fighters, B.B. King, John Mayer and Taylor Swift. The special will be broadcast from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Dec. 3. All of them are Grammy winners with the exception of Swift.

October
16
Grammys Recast the Nominations Announcement as a CBS Special

Grammy Remember that list of Grammy nominees you are accustomed to reading in the newspaper the day after the announcement? It's highly unlikely you will see it printed anywhere this year.
The Grammy Awards are taking their nominations to primetime, quite possibly at the expense of news coverage.
In a first for the Recording Academy, nominations in at least six categories will be announced during “The Grammy Nominations Concert Live! — Countdown to Music’s Biggest Night,” which CBS will broadcast Dec. 3. The concert, to be held in the Nokia Theater at L.A. Live,  will celebrate the opening of the Grammy Museum in the complex.
It is the first time the Grammy noms have been delivered in primetime and the first significant move by a peer awards body to stem the declining interest in kudoscasts. If you think awards shows are boring, you should try attending the reading of nominations.
The televised one-hour concert will feature past Grammy winners and nominees who will give performances and then announce nominations in several categories. Event, which starts at 6 p.m. on the West Coast and airs live in the East, will be followed by an hourlong concert by one of the evening’s performers and then a gala to the opening of the museum. Tickets will be available to the public for the the events.
Grammy nominations are usually announced about 8:30 a.m. in the host city about 2½ months prior to the ceremony. Unlike the Oscar announcement, it is not carried live by the morning news programs. The Grammy organization generally has about 10 artists on hand for the announcement, who then do interviews, mostly for various TV news and entertainment programs.
By announcing the full slate of noms — about 110 categories — at 7 p.m. in L.A., the academy will force many East Coast publications to move deadlines or reduce coverage, especially any daily that intends to print any or all of the list. For TV’s entertainment newsmags, Grammy noms will be about 24 hours old by the time the next episode airs and may get bumped.
The televised concert will give the Grammys a leg up in one arena, the morning news programs, especially CBS’ “The Early Show,” which will have the night to assemble packages featuring artists who attend the nominations concert.
An insider said Grammy officials were predicting that news coverage of the noms was most likely migrating to the Internet, bolstering the notion that the nighttime announcement would have more impact than news stories and analysis a day later.
The Grammy Awards, like many kudoscasts, have had ratings struggles. The 50th annual kudoscast, held in February, attracted their smallest overall audience since 1995. At its peak, the show was watched by 20.1 million viewers. Among adults 18-49, the 50th Grammys came in 20% lower than the previous year.

June
5
Grammy Museum To Open Doors in December

Grammmuse The Grammy Museum will have its grand opening from Dec. 3 to 7 with events that include a gala fund-raising concert and live music presentations,
Located in the L.A. Live complex at Olympic ad Figueroa, the 32,000 square-foot museum will be four floors of  multimedia presentations that explore and celebrate the legacies of all forms of music, the creative process, the art and technology of the recording process, and the history of the awards.
Rock and blues historian Bob Santelli has been named executive director of the museum.
Museum will present educational and public programs featuring films, lectures and performances in its 200-seat Grammy Sound Stage, and will host special programs and private events throughout the many L.A. Live venues, as well as on its rooftop terrace. The opening is the culmination of the Grammy Awards' 50th anniversary celebration.
Grand opening activities include a media day and evening VIP reception on  Dec. 3; a gala fundraising concert on  Dec. 4; school groups and educators tours on  Dec. 5; a morning ribbon-cutting ceremony with music on the Nokia Plaza throughout the day on Dec. 6; and more live music on Dec. 7. The Grammy Museum officially opens to the public on Dec. 6.
Neil Portnow, president/CEO of the Recording Academy, said the "museum will provide visitors a unique and hands-on opportunity to experience music's rich legacy, as well as the special process that goes into creating it. The Museum also will allow guests a behind-the-scenes, in-depth look at the backstage preparations, excitement, energy and power of music's biggest night — the Grammy  Awards. "Crossovers
After a greeting in the lobby visitors will be taken to the fourth floor where the museum tour begins. Gallery space is filled with films, artifacts and interactive exhibits.  The third floor takes guests behind the scenes into the art and technology of the recording process.  The second floor houses the Grammy Sound Stage and will feature an exclusive film that captures the backstage world of the 50th annual awards ceremony. The second floor also is home to the Museum's Special Exhibits Gallery.  The first traveling exhibit, "Songs of Conscience, Sounds of Freedom," will explore the depth to which music has been, and continues to be, a political force in society.
Museum will be run by the Grammy Museum Foundation, a non-profit organization created by the Recording Academy, with the collaboration and financial support of AEG, which owns and operates L.A. Live.

May
21
Grammy Awards Stay in L.A.

The Grammy Awards are staying with Los Angeles and a Sunday night ceremony, announcing a Feb. 8 show at Staples Center. Nominations will be announced Dec. 4.

February
19
Grammys Pump Sales For Herbie, Amy, Gospel

Herbie Despite the low ratings and a litany of performances of music recorded long before 2007, the Grammy Awards will provide significant boosts for several telecast performers and winners.
Album of the year winner, Herbie Hancock's "River: The Joni Letters," is expected to rise about 150 slots into the 10. Amy Winehouse, who won five trophies and whose performance in London was shown via satellite, is looking at a return to the top five.  Winehouse's "Back to Black" has also benefited from an advertised Best Buy sale price of $7.99.   
Alicia Keys' "As I Am," the annual Grammy nominees disc,  Robert Plant & Alison Krauss' "Raising Sand," the Wow Gospel compilation, Rihanna's "Good Girl Gone Bad" and Foo Fighters' "Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace" are all experiencing considerable Grammy-related upticks.
Jack Johnson's "Brushfire" is expected to hold on to No. 1 for a second week though the 25th anniversary CD-DVD package of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" is selling extraordinarily well.
Having Valentine's day in the same sales week appears to have assisted the Eagles and  Garth Brooks.

February
11
The 51st Grammys: Eagles Vs. Alicia Keys Vs. ?

Eagles The Recording Academy will definitely have to strongly consider Alicia Keys' "As I Am" in the album of the year category later this year: It's a rare commercial juggernaut that has received considerable critical acclaim. While the single came out in time to qualify for the 50th Grammys, the album is in the eligibility period for the 51st. Same holds true for the Eagles, who won a country award for the single "How Long." Don Henley issued a statement Monday, noting that he's already looking forward to next February.

“This Grammy win is particularly sweet because of the length of time that has passed since we (the Eagles) won our first Grammy in early 1976.  I was 28 years old then.  I’m 60 now.  I always secretly hoped that we could pull off something like this, but I had almost given up.  This win feels really good — and it’s in a whole different field than we were in before.  Now I’m thinking that we might have a good chance to win again next year because Long Road Out of Eden will be eligible then.  This year, only the single, “How Long,” came out in time to make the nomination process. We’re all very grateful to the Academy members and to our loyal fans.  It’s been quite a ride and it apparently isn’t over just yet.”

February
11
Grammys The Day After: In Truth, Everybody's A Winner

Herbie The hand wringing over Herbie Hancock's album of the year win seems to be overlooking a key fact here: He did not disrupt Amy Winehouse's sweep so much as he contributed to a blooming symmetry among those  nominated multiple times.
This was an "everyone wins" year, the start of the Recording Academy treating the Grammys like contests at summer camp, a move that only upsets pontificators who feel Hancock's album is not as good as "Maiden Voyage" or the first Headhunters album. Or even the third best album of Kanye West's young career.
Sorry but this was the Grammys saying everyone shall get to participate and everyone will get a blue ribbon. Sorry, it's a lot more fun when nominees get shut out.
Consider: All eight artists with four or more nominations walked away with at least one win. That just does not happen. Call India.Arie - who was shut out the year she had seven noms - and rub that in her face.
No matter who won album of the year, all the contenders were winners in their respective genres:
Rock: Foo Fighters' "Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace" 
Country: Vince Gill's  "These Days"
Contemporary Jazz: Hancock's "River: The Joni Letters"
Rap: Kanye West's  "Graduation"
Pop: Winehouse's  "Back To Black"

That sort of symmetry seems mighty dangerous should the awards panel decide to play cute in hopes of duplicating the 50th edition of the awards. The Grammy procedure calls for the general membership to vote on album contenders on the early ballot. A panel then takes the top 20 and reduces the list to the five nominees. Everyone then gets a vote.
It's pretty rare that the album contenders come from five different genres. And it sort of carried over in the record category. Beyonce won last year for "B'day," which means everyone up for record of the year has a trophy.
As far as song of the year is concerned, there would have been litany of reasons to complain if  "Hey There Delilah" or "Like A Star" were victorious. Fortunately, we don't have to listen to those "Grammys are out of touch" arguments.
Next on Grammy watch: Can "River" become the first Grammy winner to double its total sales in the weeks after the awards. Its current cume is a meager 52,000.

February
10
Clive Davis's Party: The Breakdown

Trio Gossip mongers: The good news is that Janet Jackson and Whitney Houston (pictured between Alicia Keys and Fergie) look fabulous. Carrie Underwood was on hand at Clive Davis's party at the Beverly Hilton Hotel Saturday with Chace Crawford of "Gossip Girl" and she looked rather disinterested in the evening, even waving off Clive's effusive introduction.
Fellow "Idol" moneymaker Chris Daughtry played the highly respectful guest, giving the standing O to every major celebrity announced. And at the next table, Randy Jackson was big on the cheers, too.
As far as the music went, though, the evening was not one of Davis' more legendary marathon events. Videotapes of past years' highlights were played regularly to remind attendees how the party has achieved its legendary status and even Davis suggested that the evening would not be setting a new bar. Still, there were enough highlights to make this a good, if not great, night of pop music.
Evaluations, in order of appearance:
Foo Fighters. Did two songs, "The Pretender" and "Best of You." Potent and hearty, it was exactly what one would expect from Dave Grohl and the boys. Nothing we haven't seen before.Clive_2
Leona Lewis. The British "Pop Idol" champ did two songs, the second of which was "First Time Ever You Saw My Face." She has a big voice and tender personality, two trademarks of Whitney Houston in her early years. But what I didn't sense from Lewis that I did sense from Houston back then was the desire to be liked and welcomed into the music world. Lewis steps in gingerly, with a graciousness that should endear her to many. But is she a major pop star? Not sure. The album comes out in two months.
Daughtry with Chad Kroeger and Slash. First tune, by just Chris Daughtry and his band, was rote commercial rock; to spice things up, the "American Idol" contender and guests waddled through John Fogerty's "Born on the Bayou." Slash delivered standard-issue solos - enough to hold the interest but not necessarily amaze. Worse, Kroeger has a banal voice and Daughtry seems hell-bent on following in his footsteps.
Groban Josh Groban and Andrea Bocelli. On paper, this sounds like a PBS nightmare. I have a fear of heights and this is the sappy musical equivalent of peering over the edge of the observation deck of the Empire State Building. Yet their performance of "The Prayer" worked. Not chill-inducing, but a pleasant interaction between two singers working with just piano and synth accompaniment. Both stayed within themselves and made it a delightful two-voice performance.
Fantasia. On Broadway, she stopped "The Color Purple" with "I'm Here" and she did it again Saturday night. Right performer, right song. And if the music industry is truly paying attention, they should realize that contemporary Broadway composers are creating interesting and dramatic material that can work for modern singers. In the digital download age, Broadway shows could be a great source of material and there are not enough A&R execs mining this increasingly rich territory.
Alicia Keys. Performs "Like You'll Never See Me Again" and "No One" after Davis gives her a lengthy introduction that suggests the label people were somehow surprised that her record would be great, sell vast quantities and should have somehow been in consideration for a Grammy. No, the J folks chose to release it in the 2008-09 eligibility period and just place the single in the 07-08 territory. Keys, as she has done at so many of Davis's parties, was spectacular. "No One" was the night's rousing highlight and there's no amount of praise that can be heaped on this woman that goes too far. She is simply the best.
Akon and Wyclef. Nice pairing and they dove into a little Bob Marley ("No Woman No Cry") and some political wordplay promoting Barack Obama and Clive Davis for president. The two sang about blood diamonds and romped through Akon's  "I Wanna Love You" with grace and precision.
Davis always introduces members of the audience - he  gave props to about 70 Saturday - and 
the biggest cheers of the night went to Michael Strahan, Gladys Knight and Quincy Jones.

February
9
Zydeco-Cajun Grammy Contenders Hit L.A. With An Army of Supporters ... And A Chef

Bluesdemusicien_cover The state of Louisiana rolled out a red carpet to celebrate the inclusion of a zydeco/Cajun category at the Grammy Awards, filling  a downtown L.A. hotel ballroom with musicians, tourism execs, government figures and Louisiana culture enthusiasts. If only the great Boozoo Chavis were around to see this.
Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu oversaw  the lunch affair that was as intent on promoting Louisiana as location for moviemakers - they say they're No. 3 and seem really gung-ho  about the diverse landscape of Baton Rouge and Shreveport - as it was a promotion for Grammy nominees. A film loop compiled scenes from Louisiana-shot films; a second film showed the state's musical legends in performance and listed their Grammy wins. A list at the end of the film was bit of chest-pounding about the state's many residents who have had success as recording artists. Last name on the list: Britney Spears.
Entertainment was supplied by an all-star Cajun band of folks from nominated bands, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Geno Delafose and French Rockin' Boogie and saxophonist Donald Harrison leading a funk band playing songs by the Meters. Menu, from chef John Besh, was some fine gumbo, crawfish etouffee, grits, strawberries and bread pudding. The best news is that organizers said they hope to do the party again next year.
Also speaking was Cynthia Simien, wife of zydeco ace Terrance, who has been campaigning for the addition of the category since 2001. It's already an interesting competition as, due to ties, there are seven nominees. The controversial one in the batch is Lisa Haley, a Californian with Southern roots and the lone non-Louisiana artist in the batch. Should she win, it's likely to be viewed as egregious as Jethro Tull taking home the first heavy metal Grammy or Bruce Hornsby winning the bluegrass award in its first year.
The nominees, several of which will be performing at a Saturday night party for the same crew, are:
* Le Cowboy Creole -   Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie   [Times Square Records]
* King Cake -  Lisa Haley [Blue Fiddle Records]
* Live: Á La Blue Moon -  Lost Bayou Ramblers  [Swallow Records]
* Blues De Musicien -  Pine Leaf Boys [Arhoolie Records]
* Racines - Racines [Swallow Records]
* The La Louisianne Sessions -  Roddie Romero And The Hub City All-Stars [Octavia Records]
* Live! Worldwide - Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience  [AIM Trading Group P/L]





February
9
Aretha Gets Some Respect From The Grammys, Her Gospel Peers And The Youngsters

Aretha Aretha Franklin and gospel great Shirley Caesar sang about joy and raised the roof of the Los Angeles Convention Center Friday night at a gala and dinner that raised a record $4.5 million for MusiCares.
The Grammy Foundation's annual fete veered away from the singer-songwriters who have been honored in the past and wound up with an ebullient affair fueled by the gospel spirit of the performers. It was a rare night - Al Sharpton was more inspirational than Bill Cosby was funny, the gospel trio Trin-i-Tee 5:7 strode into the secular world with conviction, and daytime TV host Judge Mathis got some primetime love with a shout-out from the Queen of Soul. (To be fair, Cosby improvised marvelously at Tuesday's Grammy jazz event, riffing on John Coltrane, the weight of Blue Note LPs and jazz arcana. Mathis was among the many Detroiters sitting up front around Franklin).
Trin When it came to performances, it was one inspired performance after another, starting  with BeBe and CeCe Winans and their reading of Carole King's "You've Got a Friend," a song the Winans recorded with Franklin a dozen years ago.Fantasia
Best new artist nominee - and longtime Bay Area soul thrush - Ledici  lowered herself into the groove of "Rock Steady"; Fantasia beamed on "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man"; and newcomer Lil Mama did an impressive rap version of "Respect."Hargrove
Patti Austin pushed Burt Bacharach and Hal David's "I Say a Little Prayer for You" into a revival meeting sing-along, but to get there had to wade through serious-minded solos from pianist Herbie Hancock and Roy Hargrove on the flugelhorn. Despite being about four versions of one song in a single take, it worked even if a  transition or two was a bit rough-edged.
Jamia Jamia Simone Nash, the tyke from "August Rush," delivered an adult-bodied reading of "Call Me"; Corinne Bailey Rae rendered the evening's gentlest moment, playing "Angel" on her acoustic guitar; the Trin-I-Tee gals delighted with a medley of "Spanish Harlem" and "Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)." Carmen Carter, Dave Koz, Anthony Hamilton and John Legend also performed, Dan "four pieces of dry white toast" Aykroyd and Jim Belushi danced as the Blues Brothers, and classical pianist Lang Lang  provided some flash that was out of place.
Shirley Caesar was the evening's fireball, getting the tuxedo-and-gown crowd to rise out of their seats while singing "Sweepin' Through the City" with a full choir.
Franklin, who performed two songs, joked about the six-day drive to get to L.A. and the difficulty of moving around in her tight jewel-encrusted gown. She belted out "Chain of Fools" and took her place at the piano for "One Night With the King" before backing her son Eddie.

February
9
Grammys To Open With The Greatest Pop Singer of The 20th Century

Franksinatra Never mind that Frank Sinatra is dead: He will be opening the 50th Grammy Awards in a duet with Alicia Keys   - promptly followed by Carrie Underwood performing "Before He Cheats."
Here's the message: a)  We don't make 'em like we used to; and b) without Clive Davis we're hosed. It strikes me as a bit odd that the Grammys and CBS can't come up with something - ANYTHING - to run between Frankie and Carrie. There has to be something that says  "ya know, there was a time when this industry was not based on more than the A&R skills of one guy and a TV talent show."
For the record, Sinatra won nine Grammys, one of which was for art director 50 years ago. He was big in '59, '65 and '66.
Our insider who has seen rehearsals says to keep an eye on Tina Turner - she could really turn heads. And, as of Friday night, Michael Jackson was a no show.

February
5
Grammys And History Handcuff Hancock

"Nobody ever said to Van Gogh, 'Hey man, paint 'Starry Night' again.' He painted it and that was it."
- Joni Mitchell retort to a Universal Amphitheater audience on the difference between the performing and visual arts.
Herbie Herbie Hancock, whose interpretations of Mitchell's work are up for album of the year, won't get a chance to display those works as he has been saddled with performing George Gershwin on the Grammy telecast. Perhaps that's the price to pay when you make an album that is completely down-tempo and introspective.
Or maybe it is television's way of saying jazz has no place on a network broadcast and the closest we can come is yet another Gershwin "Rhapsody in Blue" performance that will put a piano master, Hancock, and a classical  speed demon, Lang Lang, in a pairing that has "exclusivity" as its promotional tagline. (It will be nice, though, to see our old friend John Mauceri conducting behind them.)
Yet there's an unfortunate paradox here: Hancock is the one name musician in jazz attempting to keep the music moving forward and here he is to returning to work, written eight decades ago, that won him a Grammy nine years ago.  At a time when the Grammys have the opportunity to celebrate an artist, they instead put a genre of music in a cage, ensuring that it's safe for public viewing by looking at a style's history and not using that history as a prism for the future.
Safe performances will also be coming from duets of Fergie and John Legend and Andrea Bocelli and Josh Groban. John Fogerty, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis will pay tribute to rock's history and I'm guessing, make that hoping, they won't be forced to play an Elvis tune.   

February
4
Puck Rolls Out International Menu For The Grammy Crowd

Wolfgangpuck Considering the downsizing that occurred in the music industry in 2007 the Recording Academy's post-Grammy gala may be more crowded than usual. Traditionally, a party for the folks with no label parties to attend, the Academy is ramping up the entertainment and actually got Wolfgang Puck to promote the menu a week before the event.
Natasha Bedingfield, Cyndi Lauper, DJ Chris Cox, Fourplay and the Gibson/Baldwin Grammy Jazz Ensembles will perform at the event held in the Convention Center.
Puck, catering the event for the first time after years behind the Oscar gala, and his crew will be serving: shrimp and white bean bruschetta; roma tomato caprese cups with fresh mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes and torn basil vinaigrette; lamb osso bucco with tomato orzo and lemon parsley gremolatta; pella royale; peach sangria shooters; rosemary olive oil rubbed filet mignon; baked spicy crab fondue; spicy beef; braised short ribs; glass noodles with spicy shrimp; bangers; and prime rib.
To wash it down: Anheuser-Busch's beers, Patrón tequila, Ultimat vodka, Pyrat rum, Forest Glen Wines and Domaine Laurier Champagne.
At the bar: Tony Abou-Ganim's signature mango cocktail "The Sweet Escape," which was created in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Grammy Awards.
Leftovers go to Angel Harvest.

February
1
Grammys Test Out Some Blues Power

Kokotaylor The lightning round of the Grammys - basically the two hours in the afternoon in which 90 or so awards are handed out - has been seeing an upgrade as a ceremony the last couple of years. This year, however, will see its first name entertainment. Koko Taylor, pianist Pinetop Perkins, guitarist Honeyboy Edwards and band will perform "Let The Good Times Roll." Another first: The pre-telecast ceremony will be streamed live on www.grammy.com from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. PT on Feb. 10. Taylor is up for a Grammy in the traditional blues category.

January
30
Beatlemania Infects The Grammys

Cirque Beatlemania will never die and the Recording Academy keeps kicking itself for not giving the Fab Four more trophies back in the day. (The band only received four when they were together and two of them were for "Sgt Pepper.").
The casts of "The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil" and "Across the Universe" will provide the Beatle magic at this year's telecast. Both projects are actually nominated for Grammys this year.
Feist, Alicia Keys and Brad Paisley will also perform.  Bette Midler, who will join Cirque in Vegas later this month as the replacement for Celine Dion, will be a   presenter.

January
28
Grammys' Song And Dance Wins Over WGA

Grammy The Writers Guild has given the Grammy telecast a thumbs up, allowing the Recording Academy to hire its two union writers.
The board of directors of the Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) granted  an interim agreement on Monday, allowing for the show's written material  to be covered under a Guild contract.
“Professional musicians face many of the same issues that we do concerning fair compensation for the use of their work in new media. In the interest of advancing our goal of achieving a fair contract, the WGAW board felt that this decision should be made on behalf our brothers and sisters in the American Federation of Musicians and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists,” said WGAW president Patric M. Verrone.
Recording Academy president/CEO Neil Portnow issued a statement: "The Recording Academy is gratified by the WGA's decision to grant the interim agreement we requested for our milestone 50th Annual Grammy Awards. Having our talented writers on the team further ensures the highest level of creativity and innovation, something our audience has come to expect every year.  Music fans worldwide can look forward to an amazing lineup of artists and performances on Feb. 10, making our 50th anniversary show one of the most memorable ever."

January
24
Grammys Attract At Least One Member of Led Zeppelin

Remember when NME printed a story saying a Led Zeppelin reunion would occur based on a source for the World Entertainment News network?
How about this for outlandish speculation: John Paul Jones will be conducting an orchestra for the Foo Fighters at the Feb. 10 Grammys. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Grammy nominees, have been invited to perform on the telecast. That's either two-thirds or half way to a Led Zep presence, depending on how you view the drummer's role. Jimmy Page probably has no plans that night.

January
22
No Pickets At The Grammys

Grammy The striking Writers Guild of America has decided to back away from picketing the Feb. 10 Grammys kudocast, my colleague Dave McNary reports.
The WGA West  board made the decision Tuesday but has not granted the week-old request from the awards show for an interim agreement – which would allow WGA writers to work on the show.
The WGA’s move to allow the Grammys to proceed without interference means that the kudocast will be able to use the 10-20 actors who usually serve as presenters. It also removes the problem of having to cross a picket line for a substantial number of nominated musicians who have appeared in films and on TV.
It also opens the door for a medley of tunes heard on "Viva Laughlin."

January
17
Grammys: Beyonce and Foo Fighters Are In

Neilportnow Management for Beyonce and the Foo Fighters have declared their support for the Grammy Awards and will appear at the show regardless of the situation with writers strike.
Mathew Knowles, Beyonce's father and the head of Music World Entertainment, said Beyonce and his  artists Solange and Trinitee 5:7 "have been asked to participate and will do so. We have an incredible Beyoncé performance that will be announced soon."
Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters reconfirmed his band's participation in the "My Grammy Moment" competition.
The band's;s manager, John Silva of SAM Music Management, said, "We're looking forward to attending this year's Grammy Awards as we do every year. We are hopeful that we will see a resolution to the current situation affecting our entire industry, as Foo Fighters have always had nothing short of amazing experiences with the writers, producers, fellow artists and audiences at the Grammys and every television show the band has ever played."

January
15
Grammys: The Show Must Go On