Hell hath no fury like an R&B diva scorned, especially at the Grammys. First there was Natalie Cole opening fire on Amy WInehouse. Now, in a statement released Tuesday, Aretha Franklin revealed that she, too, was incensed at a young upstart: she didn't appreciate that Beyoncé, in her introduction of Tina Turner at Sunday's awards show, referred to Turner as "the Queen." There's only one Queen of Soul, Franklin implied, and she was not amused. Though she concluded her statement with, "Love to Beyoncé anyway," Beyoncé's father/manager Mathew Knowles called Franklin's remarks "ridiculous... childish... [and] unprofessional." Ouch!
No word on what Turner thought of all this, or whether Franklin is angry at her, too, but surely even Turner would admit that Franklin, who's all but trademarked her regal title, deserves to keep it exclusively. At the same time, if there were anyone else who deserved such a title, it would be Turner.
What say you, PopWatchers? Do you think Beyoncé meant to diss Aretha? Do you think Franklin overreacted? And who really deserves to be called "the Queen"?
So, Natalie Cole told People at a Grammy afterparty on Sunday night that the Recording Academy shouldn't have given Amy Winehouse five Grammys because it sends the wrong message, rewarding the British singer's "bad behavior." I'm not sure who out there thinks Winehouse is a role model in her personal life (as an artist, sure), but c'mon, there have been plenty of non-saintly artists who've won Grammys. And judging strictly by Winehouse's music, she certainly belongs among Grammy company, just as Cole, who's acknowledged her own battles with drug abuse, has deserved to be among the Grammy elite since her own Best New Artist win 33 years before Winehouse's. (According to the New York Daily News, Ringo Starr overheard Cole's complaint about Winehouse and said, "Man, those are some grapes.") It's the Grammys' job to recognize excellence based strictly on what's on the disc, not to send any kind of moral, social, or political message. Now, being rewarded for capitalizing on the fame of your more-renowned father by recording duets with his unwitting corpse, that's a better message to send, apparently.
Skipped most of the Grammy pre-party hoo-hah this year, PopWatchers, as it tends to all sound the same after a while (and by "the same" I mean "like the Black Eyed Peas"). But there was one gig I couldn’t pass up: Country music purveyor and Bud Light poster child Dierks Bentley's show Friday night at L.A.'s Knitting Factory. My 2007 Grammy date was nominated again — Long Trip Alone, both the album and the single, were up in three different categories, though he ultimately came away emptyhanded — providing the perfect excuse to set up Nashville West for the weekend. Dierks kicked things off with a 45-minute set of hits and new tracks, then welcomed a parade of special guests to the stage that whipped the crowd of VIPs, radio contest winners, and at least one Friday Night Lights star (hey, Tim Riggins!) into a frenzy.
The whole thing was broadcast live on iClips.net, and I think they're going to put it up again later. Meanwhile, after the jump: appearances from Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley, Mike McCready, Dwight Yoakam, and those adorable Paramore kids. They're from Tennessee, ya know.
Another Grammy weekend behind us, PopWatchers, and, like the four that came before it, my 2008 experience was a combination of soaring highs and crushing lows. (My life is very much like Wide World of Sports.) And while I may not have been called on to live-blog the action or take a late-night limo ride with a rock star this year, there's still plenty to tell, from a Friday night all-star country music jamboree (no bears involved, but it deserves its own post) to a long but ultimately sort of fulfilling afternoon in the Grammy press room to our very own EW party last night, co-hosted by L.A. Reid.
After the jump, a complete rundown of all the Sunday fun, plus more informative press room nuggets than you can shake a stick at. Here's one to get you started: Josh Kear and Chris Tompkins are the writers of "Before He Cheats," which won Best Country Song at yesterday's pre-telecast awards ceremony. But before Chris could make it to the Staples Center this weekend, he first had to go see Ozzy Osbourne's doctor and get "three shots in the ass" of some sort of superdrug in order to beat a deadly case of the flu. Furthermore, although they originally started writing "Before He Cheats" for Gretchen Wilson, Chris was confident that Carrie Underwood could handle the tune. Why? Because he watched her whole season of American Idol. Why? Because he used to be in a band with Bo Bice. IS YOUR MIND BLOWN YET?
I've always known that Alicia Keys is an amazing talent even if I don't own any of her albums. But after last night's Grammy performance of "No One," I will definitely be purchasing one. I don't know that I've ever seen a singer (other than Celine — sue me) in such total command of not just a stage but a whole arena. Her voice was so powerful that I actually imagined it forcing all the air to the ceiling and keeping it pinned there, note after note. She was gonna make you hear her. And, I did. (I also pondered what she was wearing on the bottom half of her body and wondered when John Mayer had stopped making all those weird faces — but not the point of this post.)
So, when has a live performance sent you straight to the record store? If you need some inspiration, check out our gallery grading the acts that took this year's Grammy stage. Keys earned an A- for "No One."
Hello, Grammys-viewing P-Dubs. Welcome to Round 2 of Leah and Annie Cook It Up In Carroll Gardens! Ms. Greenblatt and I have been live-blogging the Grammys red carpet for the past two hours, but we're more than ready for the real awards to start. We've got so many snacks and so much to say, and we'll try not to let the depletion of that first category affect our output of the second. A key word for this would be "try." Look at us being responsible Internet journalists. We are clearly so ready. START THE SHOW.
Leah: And the show begins! With the latest, the hottest... Frank Sinatra.Kind of a great archival clip. And Alicia Keys is pulling a Natalie-and-Nat-King-Cole "Beyond the Dead" duet. Annie: I wonder how many times the word "classy" was thrown around during the brainstorming sesh for this number. Leah: This is actually a tiny bit creepy. Annie: It really is. Are they harmonizing or not? I mean, yes, but NO in that he does not really exist. What does it all mean?! Leah: I wonder how many times Alicia will change her outfit tonight? I will say four. Annie: Five. Preferably in the order of the rainbow... backwards. Leah: ROY G BIV!
(Alternate post title: Leah and Annie cook it in Carroll Gardens!) Hi everyone -- we're here with assorted snacks and a great attitude (for now) about tonight's live-blogging marathon. We're not technically required to cover the red carpet... but we might as well. We're both present, and alive, and the amazing and unexpected Milano Salame that Leah just plunked onto my coffee table has us almost inappropriately revved up for Fun. Let's get it started!
Leah: Giuliana is kind of a tool. She's getting all "down" with NeYo on the red carpet. He's wearing Banana Republic sunglasses! Good to know. Annie: She acts like every phrase out of her mouth is equally thrilling. Leah: It is, Annie! Tia Carrere? Well, she looks good. Annie: Dripping in gold. Leah: Amy Lee from Evanescance, looking Hot Topic per usual. Ne Yo said he might be working with Lindsay Lohan in the studio, FYI. I'm sure that blew Giuliana's mind. Leah: She just called Corinne Bailey Rae "one of the diverse people here tonight." Annie: This could not get more hein.
The Grammy press room is its usual hotbed of pre-telecast action this year, as the members of the print pool sit at long tables and wait for free sandwiches while conducting short, frequently awkward interviews with the winners of categories like Best Tropical Latin Album. (Juan Luis Guerra seems like a nice guy.) Inside the convention center next door, where the actual pre-show ceremony is taking place, the vibe is closer to high school assembly: Pockets of people whooping and clapping for their friends, the winners expressing genuine joy that most of the world will never see.
Not many surprises so far, to my knowledge, although Patti Austin was so shocked to win Best Jazz Vocal Album, she came to the stage wearing Crocs. (Patti later announced that she plans to be ''such a bitch'' from now on.) Kanye West swept pretty much every rap category; Barack Obama won Best Spoken Word Album; the Muppets won Best Musical Album for Children. Lupe Fiasco's mom and sister carried pictures of the Best Urban/Alternative Performance winner to accept the award on his behalf. The White Stripes' Icky Thump won a bunch of stuff, but everybody kept pronouncing it ''Icky Thumb.'' Eddie Vedder and Miranda Lambert both got robbed -- though Carrie Underwood startled presenter Michael W. Smith by actually being in the room to grab her Best Female Country Vocal statue. (''You couldn't keep me from actually getting this myself,'' she said, grinning.) George Strait missed what has to be like the 4,000th chance to win his first Grammy when Keith Urban took the category instead; Keith did not materialize, although Brad Paisley showed up to accept his first-ever Grammy, for Best Country Instrumental. And the Foo Fighters (pictured) get my undying love for breaking up the usually boring march to the end of this thing -- when the winners are all too famous to show up (talking to you, Springsteen) -- by bounding down the aisle to collect Best Hard Rock Performance. (Grohl thanked his daughter for inspiring him to write. Aww.)
The big ceremony is getting started soon; the sandwiches had better get here right quick. Stay tuned to PopWatch for all the news that can't wait until later, and check out Annie Barrett and Leah Greenblatt's live blog of the broadcast. Grammy fever! Catch it!
The Grammys (Sunday, 8 p.m. CBS) are finally here, and so is the post detailing our coverage! We'll have Whitney Pastorek on the scene, Annie Barrett and Leah Greenblatt live-blogging the telecast, and, courtesy of Clark Collis and Simon Vozick-Levinson, your morning-after gallery grading the night's big performances.
Speaking of performances, there are tons of 'em planned. The latest lineup: Kanye West, Amy Winehouse, John Mayer, BeBe Winans, and pasting from the press release Beyoncé and Tina Turner, Andrea Bocelli and Josh Groban, Eldar, Feist,
Fergie and John Legend, John Fogerty with Jerry Lee Lewis and Little
Richard, Foo Fighters (with special guest conductor John Paul Jones),
Herbie Hancock and Lang Lang (conducted by famed maestro John Mauceri),
Alicia Keys, Kid Rock, Dave Koz, Brad Paisley, Keely Smith, Carrie
Underwood, 2008 MusiCares® Person of the Year Aretha Franklin, the
Clark Sisters, Israel and New Breed, and Trin-I-Tee 5:7 in a special
gospel segment, the casts of The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil and Across the Universe in a special Beatles segment, and Rihanna with a
reunited The Time in a special 50th anniversary segment.
We could use some good news around here. Just a day after the Writers Guild decision not to picket the 2008 Grammy Awards comes word that next month's CBS telecast will feature a Tina Turner-Beyoncé duet. In a word? Genius.
There's no question Beyoncé can hold her own with Tina — unlike Cher, who caterwauls her way into this 1970's variety show duet with Turner and sounds occasionally out of breath trying to keep up:
But what's Cher got to do with it? The question at this point is: what will Tina & Beyoncé sing? Imagine Miss Tina schooling the hip-pop princess
on "Nutbush City Limits" or "River Deep, Mountain High." (As long as
B's "Check on It" is left out of it, I'll be happy.) PopWatchers, are you as crazy in love with this news as I am? What do think we'll hear from the two divas Feb. 10?
How will the writers' strike affect all the upcoming movie awards shows? On the plus side, no groaner gag-lines ("Oprah, Obama. Obama, Oprah.") for returning Oscar host Jon Stewart. On the minus side, Stewart and most of the likely honorees may stay home rather than cross the picket lines. The only show that won't be affected is the Screen Actors Guild awards, since the unionized writers have granted their fellow labor stalwarts a pass for that one. Still, the rest of the shows could look like those from previous strike years, such as the 1988 Oscars, when the presenters wrote their own painful gags, or the 1980 Emmys, when almost no one showed up to collect their trophies. Kinda ironic, since the 2007 Oscars made a point of celebrating the work of screenwriters.
What do you think, PopWatchers? Will you watch star-free or nearly star-free awards shows? Does the SAG awards ceremony suddenly loom large on your winter calendar? Should stars show up anyway on awards night to celebrate artistic achievements that should exist in a larger context than the current labor strife? Should the writers grant all the shows a waiver for the same reason? Or should the writers and actors stick to their guns and not help support events that are, essentially, a promotional tool for the producers the writers are striking against?
Full disclosure: In preparing for today's Grammys announcement, the team at EW.com pulled some photos of folks we thought would get top nominations. Amy Winehouse, for instance (she got six). Rihanna (yep, she picked up a couple, for the ubiquitous "Umbrella" [ella ella]). And...Fergie.
Don't get me wrong: I do not particularly love Fergie, especially the cheerleader-hop of "Fergalicious" (dear God, why did she have to go and mess with "Supersonic"?). But even I have to admit that she has been very productive this year, spinning out single after single, including the shockingly decent "Glamorous" and "Clumsy." So I was expecting her to pick up a nod for Record of the Year, the category that always has room for silly songs that everybody can shake their groove thangs to, but no! Though she did get recognized for Female Pop Vocal Performance, for "Big Girls Don't Cry," the Dutchess was snubbed in the big categories. Now, whether this was a smart decision or a bad one on the part of the recording academy...well, I leave that up to you to debate in the comments section below.
Who were you surprised to see left off the nominees list?
What have Jamie Foxx and Joaquin Phoenix wrought? Now that Hollywood sees music biopics as gateways to critical acclaim and Oscars, any singer is game — even ones that never really did their own singing. According to Variety, Universal Pictures is developing a biopic about Milli Vanilli, the vocal duo that infamously had to give up their 1990 Grammy for Best New Artist after it was discovered they lip-synched their way through catchy hits like "Blame It On the Rain" and "Girl You Know It's True." And it definitely sounds like a wannabe prestige project: screenwriter Jeff Nathanson, who first explored the world of cons and chicanery in the Leo DiCaprio/Steven Spielberg vehicle Catch Me If You Can, is set to write, and has secured the help of alumnus Fabrice Morvan (partner Rob Pilatus OD'd in 1998).
Between the music, the drugs, the robbery, the jail time, and the attempted comebacks, I'd say the film is destined for awards. Until, of course, it's discovered that the two leads didn't really act out their parts and relied on stand-ins. Speaking of which, whom would you cast in a Milli Vanilli movie? Are there other "artists" more deserving of the biopic treatment?
If the Dixie Chicks seemed a bit unprepared for their multiple acceptance speeches at the Grammys (unlike Mary J. Blige, who had a list of more than 50 people to read off), that wasn't feigned humility. "We were like deer in the headlights!" said fiddler Martie Maguire when PopWatch caught up with her after the show. "I know when we watch it back, the camera will show how shocked we were. I thought maybe we would get country album, but the others, no way." (For the record, they swept the multi-genre categories of best record, song, and album, as well as winning in two country categories.)
"How do you get record of the year, without airplay?" Maguire asked, possibly not even rhetorically. PopWatch opined that their triumphant "Not Ready to Make Nice" was the first true Internet hit — a song that everyone read about or heard about on the news, but couldn't find on the radio, and thus had to stream. "I'd agree with that," said Dan Wilson, the ex-Semisonic leader who cowrote the tune, sitting nearby. "But VH1 helped a lot," added Maguire, "making us cool with that audience."
You see, I had a once in a lifetime chance yesterday to hang out with a Grammy winner; to experience the rush and thrill of riding around the City of Angels in a big black SUV, secure in the knowledge that you are the best of the best, a cherished pearl in the music industry oyster; to feel the warmth and love of your colleagues as you attend fabulous soirées and rub elbows with the powerful, the beautiful, and the jealous; to pour yourself into bed at dawn, the golden idol nestled in the crook of your extraordinary arm, visions of future successes dancing in your well-coiffed head.
Yes, my Grammy night was to be extraordinary, PopWatchers. But there's just one problem: My date didn't win. He ran up against the unstoppable train that was "Jesus Take the Wheel," and, as a very wise man once told me: Nobody f----s with the Jesus.
For music industry insiders, perhaps the most coveted invite of the year is not to “music’s biggest night,” as the Grammy Awards call themselves, but rather to the unaffiliated pre-party thrown one night before. Its initials: CD. As in Clive Davis. He's the mogul behind dozens of Arista Records success stories (including his date for the night, Whitney Houston), who later launched J Records (home to Alicia Keys) and who now holds the title of SonyBMG chairman. In other words, he's someone with serious cred, both as an industry titan and as a man with an ear for talent and an ability to market both newcomers (like his stable of Idol-minted stars) and vets whose careers had cooled (Carlos Santana, Rod Stewart). Which is why so many stars clamor to be in his presence for this swanky fete, honoring the best of music’s past, present, and future in a black-tie environment that’s rock-n-roll loose.
So who made the cut this year? Rocker regulars like the Foo Fighters, Kid Rock, Scott Weiland, and Slash (his seventh year!) were back on the Beverly Hilton patio (also known as the smoking section), while hip-hop luminaries P. Diddy, Busta Rhymes, and Russell Simmons mingled inside. Actors and TV personalities were in the mix as well — Bill Maher, Ellen DeGeneres with girlfriend Portia de Rossi, Meg Ryan, and Jon Voight all made the dinner table rounds, while school buds Terrence Howard and Tara Reid (who knew?) caught up in a corner. Newcomers included chart-toppers like Rihanna, Natasha Bedingfield, and Akon and plenty of recently-christened Idols, among them season five’s Taylor Hicks, Chris Daughtry, and Katharine McPhee. And then there were the divas: Whitney, Mary J., and Christina Aguilera, who kicked off the two-hour-plus show with “Candy Man,” an appropriate choice, as there were many more treats to come.
Hello again, PopWatchers! Coming at you direct from the bowels of the Staples Center, I'm proud to present the live-blog of the actual Grammy Awards, where there will be no polka, but there will be the Police. We're about half an hour away from the big show, and back here in the press room, the pre-telecast winners are still parading through, and the woman who's in charge of our coop is getting annoyed with us because we're not asking any questions. She also just accused us of not having a sense of humor. I am desperately trying to come up with a question for the winners of Large Jazz Ensemble Album, but woe is me, I cannot.
So we're about to get underway, and according to the xeroxed schedule they just handed out, The Police are up first. I had these grandiose plans to try and sneak up to the sniper ring in the rafters to watch them play (I may have "gotten lost" during Coldplay's set last year), but then I got scared that I'd get caught and tossed out and then you would have no liveblogger and someone would steal this EW laptop and Dierks Bentley would not only have lost his Grammys, he'd have lost his date. I can't do that to you, or the laptop, or Dierks. Thus, here I sit. In the same building with The Police, but miles away.
7:53 pm There's a man with a mic on the stage here at Staples warming up the crowd, telling them the rules ("Thank the Pro-Tools guy later") and pointing out the famous people. He just told Quentin Tarantino to sit his ass down. And you will be glad to know that "Lionel Richie, ladies and gentlemen, is in his seat." As are Stevie Wonder, Leslie Moonves, and, inexplicably, Philip Bailey.
Good afternoon, PopWatchers, and welcome to our first-ever attempt at live-blogging the Grammy Awards... from in the press room. (ooooooooooooh.)
This represents a serious new level of trust on the part of my PopWatch editors, both in the fact that I can be reasonably compelling while sitting in a small room backstage at the Staples Center, and in my abilities to push the "post" button myself without writing something that's gonna get us sued. I know that with this responsibility comes great power, and I will try not to disappoint.
4:43 pm Right now, I am seated on a wooden chair behind a long table in the same conference room they stick us in every year. They finally got the a/c turned on back here, which is a terrific coup for all of us, but sandwiches aren't arriving until 4:30, so I'm glad I brought pretzels. On the monitors, the pre-telecast awards are being presented in the convention center next door. This kicked off with Miss Universe hitting on Steve Vai (and a woman I can only assume was Steve's wife yelling out from the audience that she didn't mind), and then OK Go and their treadmills won the first award, Music Video/Short Form, for "Here It Goes Again." I am not sure if any of the rest of these will be interesting to you guys but I will go ahead and keep an eye on the proceedings in case excitement breaks out. Bear in mind, they will be handing out 97 awards over the next 3 hours. If you're desperate to know who just took #14, "Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (Without Orchestra)," I'm sure the internet can help you out in that regard.
Continuing the pre-party smush of Grammy Week 2007, my friend Allyson and I headed over to the House of Blues Friday night to see this band called the Fray, who I believe at least 2 million of you have heard of, since you bought their album largely on the strength of a song from a Grey's Anatomy commercial. I respect that about you, PopWatchers: Your trust that, whatever happens, Grey's Anatomy will not let you down. And so even though prior to the show I wouldn't have known Fray lead singer Isaac Slade if he'd hit me in the face with a really sensitive man-stick, I decided I would trust your tastes and check it out for myself.
It should come as no surprise that the band opened with "Over My Head" ("They blew their load," said my friend Allyson) and closed with "How to Save a Life." But it takes a special band to hold my interest when I've never heard their music before, and perhaps the highest compliment I can pay the Fray (pay the Fray!) is that I enjoyed myself a great deal during the songs in between. They write really endearingly pleasant tunes, these boys ("There are so many of them!" exclaimed Allyson), and every once in a while they do something that grabs you by the throat because it's really great and original and not at all a total Wallflowers+Coldplay rip-off. ("PLAY SOME COLDPLAY!" screamed a drunk guy behind me.) Plus, they were totally adorable about being at their first Grammys after a number of years toiling in Denver obscurity, and spent a lot of time thanking their parents and their guitar tech and their lighting guy... and all of us, for missing the Justin Timberlake party to be there. (No problem, the Fray: We couldn't get in, anyway.)
Judging by the insane lines outside of Hollywood’s 1500-capacity theater, the Avalon, Justin Timberlake’s pre-Grammy soirée (sponsored by Rolling Stone and VCast by Verizon Wireless) promised to be a packed and glorious night. So much so that only 45 minutes after the party had started, even artists were having trouble getting in. Kid Rock, with Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger in tow, had to circle the block three times while his team made arrangements for a drama-less entrance. Grey’s Anatomy’s Sara Ramirez (with Queer Eye for the Straight Guy’s Jai Rodriguez), on the other hand, had to make do on her own and simply push through the crowds. Same with Maroon 5’s James Valentine. Was it worth the hassle?
In a word, yes. One thing you hope for when Justin Timberlake agrees to host a party is that maybe some of his friends (like Nelly Furtado, Timbaland, the Black Eyed Peas, etc.) will show. Well, not only did they make it there (and fortunately, they all got in okay) but they also treated a sweaty and likely cranky crowd to a series of high-energy performances and spontaneous jams.
P. Diddy creation Danity Kane got things going before handing off the mic to Pharrell protégé Kenna, who was, in turn, joined by Timberlake on drums. Impressed by JT’s prowess on the skins, I turned to his ’NSync groupmate JC Chasez, who happened to be standing next to me, to ask what he thought. “Justin can hold his own -- he’s bangin’,” he said with pride.
Fergie came next, doling out another delish “Fergilicious” from the same stage she was on last night for the Peas’ annual Peapod benefit. The girls were certainly down with the universal guilty-pleasure-of-the-moment (I saw Taryn Manning get her groove on with Tara Reid chanting along nearby) and a subsequent mini-set by the Peas, but things hit a feverish pitch once again when Justin joined in for “Where Is the Love?” I couldn’t help but think about the simplicity of that song, especially since the Peas, or Will.I.Am specifically, have really pushed the envelope with so many left-of-center hits like “My Humps” and the aforementioned “’Licious.” The message still rings loud and clear, but the sound has certainly come far.
Woo, PopWatchers! I am here at Los Awards Del Grammy, and the pre-parties are fiiiiiine! So last night — after EW's own party in honor of the space king himself, Timbaland — I trotted over to the Black Eyed Peas' annual benefit for their Peapod Foundation, this year honoring Interscope founder Jimmy Iovine and raising money to build a fancy music academy for kids. (Ostensibly so that more young people can have the opportunity to become a star too young/get addicted to crystal meth/get clean/discover miraculous career rebirth/sweat in unfortunate places on stage, just like Fergie.)
Anyway, I didn't see the whole thing, but what I caught was pretty fly. (See pics on Flickr.) I walked in to the Avalon just as the waiters stopped handing out the dinner food (dang) and started handing out Twinkies (yay!), but more importantly, there on the stage before me were the Peas themselves (pictured), performing "Pump It," or as it is more commonly known in my household, "That Cell Phone Commercial Song." And then, before I could even catch my breath — and just as I was thinking about how Fergie is all that's left of Lauryn Hill's legacy — out pops Wyclef Jean to freestyle with Will.i.am. "My name is Will.i.am!" said Wyclef. "I'm Wyclef!" said Will.i.am. Then they both rapped in Spanish, which, if you're keeping track, makes two years in a row now that I have heard Wyclef rap in Spanish at a pre-Grammy party. Then they asked the crowd to place their hands in the air and wave them apathetically, and then it was on to bigger and better things...
The Grammys will be handed out Sunday (check out our coverage here), but we won't know who scored the most-talked about performance until Monday morning. Who will it be? The show-opening Police? Justin Timberlake and the lucky "My Grammy Moment" competition winner? Rascal Flatts?
Now hold on, there. Someone's excited to see the country trio perform. (And not just Kelly Clarkson, who's such a fan she covers them live and has joined them onstage.) They were, after all, 2006's top-selling act. And when I chatted with lead singer Gary LeVox (pictured, right, with bandmate Joe Don Rooney) last week, he gave me a reason not to make their tribute to country rock a bathroom break:
"We’re gonna do 'Hotel California' and 'Life in the Fast Lane,'" LeVox told me before sounding genuinely concerned that he'll confuse the words to the latter Eagles hit with those of his band's recent cover "Life is a Highway." He continued, "Please put a TelePrompTer up: 'Life in the Fast Lane,' Gary, not 'Life is a Highway.' See, it's not like a regular concert where you can go, 'Sing it!' and hold the mic out [to the audience]. Mary J. and them would be sitting there goin,' 'I think he screwed up. That's the wrong song, I believe, right there.'"
The Internets are abuzz today with news that Sting will be taking time out from his busy schedule of lute playing, tantric sex, and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip cameos to hook up with his former Police squad, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland, at the Grammys on Feb. 11. Yay. (Kudos to the Grammy folks for bringing this band back together, by the way, just as they orchestrated the Great Simon & Garfunkel Warm Fuzz-A-Thon back in 2003. It's nice to see the Grammys broadening their scope and getting into the diplomacy game. Maybe next year they'll have George W. Bush and Jacques Chirac kiss and make up on the show.)
But there still remains the question—raised by Whitney Pastorek in this space earlier this month—of whether this Police performance portends a full-blown 30th Anniversary concert tour this summer. In the weeks since PopWatch last reported on this matter, old Gordo fanned the fan flames when he reportedly gave his old mates a shout-out at an L.A. concert (he played the lute, duh), when he told a gaggle of TV reporters that he and the fellas were "talking about" somehow commemorating the 30th birthday of their first single, and when he apparently hosted Andy and Stewie at a party for his wife, Trudie, in Malibu. In other words, dandy as today's Grammy announcement is, it's actually nothing too earthshaking. After all, the Police reunited four years ago for a quick set at their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
No, what we're looking for is an honest-to-God reunion tour—something that stands to be one of the hottest concert tickets in years, considering the band's brief time together, way back when (they released just five albums between 1978 and 1983). I mean, we do want to sip some Tea in the Sahara with them again, right?
Oooooooooooooooh! Juicy! Justin Timberlake has partnered with Yahoo! and the Grammys to invite the general public to audition via video to perform with him at the award show in February. Wait a minute...what's that smell, people?
Oh, I know what it is. Smells a lot to me like American Idol, no? Yes. Which is unexpected, given what JT had to say back in August's issue of Fashion Rocks about Idol and this year'swinner, Taylor Hicks: "He can't carry a tune in a bucket." It seems Justin can't carry his Grammy tune either -- not alone, anyway!
Well, he did have this to say about Idol: "I despise it, and yet I'm completely fascinated." Translation: I'm addicted!
By the way, a word of advice to the Grammy contest winner: wear lots of layers. After all, Justin's been known to have the occasional wardrobe-malfunction problem with his duet partners, both female and male.
The acclaim keeps rolling in for Mary J. Blige. After scoring nine trophies at the Billboard Awards on Monday and two at the American Music Awards last month, the 35-year-old R&B singer has just racked up another eight opportunies to win big at next Feb. 11's Grammy Awards. Also making decent showings at this morning's announcement were the Red Hot Chili Peppers, with six nods, and James Blunt, the Dixie Chicks, John Mayer, Danger Mouse, Prince, Rick Rubin, will.i.am, and John Williams -- all with five noms each. (Check out the full list of nominees.)
But enough about the winners-to-be. While deserved, Blige's kudos were hardly unexpected. More interesting are some of the omissions: Bob Dylan's critically praised Modern Times did get some love in a couple smaller rock and folk categories, but totally missed out on the biggies (namely, Album of the Year and Song of the Year). And poor, poor Nickelback: They're the biggest-selling rock act of 2006 and didn't get a single nomination.
What are your thoughts on this year's ballot? Discuss...
King of the Grammys: Barry Manilow! Well, we haven’t yet lived to see that day. But the Barry-ster (pictured) was the king of Clive Davis’ annual pre-Grammy party Tuesday night. As Davis reminded everyone, he gave Davis’ former label, Arista, its very first No. 1 record, and on this particular evening came the announcement that Manilow was about to have his first No. 1 album since the 1970s. It’s a career revivification almost worthy of Davis’ own comeback.
Some say it’s Clive’s ears that have kept him alive all these years well past any reasonable music-biz retirement age. (There was that unpleasant interlude in the late ‘90s where his corporate bosses attempted to put him out to pasture, “but it was corrected,” as Davis told the assembled while introducing the corporate Sony-BMG brass.) Yes, he is responsible for four of the top 10 albums right now. But it really comes down to this damn party. No one in the business wants to lose their invitation to this annual schmoozefest, always the year’s most coveted ticket for insiders. After Clive is gone, I think there’ll be a popular move to have him frozen, just so they can haul him out and have an excuse to keep these parties going in perpetuity.
Ah, the Grammys. It's Tuesday night, and somewhere Clive Davis is having his annual party. I wasn't there, opting instead to hit the LL Cool J/Ciara show at the House of Blues, the Roots jam at the Key Club, and hopefully the late James Blunt H.O.B. show, too -- plus, eat dinner, something I neglected to do yesterday.
Instead, here is a list of what I did this evening, jotted down in my trusty notebook while sitting on a luggage cart outside the Mondrian Hotel at midnight (I'll get to that):
-Sat in traffic going downtown to pick up my credentials. Expected line at Staples Center to take 2 hours. It took 2 minutes. Sat in traffic driving to Sunset Strip.
-At 7 p.m., left car with valet at Mondrian, a nice central location to all pertinent events.
-Walked to Saddle Ranch to eat chicken fried steak with EW's own Josh Rich. Received text message alerting me that no press was allowed at LL Cool J show. Decided show does not exist if I cannot write about it. Had another beer.
Ah, Grammy week. Thousands of music industry folks descend on Los Angeles, organize fabulous parties and all-star concert jams, and then spend the next three to four days sitting in traffic trying to get to them. Also, there are awards handed out at some point. Monday night was chock-full of exciting entertainment opportunities, including the Black Eyed Peas, a MusicCares benefit honoring James Taylor, and some sort of Kanye West something-or-another that featured Foreigner offspring Samantha Ronson as the DJ.
All of that was skipped for two very important reasons:
1. Fall Out Boy 2. The Fugees
Yes! The Fugees! Remember them? In 1996, they put out a hip-hop album so good, even I bought it, and in 1996 I was still listening mostly to the Indigo Girls! The Fugees! The press release promised a crowd of 8,000 people rocking out to the refugee sound right smack in the middle of Hollywood and Vine, “the world’s most famous intersection” (pictured). This was not to be missed.
Home
Hell hath no fury like an R&B diva scorned, especially at the Grammys. First there was Natalie Cole opening fire on Amy WInehouse. Now, in a statement released Tuesday, Aretha Franklin revealed that she, too, was incensed at a young upstart: she didn't appreciate that Beyoncé, in her introduction of Tina Turner at Sunday's awards show, referred to Turner as "the Queen." There's only one Queen of Soul, Franklin implied, and she was not amused. Though she concluded her statement with, "Love to Beyoncé anyway," Beyoncé's father/manager Mathew Knowles called Franklin's remarks "ridiculous... childish... [and] unprofessional." Ouch!
So, Natalie Cole told 
Skipped most of the Grammy pre-party hoo-hah this year, PopWatchers, as it tends to all sound the same after a while (and by "the same" I mean "like the Black Eyed Peas"). But there was one gig I couldn’t pass up: Country music purveyor and Bud Light poster child Dierks Bentley's show Friday night at L.A.'s Knitting Factory. 
Another Grammy weekend behind us, PopWatchers, and, like the four that came before it, my 2008 experience was a combination of soaring highs and crushing lows. (My life is very much like Wide World of Sports.) And while I may not have been called on to 
I've always known that Alicia Keys is an amazing talent even if I don't own any of her albums. But after 
Hello, Grammys-viewing P-Dubs. Welcome to Round 2 of Leah and Annie Cook It Up In Carroll Gardens! Ms. Greenblatt and I have been 
(Alternate post title: Leah and Annie cook it in Carroll Gardens!) Hi everyone -- we're here with assorted snacks and a great attitude (for now) about tonight's live-blogging marathon. We're not technically required to cover the red carpet... but we might as well. We're both present, and alive, and the amazing and unexpected Milano Salame that Leah just plunked onto my coffee table has us almost inappropriately revved up for Fun. Let's get it started!
The Grammy press room is its usual hotbed of pre-telecast action this year, as the members of the print pool sit at long tables and wait for free sandwiches while conducting short, frequently awkward interviews with the winners of categories like Best Tropical Latin Album. (Juan Luis Guerra seems like a nice guy.) Inside the convention center next door, where the actual pre-show ceremony is taking place, the vibe is closer to high school assembly: Pockets of people whooping and clapping for their friends, the winners expressing genuine joy that most of the world will never see. 
Full disclosure: In preparing for today's 
How's that post-Grammy hangover, PopWatchers? I'll tell you what, as much fun as I had 
Hello again, PopWatchers! Coming at you direct from the bowels of the Staples Center, I'm proud to present the live-blog of the actual Grammy Awards, where there will be no polka, but there will be the Police. We're about half an hour away from the big show, and back here in the press room, the 
Good afternoon, PopWatchers, and welcome to our first-ever attempt at live-blogging the Grammy Awards... from in the press room. (ooooooooooooh.)
Continuing the pre-party smush of Grammy Week 2007, my friend Allyson and I headed over to the House of Blues Friday night to see this band called the Fray, who I believe at least 2 million of you have heard of, since you bought their album largely on the strength of a song from a Grey's Anatomy commercial. I respect that about you, PopWatchers: Your trust that, whatever happens, Grey's Anatomy will not let you down. And so even though prior to the show I wouldn't have known Fray lead singer Isaac Slade if he'd hit me in the face with a really sensitive man-stick, I decided I would trust your tastes and check it out for myself.
Judging by the insane lines outside of Hollywood’s 1500-capacity theater, the Avalon, Justin Timberlake’s pre-Grammy soirée (sponsored by Rolling Stone and VCast by Verizon Wireless) promised to be a packed and glorious night. So much so that only 45 minutes after the party had started, even artists were having trouble getting in. Kid Rock, with Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger in tow, had to circle the block three times while his team made arrangements for a drama-less entrance. Grey’s Anatomy’s Sara Ramirez (with Queer Eye for the Straight Guy’s Jai Rodriguez), on the other hand, had to make do on her own and simply push through the crowds. Same with Maroon 5’s James Valentine. Was it worth the hassle? 
Woo, PopWatchers! I am here at Los Awards Del Grammy, and the pre-parties are fiiiiiine! So last night — after EW's own party in honor of the space king himself, Timbaland — I trotted over to the Black Eyed Peas' annual benefit for their 
The Grammys will be handed out Sunday (check out our coverage 
The Internets are abuzz today with news that Sting will be taking time out from his busy schedule of lute playing, tantric sex, and 
Oooooooooooooooh! Juicy! Justin Timberlake has partnered with Yahoo! and the Grammys to invite the general public to 
The acclaim keeps rolling in for Mary J. Blige. After scoring nine trophies at the Billboard Awards on Monday and two at the American Music Awards last month, the 35-year-old R&B singer has just racked up another eight opportunies to win big at next Feb. 11's Grammy Awards. Also making decent showings at this morning's announcement were the Red Hot Chili Peppers, with six nods, and James Blunt, the Dixie Chicks, John Mayer, Danger Mouse, Prince, Rick Rubin, will.i.am, and John Williams -- all with five noms each. (
King of the Grammys: Barry Manilow! Well, we haven’t yet lived to see that day. But the Barry-ster (pictured) was the king of Clive Davis’ annual pre-Grammy party Tuesday night. As Davis reminded everyone, he gave Davis’ former label, Arista, its very first No. 1 record, and on this particular evening came the announcement that Manilow was about to have his first No. 1 album since the 1970s. It’s a career revivification almost worthy of Davis’ own comeback.
Ah, Grammy week. Thousands of music industry folks descend on Los Angeles, organize fabulous parties and all-star concert jams, and then spend the next three to four days sitting in traffic trying to get to them. Also, there are awards handed out at some point. Monday night was chock-full of exciting entertainment opportunities, including the Black Eyed Peas, a MusicCares benefit honoring James Taylor, and some sort of Kanye West something-or-another that featured Foreigner offspring Samantha Ronson as the DJ.
