Grammy Awards Challenged With Honoring Houston Just One Day After Her Death
- Posted on February 12, 2012 at 10:05pm by
Christopher Santarelli
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(AP) — The Grammys got underway Sunday as The Recording Academy grappled with the task of paying tribute to one of their fallen greats, Whitney Houston, while at the same time honoring the best in music, from the irreverent to the poignant.
It was a delicate balance. The show started off with Bruce Springsteen, complete with a string section, performing his new song “We Take Care of Our Own,” a rousing song that references the troubles of the nation.
But soon after, a somber LL Cool J, the show’s host, appeared in black, and told the audience: “There is no way around this. We’ve had a death in our family.”
He then led the audience in prayer to “our fallen sister, Whitney Houston.
“Heavenly father, we thank you for sharing our sister Whitney with us,” he said, as celebrities like Lady Gaga and Miranda Lambert bowed their heads in prayer. “Though she is gone too soon, we remain truly blessed to have been touched by her beautiful spirit.”
He introduced a clip of a glowing Houston singing one of her best-known songs, “I Will Always Love You.” LL Cool said afterward: “Whitney, we will always love you.”
In his performance of “Runaway Baby,” Bruno Mars also mentioned the death: “Tonight we’re celebrating. Tonight we’re celebrating the beautiful Miss Whitney Houston.”
A tribute to Houston featuring Jennifer Hudson was to take place during the main ceremony.
Houston died on the eve of the Grammys at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, where she was preparing to attend a pre-Grammy party. Before the death of one of pop music’s most important figures, the pre-Grammy buzz focused on whether Adele – 2011′s top-selling artist and set to make her first public performance on the show since having vocal cord surgery – would be the queen of the Grammys. Although Kanye West led all nominees with seven and Bruno Mars and the Foo Fighters tied Adele with six nominations, she was favored to sweep all of her categories.
Still, while Houston‘s death cast a shadow over the night’s winners, it did not obscure them. The Foo Fighters emerged as big winners, capturing five of the six categories they were nominated in, and they still had a chance to win the evening’s top award, album of the year.
Frontman Dave Grohl noted that the band made their album, “Wasting Light,” in their garage.
“To me this award means a lot because it shows that the human element of making music is what’s most important. Singing into a microphone, learning to play an instrument and learning to do your craft, that’s the most important thing for people to do,“ he said as the band accepted their best rock performance trophy for ”Walk.“ ”It’s not about being perfect. It’s not about sounding absolutely correct. It’s not about what goes on in a computer. It’s about what goes on in here (your heart) and what goes on here (your head). … Long live rock `n’ roll!”
Kanye West, who was the top nominee with seven, had won four by the midway point in the show; he was not present.
Adele gave a brief speech which in part referenced the vocal ailment that forced her to cancel her tour and keep a low profile for much of last year, despite her blockbuster success.
“I can‘t believe I’m getting emotional already,” she said. “And seeing as it’s a vocal performance, I need to thank my doctors, I suppose, who brought my voice back.”
The Grammys did their best to keep a tone that balanced the many moods of the night: The Foo Fighters performed in a tent outside the Staples Center, where the awards were being held, amid a throng of bouncing fans; but moments earlier, Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt paid tribute to Etta James, the legend who died last month.
There was also a tribute to the recently reunited Beach Boys that featured Maroon 5, Foster the People and Mike Love, Al Jardine and Brian Wilson, the three remaining members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band, all pitch-perfect as they brought the groups California rock sound and harmonies back to life.
And in a noteworthy occurrence, Rihanna and Brown appeared at the same awards show since his attack on her three years ago – also on the eve of the Grammys – forced both to drop out of the show and led to an assault conviction for Brown. It almost derailed his career, but 2011 marked a huge comeback, and he was rewarded with a Grammy performance slot on Sunday night’s CBS broadcast that focused more on his stunning dance moves than his singing (he appeared to lip-synch his entire performance).
Rihanna, who performed with Coldplay later, is a multiple nominee and up for album of the year. She is competing with Adele’s “21,” Mars’ “Doo-Woops & Hooligans,” the Foo Fighters’ “Wasting Light” and Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way.”
Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” is nominated for record and song of the year. Both categories also include Bon Iver’s “Holocene,” Mumford & Sons “The Cave,” and Mars’ “Grenade.” Katy Perry’s “Firework” is up for record of the year but instead of that song, West’s “All of the Lights” takes the remaining position in the song of the year category.
The ceremony also marks the first since a major overhaul of the categories last year: They were trimmed from 109 to 78.
Host LL Cool J discusses Houston on the red carpet before the event:
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Patroy
Posted on February 14, 2012 at 6:21amJust a little side note. Adele had her vocal cord surgery done here in the U.S. Isn’t she from England? Where they have socialized medicine. Do they even have E.N.T. specialist there, and how long a wait to see them?
Report Post »bhohater
Posted on February 13, 2012 at 11:56amENOUGH ALREADY!!! Even the weather channel is running specials about that druggie. I’m on the verge of blowing a hole through the TV with my 12 gauge.
Report Post »JohnnyMidknight
Posted on February 13, 2012 at 12:55pmAgreed! It is sad for her family that she has died. I feel for them, honestly I do. However, do we need to have the news and every station have an expose every 30 minutes and talk how tragic her death is.
She was a great singer, but she was a horrible person. She lived for a time in Alpharetta, GA at Country Club of the South with Bobby Brown. She would frequent the Bottle Shop on Haynes Bridge Rd in Alpharetta (where several of my Friends worked in there in their early 20′s – IE the late 90‘s and early 2000’s). She always treated the staff of the liquor store like low lives and had an attitude. I know she was going through a lot with abuse from Bobby; however, you don’t treat others like dog snot because of your choices and dependency on alcohol and drugs.
Hearing the stories they would tell made me lose all respect for her. Much like I lost respect for Usher and several celebrities from Georgia. They treat people horribly (especially people serving them like waiters and waitress’). You’re rich & famous! Good for you, but treating people that are poorer or less fortunate like dog squeeze is uncalled for. This type of attitude is what Jesus and Amos warned about. It wasn’t about Social Justice. It was about respecting and loving others.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on February 13, 2012 at 8:25amI didn’t watch but, I saw a clip of L.L. Cool Jay saying a prayer for Houston. It was well done and he seems like a class act but, when they panned the croud, half them were looking around and talking while he prayed. Either they had never seen someone pray and had no idea what to do or they just didn’t give a rip.
Report Post »TAXEVERYONE
Posted on February 13, 2012 at 8:31amWhat would you expect from a crowd of Obama supporters?
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on February 13, 2012 at 8:41amI know Tax but, it never ceases to amaze me.
Report Post »TROONORTH
Posted on February 13, 2012 at 8:59amL.L. COOL JAY can pray but he sure can’t act! Anyone seen him on NCIS Los Ang’ ?
The saddest thing about Huston’s death is that, despite her talent, her name will forever more be linked to her drugged life and death. Drugs will be her memorial.
Report Post »LiveNation
Posted on February 13, 2012 at 9:15amYeah, but the closing act pretty much negated any benefit of the prayer….
Report Post »jujubeebee
Posted on February 13, 2012 at 8:13amI only flipped once in a while but mostly watched Downton Abbey. Whitney Houston was a talent and for many years that talent was wasted because the world did not get anything new from her voice. I don’t know what caused her problems but in the end it was her choices that brought her to her death. I don’t feel a need to honor her. Her voice was honored in record sales. Her death need not be honored because of her waste or purposeful destruction of it. This is something that Hollywood likes to do….put these people up as victims of drugs when in fact they are more lucky and privileged than most. I can’t feel the sorrow here.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on February 13, 2012 at 8:18amDownton Abbey is fantastic, isn’t it? Nice to enjoy actors that can atually act for a change!
Report Post »screw
Posted on February 13, 2012 at 8:07amA bunch of overpaid entertainers patting themselves on the back.
Report Post »altannt
Posted on February 13, 2012 at 7:31amYou can take the girl out of the getto but you can’t take the getto out of the girl….to bad who’s next?
Report Post »TAXEVERYONE
Posted on February 13, 2012 at 8:34amAnother Hollywood entertainer over doses on drugs and the whole world has to stop and worship her.
Report Post »Take it somewhere else.
Ron Staiger
Posted on February 13, 2012 at 6:55amNever cared for her and it makes no difference to me how she died. Everyone knows what the toxicology reports will show. Just another instance of an overpaid entertainer being a drug-glutton and killing themselves in the process. Don’t really care if it was intentional or not.
Report Post »Shelly
Posted on February 13, 2012 at 3:38amHollywood bowed their heads in prayer for Whitney at the beginning of the show. LL Cool J recited the prayer.
Grammy’s Open With Prayer For Whitney Houston
Report Post »http://nebraskattitude.blogspot.com/2012/02/grammys-open-with-prayer-for-whitney.html
hogtrashhd
Posted on February 13, 2012 at 1:23amhate to say it but whitney‘s daughter was mourning the fact there’d be no party.. that’s the way the blacks roll daddy-o.. come to find out she may have been in that tub for about 24 hours… according to the dude who had a room directly under her.. seems her tub water flowed over and went into his room the night before she was “found” dead.. ask me.. no one wanted the death to interrupt the partying.. it’s a black thing…
Report Post »Razorhunters
Posted on February 13, 2012 at 12:07amshe was a cra ckhead who had a beautiful voice…
obvious she cared less for her daughter , than herself , when she decided to take the chicken sheet way out.
15yrs + people… just switched to legal dr ugs.
rip…
Report Post »Razorhunters
Posted on February 13, 2012 at 12:08amwhat type of dam dr gives that many meds to a known drug addict…?
Report Post »Razorhunters
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 11:58pm15+yrs is not a mistake…
dam that crack is one heII of a drug…
rip .
Report Post »Zcat
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 11:43pmGrammys have gone down hill. I thought the whole thing was rather bad period.
Report Post »C. Schwehr
Posted on February 13, 2012 at 1:00amHaven’t watched it in years…..waste of time, especially this year…no need to “honor” a woman who took a God given talent and wasted it. She only had a couple of hits, and was known more for her ability to put hundreds of thousands of dollars up her nose. She left her teenaged daughter with a bankrupt legacy…in more ways than one. Hopefully the daughter will shun her abusive, crackhead sperm donor and try to make some sense of her life…since her incubator couldn’t…
Report Post »Scaz
Posted on February 13, 2012 at 8:44amThe Grammys haven’t gone downhill, music in general has. Most of the people up there have very little talent. Their voices are run through so many filters and auto tuners that anyone can sound halfway decent. Music is a bunch of manufactured garbage these days, as are the people who perform it…….case in point Whitney Houston.
Report Post »CatB
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 11:24pm@TXWHEELS .. I agree what a waste .. but many of these people not only promote drug abuse with their songs .. they are also users and losers. I decided yesterday not to watch .. really getting sick of overpaid, undertalented people giving each other awards.
Report Post »B4REALITY
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 11:15pmNickie Minaj – LOSER!!!! What junk!
Thankfully, people with real voices still win out – - ADELE!!!!! Love her!
And God Bless Whitney Houston’s family – I’m so angry at her!!! How could she – - after all she’d been through – take the low road!!!! That woman – - had everything – and I’m sure that her heart and soul were just as beautiful as she was! She was my age – and ironically, same as Michael Jackson 47-48, born in 1964! If you could buy beauty – you couldn’t afford to look like her – if you could buy – a voice – no way would you be able to get a voice like that! A truly sad day – God Bless you Whitney!
Report Post »spirited
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 11:12pmRoman holiday
>hmmm,…
Report Post »MarcusFL
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 10:30pmAnd YOU have never made a mistake. Have you? Ever had a sip of whiskey Mr. TX?
She had more of a heart in her little finger than you do in your entire body. Shame on you!
Report Post »spirited
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 10:30pmBonnie Rait creamed “Sunday Kinda Love” –Yes !!!
>Etta James
Report Post »TRONINTHEMORNING
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 10:52pmNIce to see Joe Walsh again. Not a big fan of Taylor, but that song was funny.
Report Post »dealer@678
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 11:13pmObama walked away with no grammy’s tonight. Riots in the streets tomorrow folks
Report Post »JP4JOY
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 10:18pmAnytime humanity loses great talent it diminishes the grandeur of man in that moment in time but others with great talent will rise to fill any void and increase over time. This is what the greatness of man strives for. May GOD rest her soul and comfort her family
Report Post »duke5015
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 10:16pmSorry folks- but another junkie kills themselves- big deal! Not disrespect, just reality
Report Post »MarcusFL
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 10:27pmMaybe Whitney’s broken heart daughter (now in the hospital) will read the nasty @ss comment you left.
You sir, have no heart. No matter what your thoughts are inside, those hurtful thoughts should be kept inside. Sometimes things have a way of turning around and if it does happen to you,…remember your words.
Report Post »txwheels
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 10:44pm@MARCUSFL As a matter of fact, No I haven’t had a sip of Whiskey. I don’t drink at all.
As far as her having more heart than I, I seriously doubt that. She had been through rehab several times, but it‘s apparent she didn’t have the ‘heart’ to keep herself clean and sober.
So go try to lay your guilt trips somewhere else bubba. I don‘t have compassion or give honor to those who don’t have the self respect to live their lives like they have some common sense. She was a junkie, now she’s dead. That’s about all the honor she deserves!
Report Post »MarcusFL
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 10:50pmYo Tex!
Somtimes things have a way of coming right back at ya.
Keep your nasty, filthy thoughts to yourself, would ya.
I thought Texas fella’s were polite and gentlemenly. Oh well, guess even Texas grows a bad seed now n then.
Report Post »txwheels
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 10:57pm@ MARCUSFL Nasty, filthy thoughts? I merely spoke truth, so I can only guess your reading comprehension isn’t that great. I’ll just ignore you from here on.
Report Post »Razorhunters
Posted on February 13, 2012 at 12:02amshe was a crack hore who had a beautiful voice…
obvious she cared less for her daughter , than herself , when she decided to take the chicken sheet way out.
15yrs + people…and just switched to legal dr ugs.
rip…
Report Post »The_Jerk
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 10:11pmShe was a women with an excellent voice… no more, no less. Far too much adulation and worship is given to far too many that are not deserving.
Report Post »TRONINTHEMORNING
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 10:09pmI saw the first ten minutes and must say that L.L. COOL J. is one class act. No one could have handled the opening better. I was impressed with his approach.
Report Post »Steelhead
Posted on February 13, 2012 at 12:49amTron- for once you and I saw the same thing, amen bro
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