Grammys celebrate Adele, honor Whitney Houston - The 54th annual Grammy Awards show began as a tribute to the late Whitney Houston, one of the music industry’s most successful and decorated female vocalists. It eventually turned into a coronation of another gifted singer, Adele.
Sunday night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, the 23-year-old British soul singer born Adele Atkins won Grammys in all six categories in which she was nominated, all for her album “21.” She won the three biggest awards: for album, record and song of the year.
Adele delivered a spectacular version of “Rolling in the Deep” on Sunday night at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.
It was also a good night for the veteran rock band the Foo Fighters, who took home five Grammys, including one for best rock album.
Also notable: Justin Vernon, who performs as Bon Iver, was the unlikely winner of the Grammy for best new artist, beating better-known artists like Nicki Minaj, the Band Perry and Skrillex. The “Bon Iver” album also won the Grammy for best alternative album.
Kansas City was represented hours before the official telecast aired. The Grammy for best small ensemble performance/classical went to Steve Mackey for “Lonely Motel,” which featured a performance by Eighth Blackbird, the 2012 Barr Laureate Ensemble at the UMKC Conservatory. And Prairie Village native Joyce DiDonato won the Grammy for classical solo performance for “Diva Divo.” Former Kansas Citian Karrin Allyson was nominated in the jazz vocal category for “Round Midnight,” but that Grammy went to her label mate Terri Lyne Carrington for “The Mosaic Project.”
Houston, who died unexpectedly Saturday night in Los Angeles, was mentioned several times during the telecast. She was also honored toward the end of the show when Jennifer Hudson performed one of Houston’s biggest hits, “I Will Always Love You.”
But much more than a tribute to Houston and an awards pageant for the best albums of 2011, the show was a live-music extravaganza. The actual award presentations were kept to a minimum: six. The rest of the night was handed over to a variety of live performances.
The first of those opened the telecast: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band performed the fiery “We Take Care of Our Own,” a anthem for the economically dispossessed. After that, host L.L. Cool J offered a prayer for Houston, a six-time Grammy winner he called a member of the “Grammy family.”
Then came the live performances, in rapid-fire progression. Most involved pairings or collaborations between two artist or groups. Some worked, others didn’t.
Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt paid tasteful respect to the late Etta James with a cover of “Sunday Kind of Love.” Jazz pianist/singer Diana Krall and Joe Walsh of the Eagles accompanied Paul McCartney as he sang “My Valentine,” a track of his new album of standard covers.
Among those that didn’t work: Rihanna and her collaboration with the British rock band Coldplay; the Beach Boys, including Brian Wilson, and their performance with Maroon 5 and upstarts Foster the People; and Minaj, whose performance of her new single erupted into a confusing mix of live music and taped footage that paid homage to “The Exorcist.”
The best live performances went to Adele, who delivered a spectacular version of the song that won record and song of the year, “Rolling in the Deep,” and to Glen Campbell, who rescued his own tribute, joining country stars the Band Perry and Blake Shelton on “Rhinestone Cowboy.” ( kansascity.com )
Sunday night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, the 23-year-old British soul singer born Adele Atkins won Grammys in all six categories in which she was nominated, all for her album “21.” She won the three biggest awards: for album, record and song of the year.
Adele delivered a spectacular version of “Rolling in the Deep” on Sunday night at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.
It was also a good night for the veteran rock band the Foo Fighters, who took home five Grammys, including one for best rock album.
Also notable: Justin Vernon, who performs as Bon Iver, was the unlikely winner of the Grammy for best new artist, beating better-known artists like Nicki Minaj, the Band Perry and Skrillex. The “Bon Iver” album also won the Grammy for best alternative album.
Kansas City was represented hours before the official telecast aired. The Grammy for best small ensemble performance/classical went to Steve Mackey for “Lonely Motel,” which featured a performance by Eighth Blackbird, the 2012 Barr Laureate Ensemble at the UMKC Conservatory. And Prairie Village native Joyce DiDonato won the Grammy for classical solo performance for “Diva Divo.” Former Kansas Citian Karrin Allyson was nominated in the jazz vocal category for “Round Midnight,” but that Grammy went to her label mate Terri Lyne Carrington for “The Mosaic Project.”
Houston, who died unexpectedly Saturday night in Los Angeles, was mentioned several times during the telecast. She was also honored toward the end of the show when Jennifer Hudson performed one of Houston’s biggest hits, “I Will Always Love You.”
But much more than a tribute to Houston and an awards pageant for the best albums of 2011, the show was a live-music extravaganza. The actual award presentations were kept to a minimum: six. The rest of the night was handed over to a variety of live performances.
The first of those opened the telecast: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band performed the fiery “We Take Care of Our Own,” a anthem for the economically dispossessed. After that, host L.L. Cool J offered a prayer for Houston, a six-time Grammy winner he called a member of the “Grammy family.”
Then came the live performances, in rapid-fire progression. Most involved pairings or collaborations between two artist or groups. Some worked, others didn’t.
Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt paid tasteful respect to the late Etta James with a cover of “Sunday Kind of Love.” Jazz pianist/singer Diana Krall and Joe Walsh of the Eagles accompanied Paul McCartney as he sang “My Valentine,” a track of his new album of standard covers.
Among those that didn’t work: Rihanna and her collaboration with the British rock band Coldplay; the Beach Boys, including Brian Wilson, and their performance with Maroon 5 and upstarts Foster the People; and Minaj, whose performance of her new single erupted into a confusing mix of live music and taped footage that paid homage to “The Exorcist.”
The best live performances went to Adele, who delivered a spectacular version of the song that won record and song of the year, “Rolling in the Deep,” and to Glen Campbell, who rescued his own tribute, joining country stars the Band Perry and Blake Shelton on “Rhinestone Cowboy.” ( kansascity.com )
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