Don't get me wrong, it was a GREAT show - one of the best in many years. But I ask you, what the HELL was Scarlett Johanson, who has never had a record in her brief life, doing presenting the BEST ALBUM award with Don Henley? What an insult to all the great artists and legends who were at the Grammys last night.
Why not have Joan Baez, who looked amazing and is a legend, present with Henley? That REALLY annoyed me. Apparently she is about to record an album. She asked Henley if he had any advice for her. He said: "No." And he seemed to mean it.
Then you had the strange presence of Al Gore presenting best ROCK album with Queen Latifah. I know he was initially scheduled to present with Mellisa Etheridge who wrote the song for his "An Inconvenient Truth" flick. But there was nothing really clever said to explain the former veep's presence.
And what about the trio who presented Best Country Album? Mandy Moore. OK, fine, she's a singer. LeAnn Rimes. Perfect. She's a singer AND does Country songs. so far so good. Rounding out the threesome? LUKE WILSON? What the? I like Luke Wilson, don't get me wrong. But he has no business presenting Grammys is all I'm saying.
And good God, what the heck was DAVID SPADE doing there? I know it's a CBS telecast. I know Spade has a new sitcom on CBS. But this man has officially started to bug me. He has to 1. Get a haircxut. 2. Get a new schtick.
In a similar gripe, two cast members from CBS' "How I Met Your Mother" sitcom, Alyson Hannigan and Corie Smulders introduced Gnarls Barkley. I don't get it. Were the producers sitting around thinking, "Hmmmmm. Who will introduce Gnarls Barkley? I got it! Alyson Hannigan! She's perfect! No one else will do!"
Similarly, Christina Ricci (hugh? she doesn't even have a CBS sitcom) and Samuel L. Jackson introducing the R&B segment featuring Smokey Robinson, Lionel Richie, Chris Brown and an out-of-this-world Christina Aguilera.
I mean, if you're going to have actors presenting, at least have some who have recorded an album. I got one! William Shatner! Oh yeah, wrong network. His "Boston Legal" airs on ABC.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 1:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If there were any of you who were following my live blogging on the On the Red Carpet site last night, I lost all Internet connection backstage at the Grammys and was unable to blog during the last 40 minutes or so of the show. It was excrutiating! But I cheered up when some of the bigger names began coming into our interview room. I am now officially all about Mary J. Blige. Love, love LOVE her! Blige has that survivor thing going on that so many of us can identify with. "This has been an incredible night for me...it has been a personal breakthrough....You just strive to put your back up straight because you're sick of slumping." Great woman and amazing singer....
Tony Bennett, that ageless wonder, spent loads of time with us backstage talking about how he has always strived to make timeless music that would still be listenable 50 years from now. He! has certainly accomplished that. Tony is 80 years old, an amazing 80 years old, and talked about how finding something that you love in life and doing it, keeps you young. He is living proof. He is a living legend who now has 14 Grammys, the first won in the early 60s for "I Left My Heart in San Francisco."

And, of course, who isn't thrilled for The Dixie Chicks? For them to win five Grammys including album and record of the year was sweet vindication for the absolutely horrendous backlash they suffered through for daring to speak their minds in the United States of America. We waited an hour for them to come backstage and talk to us - which is partly why I'm so dead-tired today - and I left in frustration about 10:30 p.m. I said to my award show buddy Sandra Barrera: "I'm tired of waiting for the Pixie Stixs!" But here are some backstage comments from other artists on the Chicks win: John Mayer said "it was just almost an instant classic album...They were running from a lot of ghosts."
I also became a fan of Ludacris who last year, walked by me on the red carpet at the Oscars and I had no idea who he was. At the Grammys, he performed magically and backstage, he told us that he cut off his signature braids because he didn't want to turn 30 next year with cornrows. He also did not hild back when describing what winning a Grammy (his first) for "Release Therapy" meant to him: "Today is pretty much the best day of my life...no words can explain how great I feel right now."
Multiple winners The Red Hot Chili Peppers came backstage and were so friendly and fun. They were ready to take all the questions we had for them - and we had many - but this very annoying woman with an ugly gold lame coat and frazzled hair rushed them off the stage. This woman was a nightmare. I got to the press room about noon. By 1 p.m. she was on my nerves. By 2:30 p.m. I hated her. By the end of the night (10:30 p.m.), I was making a list of various ways to not exactly kill her, but maybe tie her up and stuff her in a closet so she could rethink her attitude...and her hairdo! Anyway, one of the Chili Peppers, Chad Smith the drummer, made a face at her behind her back and she saw him. Busted! Most peeps would laugh it off, but gold coat lady was incensed. I was convulsing in laughter. It was so third-grade...and so funny! When Chad walked back into the press room earlier, he looked around and said: "You guys are stuck back here the whole time? Why? Why? Were you bad in college?"

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 1:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Neil Portnow, president of the Recording Academy, is making a speech. I got an idea: how bout next year you give Mary J. Blige more time for her speech and skip the boring speech!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 7:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Knock me over with a feather. Smokey Robinson has just sung "Tracks of My Tears" and it reminds me of why I love music...all the Motown records my big sister played in our house. It's the soundtrack of my life and for Smokey to be able to go out there still looking and sounding so good, shows you that if you love what you do, it sure keeps you young! I'll bet a lot of money helps too.
He was followed by Lionel Richie singing "Hello" and I have to say, his voice is as good as it ever was. Being at least a decade-plus younger than Smokey, he can still hit all the notes. I'd love to see a lot MORE of Lionel Richie and a lot LESS of his daughter, Nicole Richie. I liked her the most of all the young train wreck girls but she kinda lost me when she took drugs and drive on the wrong side of the 134 Freeway a few months back. That is just not cool.
OK, as I was going off on that tangent, a guy named Chris Brown has just sung "Run It" and gets a standing ovation but I'm not into it. But I can get into this: Christina Aguilara belting out "It's a Man's Man's Man's World." The girl is almost obscured by dry ice for a second but she sure has some serious pipes. She just hit a really high note that was kind of a scream and a music writer from the Tennessean sitting next to me just yelled out: "Yoko!"

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 7:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Minutes after singing a knockout version of "Desperado," Carrie Underwood beat out James Blunt and others to take the best new artist award presented by Natalie Cole and Orenette Coleman. Underwood ran up to the stage and said, "This is absolutely unbelievable. I love country music!" She thanked her mom, she thanked her dad, she thanked "American Idol" producer Simon Fuller as well as producer Clive Davis and "anybody that had anything to do with this album and the blessed year I've had. Thank you so much."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 6:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

You can't blame the Dixie Chicks for being giddy over their Grammy wins tonight. They just won the Grammy for Best Country Album ("Taking the Long Way") and Natalie took the mic and said: "To quote the great Simpsons: "He!He!" [ Big laugh in the audience and in the press room] "A lot of people just turned their TVs off right now, sorry about that."
Doubt it. Too many folks have come to realize that not only do the Dixie Chicks have the absolute right to speak their minds, a lot of people probably agree with them now! Emily Robison added: "Our core fans always stood by us. We wouldn't have done this album without everything we went through. So thank you...we have no regrets!"
John Mayer was just back here in the press room and said of the Dixie Chicks: "I'm really proud of them...it was almost an instant classic kind of album...They were running from a lot of ghosts...they just wrote great songs as the weapon."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 6:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

OK, if you plans to watch the Grammy telecast on CBS tonight, make damned sure you don't take a bathroom break around 9:30 or so because that is when Grammy queen Mary J. Blige sings "Be Without You" and "Stay With Me" and it's enough to make a grown man cry - she's THAT good. It is a performance for the ages and is not to be missed." Wow.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 6:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Things are getting crazy here. The Dixie Chicks are winning the song of the year award on stage and the great Tony Bennett is back here in the press room holding court. He is this ageless wonder who is going on and on. Talking about the future, he indicated that he loves the the way KD Lang sings so maybe they will do another one of their wonderful duets.
Bennett's impression of the Grammy telecast so far: "Sting really knocked it out of the park..."
So, The Dixie Chicks won their second Grammy of the night, song of the year for "Not Ready to Make Nice Yet." Natalie Maines said: "For the first time in my life, I'm speechless!" Then she joked to her partners: "I told you I'd take you to the Grammys! ...Stick with me!"

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 6:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

John Mayer just won the Grammy for best pop vocal album. He sings swell but gives a dull acceptance speech. So this is the guy who is supposedly dating Jessica Simpson? Yes, she's cute. But isn't she kinda dumb? Like Judge Judy says: "Looks fade, but stupid is forever."
Anyway, on to Timberlake. When he was performing "What Goes Around Comes Around," there were all these weird close-ups of his face, like up his nose close-ups...can see the pores on the face close-ups. This was not such a good idea if ya ask me.
Just as an aside, Enya won a Grammy in the pre-show and came backstage and told us that this was the first time she had ever been to the Grammys to accept. Her third Grammy win was for best New Age album. Anyway, the thing is, she wasn't in the convention center to accept the Grammy in person so I asked her: "WHERE WERE YOU?" She confessed: "I was actually on the red carpet...but the news was wonderful when I found out."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 5:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Mary J. Blige, nominated for five Grammys overall has already win three 45 minutes into the show. She just won her second of the telecast for best R&B female performance over a stellar field that included Mariah Carey and Natalie Cole among others. She acknowledged that "I've already thanked everyone I could possibly think of" but went on to talk about the peaks and valleys she has experienced in her life: "It's in the valley when we learn who we really are...I want to use this success to build bridges, not to burn them.".
Blige will do well to have a career with the longevity of Natalie Cole who may look barely a day over 35, the truth is she won the first of her truckload of Grammys way back in 1976 as best new artist. Keep it going Natalie...

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 5:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It was her Grammy moment and she knew it. When Mary J. Blige's name was called as winner of best R&B album award, she choked back tears as she thanked God and said: "This is the first time I've ever been up here to receive anything...and I thank you so much." She added that "for so many years, I've been talked about negatively. Now I've been talked about positively by so many people. She thanked her husband and children then started down a loooooooong list of names. The orchestra music began but Mary J. Blige wasn't going anywhere. She kept reading names and as the music got louder, so did she. It wasn't quite Cuba Gooding Jr. at the Oscars when he won for "Jerry Maguire" all those years ago...

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 5:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I love this Grammy telecast, at least the first 15 minutes of it. I have heard of the performers and winners to so far. First off, The Police reunited and simply turned back the clock with the opening song, "Roxanne." They sounded great and that kind of reunion is so rare and special. That was followed by a Grammy win for Tony Bennett (his second tonight) and Stevie Wonder for their duet "For Once in My Life" from Bennett's "Duets" CD. Tony's speech was similar to the non-televised one only this time when he thanked tour sponsor Target, the audience laughed! Tony didn't much care.
Said Wonder: "This is an amazing moment for me..I have to tell you all, this is a bittersweet, sweet moment. I have to accept this award in memory of my m other."

Now Beyonce, introduced by Prince, is singing "Listen" from "Dreamgirls." It. Is. Glorious. Love it. Love her. She is dazzling. Absolutely fantastic performance. She was preceded by the Dixie Chicks who performed "Not Ready to Make Nice" and what I loved most, was that they were introduced by the great Joan Baez who is a Grammy Legend recipient tonight.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 5:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

One of the emotional highlights of the pre-telecast Grammys was Nancy Wilson's win for best jazz vocal for her album "Turned to Blue." Wilson, who turns 70 next week, won her first Grammy in 1964 and her most recent one last year. "I don't believe it! I'm so surprised to be standing here saying, 'Thank you.' To win back-to-back Grammys...I've got a lot of nominations and won quite a few but back to back? I'm so proud and pleased that my grandsons understand: "Oh, you're THAT Nancy Wilson."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 4:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Not that any of them showed up! Lemme tell ya, unless there is a rapt nationwide television audience to hang on their every word, it seems that some superstars have better things to do than accept their non-televised Grammys. I'm gonna make a vow: if I'm ever nominated for a Grammy, televised or not, I will be there!
Aguilera won another Grammy for best female pop performance ("Aint No Other Man"), Dylan got the best solo rock vocal performance Grammy for "Someday Baby" and the Dixie Chicks for best country performance by a duo or group with vocal for "Not Ready to Make Nice." So, if the chicks don't win during the telecast, they have missed their chance to say something controversial.
Dammit. I was sorta counting on that.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 4:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When her name was called out as the winner of the female country vocal solo performance, you had to figure she'd won a Grammy before. But actually, it's American Music Awards, Country Music Awards and People's Choice Awards that she's been cleaning up on in the past year.
"This is my first Grammy! Hopefully, the first of a few more!"
The "American Idol" winner from a few seasons back thanked the show's creator Simon Fuller and said: "That's the reason I'm here...I've been so blessed over the past couple of years and I'm so grateful for it."
Vince Gill won in the country male category but he was not present to accept his Grammy.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 4:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What can you say about Tony Bennett? He just keeps getting better all the time. His massive-selling duets album took the Grammy for traditional pop vocal performance. He must have run out of room for all of his Grammys by now...most of them won in the past decade or so of his career. Bennett accepted in person, unlike many big names, and he was overjoyed: "I have so many people to thank" including his sons who produced the record and his manager son Danny Bennett ("the greatest manager I've ever had.") Thank you! Thank you! Everybody thank you!"

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 3:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Has it really been 30 years since the phenomenon that was "Frampton Comes Alive." ? Time flies. How cool it was to see Peter Frampton win a Grammy today for pop instrumental album for "Fingerprints." With far less hair than in his hey-day, Frampton was also wearing a suit and tie as a tribute to his late father who died during the making of the album and who he said "was always my champion."
Frampton thanked his wive for "wholeheartedly understanding my passion for guitar playing." And he couldn't resist looking back when he was, for a time, the biggest rock star in the world: "Thirty years ago, I got nominated for another record. I didn't get that one as the pop star but today, I got this one as the musician."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 3:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Former president Jimmy Carter can add Grammy Award winner to Nobel Peace Prize winner. Carter was not present to accept but he won in the best spoken word category for "Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis." Carter tied with Ruby Dee and her late husband, Ossie Davis, who won for the reading of their autobiography "Wikth Ossie and Ruby: In This Life Together."
Dee, looking terrific in a blue suit, was present and accepted the Grammy for herself and her husband. "How exciting it is to be celebrating the spoken word." Dee referred to Davis in the present tense "because I truly believe he is here with us today. ..We had to beg him to do this and thank God we had a year to get it done.... We owe it to our children and their children to tell our stories so they will have a sense of themselves."
All five nominees in the category are forces to be reckoned with. They also included Bob Newhart's "I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This!" Bill Maher's "New Rules - Polite Musings From a Timid Observer," and Al Franklin's "The Truth About Jokes."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 3:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The musical that tells the story of the singing group the Four Seasons did pretty well at the Tonys last year and now it is also a Grammy winner beating out the albums from the Broadway shows "The Color Purple," "The Drowsy Chaperone," "Sweeney Todd - The Demon of Barber Street," and the Harry Connick Jr. penned "The Pajama Game" in which Connick Jr. also starred.
Pretty tough competition.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 2:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Who could blame presenter Lynn Redgrave for saying "I wish these guys would show up so I can say hello!" Those guys, who both won Grammys during the non-televised ceremony, are Bob Dylan (winner for contemporary folk album "Love is My Religion") and Bruce Springsteen for traditional folk album, "We shall overcome."
Good for them! It would be a shame if they missed the ceremony because they were stuck in traffic!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 2:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The winners are coming fast and furious now! One of them is Ike Turner for traditional blues album. He didn't mention Tina (did ya think he would?) but did say: "I want to say than ks to God and all my fans...I want to say thanks to everyone and thanks to God most of all." He looks nothing like Laurence Fishbourne who played him in the movie "What's Love Got To Do With It."

Joaquin Pheonix lost the best actor Oscar last year for "Walk the Line" but was the winner in the compilation soundtrack category. He wasn't present but the film's producer, James Keach, accepted on his behalf.

John Williams, who already has a gazillion Oscars for score, has two more Grammys today. He won for scoring the soundtrack album of "Memiors of a Geisha" and motion picture song ("A Prayer for Peace"). Sorry! don;t know the movie he wrote it for.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 2:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Miss Universe just struggled through the following sentence, "We accept this...on his behalf" The best latin pop album, best latin rock, best tropical album, best mexican-american almbum, best tejano album best banda, and best norteno album winners are ALL not here to accept. In protest, I refuse to print their names! I know this isn't televised but next time, show up to the Grammys! Shame on you!

In the rap categories, all no-shows. Justin Timberlake must be reheasing. He just won best rap song collaboration for "My Love" featuring T.I.. The other four rap winners were not present so I'll skip their names too!

Some gospel winners weren't there including Yolanda Adams but Johny Lang was here to pick up his trophy for best rock or rap gospel album (I didn't know there was such a thing! Cool!). Also present were most of the members of Third Day who won for best contemporary pop album: "This is amazing. We just walked in the door! You can't beat that. One of the guys is in the bathroom. Mark! You're missing out! We're winning a Grammy! Can't you hold it?"
P.S. Mark made it onto the stage in time to say a few words of thanks.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 2:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Good thing this isn't televised. Co-hosting the pre-show is guitarist Steve Vai and a very silly Miss Universe whose name I do not know. She just mispronounced Bruce Springsteen's name as the winner of the best video, long-form category. Who is this chick? I think Miss USA, the one who just got out of rehab, might have been more articulate now that she's sober as a judge. I hope she's laying off the sauce these days, she's a role model to millions!
OK, about five awards have been handed out and I can't pretend to care about recording package, boxed/limited edition package, historical album or classical engineering. The classical producer of the year winner just gave a super looooooooooooooooooooong speech. I ask you, is it really necessary to thank some dude who's been your friend for 35 years who has nothing to do with the music business.
Now they are in the opera categories. I. Have. The. Best. Job. In. The . World. Today. Still to come! Choral performance/1 chamber music! Classical crossover!
They are on number 12 on the agenda right now. I'm not even remotely interested until they get to number 20 which is Latin Pop Album.
Will check back then.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 1:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

OK, I'm in a better mood. Just went wandering around looking for food and scored some peanuts, party mix and potato chips. I'm such a health nut. They were in a lounge and a security guard just shrugged his shoulder when I asked if I could have some. I took that as a big, fat yes! On my way down, I bumped into Justin from American Idol! Remember him from "When Justin met Kelly" or whatever that dumb movie was. His hair is as curly as ever. I wish I had hair. I asked him if he was presenting, he said no, he's at the Grammys working for the TV Guide channel.
"Hopefully I'll be p;resenting next year," he said, laughing.
I said to him: "Hope so!"

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 1:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Remember when the Grammys show was about handing out awards? We got to see all these acceptance speeches and people cry or laugh etc. Now, the three-hour telecast only has about a dozen televised award presentations and the rest is performances etc.
To be presented on air are: record of the year, album of the year, song of the year, new artist, pop collaboration, pop vocal album, rock album, female R&B vocal, R&B album, rap album and country album.
Among the NINETY-SEVEN categories awarded early before the telecast are such things as music video, rap song, male R&B solo performance, country song, male and female pop vocal solo, rock song, R&B song, comedy album and male and female country vocal.
I'll get to see it, but you won't! So I'll try and bring you some of the action as it happens. Some of the bigger stars might be home primping for the telecast so who knows. I remember Hillary Clinton actually showed up when she was awarded the best spoken word Grammy for the audio version of her "It Takes A Village Book.: Yes, the former First Lady, current U.S. senator and presidential candidate is a Grammy winner!
Anyway, some categories that no one will much miss being televised are chamber music performance, album notes, classical producer of the year, orchestra performance, instrumental composition, and New Age album.
Sheesh...it's gonna be a loooooooooooooooooooong day!
And I'm still hungry too. Beef jerky girl is avoiding eye contact w/me now. I think she's afraid I'm gonna eat all her snacks. And who's to say she's wrong?

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm in hell. Well, not really. But it's not great. I'm smashed up against a window in the press room at Staples Center and can't leave my seat unless I climb over three people. If there's a fire, Greg is burnt toast! The air conditioning is just kicking in so I'm no longer sweating but I just found out they won't be feeding us until 4:30! I didn't bring a lunch! A nice woman from Variety just gave me a piece of her beef jerky which I was going to eat slowly but have already stuffed into my mouth.
OK, I'll stop whining. I won't even go into the fact that my award show buddy and colleague Sandra and I walked all around and around the LA Convention Center grounds and Staples Center looking for a press check-in only to find out it was right near where we started looking in the first place. Oh well, I needed the workout.
This is NOT the glamorous assignment I envisioned. The non-televised part of the ceremony is starting at 1:30 p.m. and I'm in the room where all the winners will come and hopefully say SCANDALOUS things! Now I'll check back in a bit. I'm going to try and read some of the Grammy preview info so I will know who the heck people are when they come backstage!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

blige, the top nominee with eight nods, is one well put-together broad. looking nice in a pants suit, with all her moving parts on display, she handled the gauntlet of TV on her path to her limo with practiced professionalism. we got her briefly. she's been through all this many times before.

"mary j. blige is gonna keep doin' what i'm doin'," she burbled. "wow! it's like 'people, i'm deep with humility and gratefulness.' "

nearby, a dark-suited fellow shouts into his cell fone: "we need some security in here."

may j. is plenty secure.

Posted by at 9:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

the whole process on stage took 10 minutes. the next step is for the stars to make their way through the crowd to their limos while answering one or two questions on the way.

keep tuned in.

Posted by at 9:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

mary j., coming off nine billboard music award wins last week, and two american music awards trophies before that, was nominated for song and record of the year, the same categories as corinne bailey rae. blige apparently is up for eight awards this year.

there will be no catfight in february on CBS. these gals are too calm for that.

Posted by at 8:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

it took an hour of hot air, but the nominations ordeal finally began when presenters ludacris, rascal flatts, kt tunstall we like HER), james blunt, corinne bailey rae, chris brown, amy lee, justin timberlake and mary j. blige were brought on stage at the music box, the down-at-the-heels theater on hollywood boulevard.

most presenters looked like their luggage was lost on the flight over. dirty jeans and uncombed hair for the boys seemed to be the order of the day. of course, the look was intentional. blunt looked like the homeless guys outside.

girls were much better. tunstall was the most appealing in a nice black outfit.

Posted by at 8:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

David Wild is a busy man these days, so it was very impudent of me to pester him, but I have his email address, so there wasn’t much he could do about it. He’s a contributing editor for Rolling Stone magazine and has written a few books, including the “Friends�’ farewell retrospective two years back. But the reason he’s appearing in this blog is he writes awards shows – in the past, he’s done the Emmy Awards, the MTV Movie Awards, the People’s Choice Awards among others (he received an Emmy nomination himself for co-writing the post-9/11 tribute special “America: A Tribute to Heroes�). Today, he’s working 24/7 as head writer for the 48th annual Grammy Awards, airing Feb. 6 on CBS. And, as you’ll find out in this little Q&A, not only is he a busy man, but he’s a very diplomatic fellow, as well.
Q: What's the biggest challenge in writing an awards show?
A: My biggest challenge is to keep things moving, to get out of the way of all the much more talented people onstage, and to get invited to all the afterparties.

Continue reading "Grammys: Wild On ..." »

Posted by David Kronke at 12:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you want to know who'll win in the r&b categories at the Grammys, take note of the music playing at Laker games.
Honest -- it worked last year for the Black Eyed Peas and Usher, who were multiple winners.

Posted by David Kronke at 2:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I wouldn't want many of the nominees in my backyard, either. So, in the interests of truth, justice and the Iraqi-American way ...

Continue reading "Grammys: NIMBY" »

Posted by at 11:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A category for musical wind-up toys, a lifetime achievement award for Tookie Williams, best bribe, best lapdance soundtrack ...

Continue reading "Grammys: '07 Platinum Predictions" »

Posted by at 10:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Woohoo! Yeah! Way to go!

Continue reading "Grammys: Arcade Fire nominated for 2 Grammy Awards" »

Posted by at 8:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Every single one of the 300,000 categories got something badly wrong. If the record academy were doctors they'd have more malpractice suits than King/Drew.

Continue reading "Grammys: Brothel in a Mini-Mall" »

Posted by at 8:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It may say something about the state of affairs of the Democratic Party that in order to win the Best Spoken Word album at the Grammys, Sen. Barack Obama will have to beat out a bunch of comedians and a movie star.

Continue reading "Grammys: It is to laugh" »

Posted by at 8:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The "top categories" - the dozen or so that get any attention from civilians - reflect which names got the biggest push at radio, on MTV and at retail. Big pushes have big budgets.

Continue reading "Grammys: Payola pays" »

Posted by at 7:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

BeBe Winans and his kid sister, CeCe, will go toe to toe at the Grammys. Both received nominations in the category of Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album for their respective solo efforts. But there's no sibling rivalry here.

Continue reading "Grammys: Sibling rivalry? Not here" »

Posted by at 7:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Zzzz...

Posted by at 7:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Some nods make some sense on a nominees list longer than the gas line at the Baghdad Costco.

Continue reading "Grammys: Vocals off at the Baghdad Costco" »

Posted by at 7:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

How many nominations? 10,000? Who's ever heard some of these things? Mario's "Turning Point,", T.I.'s "You Don't Know Me" ...

Continue reading "Grammys: Names and more names" »

Posted by at 7:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hey, we're just happy some people are sick of the stupid idiocy of rap's thug mentality and have embraced someone like John Legend, who got eight noddys from the Grannys.

Continue reading "Grammy: Nice guy rap" »

Posted by at 6:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Oh, no. Fiona Apple's ``Extraordinary Machine'' got a Grammy nod. Let's hope it doesn't lead to a repeat of her famous MTV Video Music Awards acceptance speech. You remember, don't you?

Continue reading "Grammys: ``This world is ...''" »

Posted by at 6:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Four noms to a band that doesn't even exist - way to go, record academy! Next year, how about a category for musical wind-up toys?

Continue reading "Grammy: Magilla Gorillaz" »

Posted by at 6:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

It was upsetting, hideous and completely needless - oh, sorry, that was the passenger being shot by the Air Marshal - but it also applies to today's Grammy nods handed out to a predictable pantheon of earners.

Continue reading "Grammys: On the tarmac" »

Posted by at 6:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Mariah Carey's comeback continues. Big surprise? Not really. Everybody was betting on pop's golden girl to come away with top nominations _ she got eight, tying her with John Legend and Kanye West _ at this morning's announcements for the 48th Annual Grammy Awards. And it's all on the strength of her album, ``The Emancipation of Mimi.''

Continue reading "Grammys: You really do love ``Mimi''" »

Posted by at 5:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)