Grammy Awards

Bad and the Boss had their moments at the 30th annual Grammy Awards last night, but "soul" and idealism stole the show. Irish rockers U2 and soul singer Aretha Franklin, as well as classical musicians Itzhak Perlman and Vladimir Horowitz, each captured two Grammys during the star-studded extravaganza at New York's Radio City Music Hall. A Grammy also went to Paul Simon for his single "Graceland. " Last year, the LP of the same name won as album of the year. Bruce Springsteen won for best rock vocal performance for Tunnel of Love, and Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" won her the award for best female pop vocalist.

Steve Winwood, Barbra Streisand and the all-star ballad "That's What Friends Are For" were among the big winners at last night's 29th annual Grammy Awards show. The Grammys are bestowed annually by the 6,000 members of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Last night's ceremony was broadcast live from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. The ceremony began in a lovely fashion, with multiple-nominee Paul Simon performing one of the prettiest songs from his album Graceland, "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes.

LOS ANGELES - In 2009 after she received four Grammy nominations, young British soul singer Adele said she didn't deserve to win one. She was simply looking ahead to what would hopefully be a long career. "A Grammy is like an Oscar," Adele said in between drags of a cigarette - one of six she smoked during an hour-long interview at West Hollywood's London Hotel. "You win an Oscar when you give the performance of your life. I hope this isn't the performance of my life. " Fast-forward two years and the concern is no longer whether the 23-year-old artist has already given the performance of her career, but rather whether she'll be able to perform again.

Given that Kanye West is up twice for best rap album (alone and with his bud, Jay Z), he probably won't be throwing one of his famous temper tantrums this Sunday night on national TV (CBS, 8 to 11:30 p.m.) But don't be surprised if somebody else jumps out of the audience at the 54th annual Grammy Awards to loudly protest "we've been robbed. " For certain, protest activities are planned for outside L.A.'s Staples Center on Sunday. There'll also be an anti-Grammy concert (Latin Jazz)

Odell Brown Jr., a musician who cowrote one of Marvin Gaye's biggest hits only to soon find himself a victim of depression and destitute, has died. Mr. Brown, 70, died May 3 in his Richfield, Minn., home after moving to the Twin Cities area in the mid-1990s and stabilizing his professional and personal life. He began playing piano in his hometown, Louisville, Ky., tapping out classical songs at age 4. He broke through musically while living in Chicago, when his jazz group Odell Brown & the Organizers received Billboard's "Best New Group" award in 1966.

It taunts men, a reminder of her sexual power. Beyoncé 's body is a symbol: freedom, independence. But it's also a mother's body, Jay-Z 's wife has discovered, a link in the interdependent chain of being. "Right now, after giving birth, I really understand the power of my body," B tells Vogue. "I . . . feel my body means something completely different. I feel a lot more confident about it. Even being heavier, thinner, whatever. " Blue Ivy 's mom says she finally has come into her own. "I feel a lot more like a woman," she says.

Saturday afternoon, when rehearsals began in earnest for tonight's Grammy Awards, the choice seats at Radio City Music Hall were filled with big names. There weren't any people there, mind you - just names in block letters on white placards and photographs of the stars to come. U2 has been given four seats right behind Robin Williams; Suzanne Vega is on an aisle sandwiched between Roseanne Cash and Terence Trent D'Arby. Bob Seger will be able to turn around and rap with Prince; Liza Minnelli can whisper into the ear of Quincy Jones.

HE'S BETTER KNOWN now as a star of "NCIS: Los Angeles" than as a rapper, but LL Cool J 's affiliation with music and CBS pays off big time Feb. 12. He's going to host the Grammy Awards. "I'm thrilled to be a part of music's biggest night," the two-time Grammy winner said. "I will always have fond memories of my first Grammy Awards and to now be hosting the Grammy show, in the company of so many other incredible artists, is a dream come true. " Really? With all the things you can dream about as a music, TV and film celebrity, you dream about hosting an awards show?

Poor Ellen DeGeneres. Someone must've slipped a jagged little pill into her drink just before last night's Grammy Awards. How else to explain how a woman who's spent years telling jokes for a living couldn't think of any when faced with an audience of 1 billion people? DeGeneres, who no doubt realized early on that she'd forgotten to prepare material, apparently thought wearing a running suit would facilitate a quick getaway and that a red ribbon, like a string of good pearls, will dress up any outfit.

For tenor Stuart Neill, taking the role of the priest in Stravinsky's Persephone was a considerable risk. It wasn't the repertoire he was known for, and his French "wasn't so great. " Even some of his closest friends advised him against it. But yesterday, the singer with an East Falls home, an international career, and a Southern accent felt vindicated after learning that his recording of the melodrama with the San Francisco Symphony and Michael Tilson Thomas won three Grammy Awards, including the one for best classical album.

It taunts men, a reminder of her sexual power. Beyoncé 's body is a symbol: freedom, independence. But it's also a mother's body, Jay-Z 's wife has discovered, a link in the interdependent chain of being. "Right now, after giving birth, I really understand the power of my body," B tells Vogue. "I . . . feel my body means something completely different. I feel a lot more confident about it. Even being heavier, thinner, whatever. " Blue Ivy 's mom says she finally has come into her own. "I feel a lot more like a woman," she says.

Partial list of winners at Sunday's 55th annual Grammy Awards Record of the Year: "Somebody That I Used to Know" Gotye, featuring Kimbra Album of the Year: Babel Mumford & Sons Song of the Year: "We Are Young" fun., featuring Janelle Monáe Best New Artist: Fun. Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: Gotye, featuring Kimbra "Somebody That I Used to Know" Best Pop Solo Performance: Adele "Set Fire to the Rain (Live)"...

Before getting down to the business of prognosticating the 2013 Grammy Awards, to be broadcast Sunday from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, I'd like to take a moment to thank Adele. Last year, she made it so simple. The British songwriter's sophomore disc, 21 , was such a dominant force that predicting she would make a clean sweep of it - album, song, and record of the year - was so easy, even a rock critic could do it. (Though I will accept congratulations for also calling Bon Iver's upset win as best new artist, thank you very much.)

R&B BAD BOY Chris Brown got into a tussle with R&B wunderkind Frank Ocean over a West Hollywood, Calif., parking spot Sunday night, and now Ocean wants to press charges, officials said Monday. The Los Angeles Police Department was called to the scene at Westlake Recording Studios, where Brown and Ocean were separately holding court, but Brown bailed before he could be questioned by the cops. Accounts of who struck the first blow differ. TMZ.com sides against Ocean, reporting that he and his crew blocked Brown from departing the studio.

Album of the year "21," Adele Record of the Year "Rolling in the Deep," Adele Rock Song "Walk," Foo Fighters Rap Album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Kanye West Complete list, A8.  

British pop singer Adele dominated the Grammy Awards on Sunday in a ceremony that was transformed into an emotion-packed memorial to Whitney Houston, who died a day earlier, at the age of 48. "We've had a death in the family," host LL Cool J said, after Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band opened the 54th Grammy show in Los Angeles with their anthemic populist single "We Take Care of Our Own" off the forthcoming Wrecking Ball . ...

Given that Kanye West is up twice for best rap album (alone and with his bud, Jay Z), he probably won't be throwing one of his famous temper tantrums this Sunday night on national TV (CBS, 8 to 11:30 p.m.) But don't be surprised if somebody else jumps out of the audience at the 54th annual Grammy Awards to loudly protest "we've been robbed. " For certain, protest activities are planned for outside L.A.'s Staples Center on Sunday. There'll also be an anti-Grammy concert (Latin Jazz)

On the November night that nominations were announced on television for the 2011 Grammy Awards, Linda Chorney had a party at her house. Not that the 51-year-old songwriter from Sea Bright, N.J., seriously believed she would hear her name called. Sure, she had actively campaigned for her album, Emotional Jukebox , in the best Americana album category. And she had even taken the time to use Grammy365, a Facebook-like social-networking tool set up by the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, to write to 1,500 members.

HE'S BETTER KNOWN now as a star of "NCIS: Los Angeles" than as a rapper, but LL Cool J 's affiliation with music and CBS pays off big time Feb. 12. He's going to host the Grammy Awards. "I'm thrilled to be a part of music's biggest night," the two-time Grammy winner said. "I will always have fond memories of my first Grammy Awards and to now be hosting the Grammy show, in the company of so many other incredible artists, is a dream come true. " Really? With all the things you can dream about as a music, TV and film celebrity, you dream about hosting an awards show?

LOS ANGELES - In 2009 after she received four Grammy nominations, young British soul singer Adele said she didn't deserve to win one. She was simply looking ahead to what would hopefully be a long career. "A Grammy is like an Oscar," Adele said in between drags of a cigarette - one of six she smoked during an hour-long interview at West Hollywood's London Hotel. "You win an Oscar when you give the performance of your life. I hope this isn't the performance of my life. " Fast-forward two years and the concern is no longer whether the 23-year-old artist has already given the performance of her career, but rather whether she'll be able to perform again.