NEW YORK — Former Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant’s unorthodox partnership with blue-grass country singer and fiddle player Alison Krauss yielded rich rewards on Grammy night, as the pair nabbed five awards for their haunting “Raising Sand,” including record and album of the year honors.
But their sweep was overshadowed before the show even began when police announced that Chris Brown, himself a double nominee and scheduled performer, was being investigated for allegedly assaulting an unidentified woman the night before. Brown turned himself in to authorities and was briefly held before posting $50,000 bail Sunday night, jail records showed.
Brown and longtime girlfriend Rihanna, also nominated, were both slated to perform in different slots of the show, but separately dropped out at the last minute. The victim of Brown’s alleged assault wasn’t identified, and it wasn’t immediately clear whether Rihanna’s absence was related to Brown’s.
Here’s a look at the rest of the highlights and lowlights at this year’s Grammy Awards telecast:
* * *
WAY TO GO, J-HUD: Jennifer Hudson has a Grammy to go with that Oscar. A week after her return to the national stage at the Super Bowl, the actress-singer picked up the first award of the telecast, Best R&B Album for her namesake solo disc. Hudson’s victory is bittersweet, coming several months after the killings of her mother, brother and nephew. In her acceptance speech, Hudson gushed: “I’m just in awe right now. ... I first would like to thank God who has brought me through. I would like to thank my family in heaven and those who are with me today.”
* * *
JT MAKES EVERYTHING BETTER: Justin Timberlake performing “Let’s Stay Together” alongside Al Green was a top-notch moment. Yeah, Keith Urban and Boyz II Men were somewhere on stage, but all eyes were on Timberlake’s smooth moves and harmonies with Green.
* * *
JONAS BROTHERS’ WORST NIGHTMARE: Poor Nick and Joe Jonas, two-thirds of the pop-rock phenomenon. Who knows what went through the siblings’ minds when their respective exes, teen phenoms Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift, took center stage to perform an acoustic duet of Swift’s song “Fifteen.”
* * *
BEST PERFORMANCE AND WORST OUTFIT BY A PREGNANT WOMAN: Rapper M.I.A., who was due to give birth Grammy night, held her own during an all-boys’ rap summit on “Swagga Like Us” with Jay-Z, Kanye West, Lil Wayne and T.I. But, oh, that outfit. She exposed her belly in a sheer black top — or was it a dress? — that had a bikini cutout design, strategically covering her chest.
* * *
KANYE EGO MOMENT OF THE NIGHT: West showed some sour grapes at not being recognized for being the greatest gift the music world has ever seen. The brash hip-hop star and singer Estelle presented the award for Best New Artist, and West couldn’t resist slamming Grammy for bestowing the honor to past winners John Legend and Amy Winehouse “but somehow, not to either one of us.”
* * *
A TRIBUTE TO NEW ORLEANS: Robin Thicke, Lil Wayne and Allen Toussaint did the city justice with their rousing, soulful collaboration, supported by a brass band that had the audience on its feet.
* * *
HE JUST WANTS TO DANCE: Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke was way more animated than usual, dancing energetically during the band’s performance of “15 Step.”
AN OVERDUE GRAMMY: The Four Tops, which never won music’s highest honor, finally received their due with a lifetime achievement award; sadly, the group’s lone surviving member, Abdul “Duke” Fakir, could not share it with his three former bandmates. But he did turn out one of the night’s more memorable performances, joined by Smokey Robinson, Ne-Yo and Jamie Foxx in a medley of the band’s greatest hits. (AP)