Adele triumphs at Grammy's, clouded by Houston death
US: British soul diva Adele made a triumphant return to the
stage at the Grammy's Sunday, winning a clean sweep of six awards and a
standing ovation, in a show clouded by the death of Whitney Houston.
The 23-year-old Londoner, who has been out of action since October to
undergo throat surgery, wowed a star-studded audience with a storming
rendition of her worldwide hit "Rolling in the Deep." The tune won best
song Grammy, to add to Adele's haul of awards for best record, best
album for her breakthrough "21," best short video, best pop album and
best pop artist -- wins in all six categories in which she was
nominated.
"This record is inspired by something that is really normal .. just a
rubbish relationship," said Adele, adding: "It's been the most
life-changing year." "Oh, I got a bit of snot!" she said in her
trademark cockney accent, wiping her nose and fighting back tears at the
climax of the three-and-a-half hour show, which ended with a Beatles
medley led by Paul McCartney.
The other hotly-anticipated comeback of the night was by iconic 1960s
California surfer band the Beach Boys, who played together live on stage
for the first time in over two decades.
A three-song tribute started with a close-harmony version of "Surfer
Girl" by Maroon 5, and then the falsetto strains of "Wouldn't It Be
Nice" by Foster the People, against a backdrop of multicolor surf
boards.
After a standing ovation, the Beach Boys themselves, all now in their
60s, then took to the stage to play "Good Vibrations," with famously
glum-looking Brian Wilson almost smiling as he hit the high notes with
his old bandmates. Another blast from the past came in the form of
country legend Glen Campbell, currently on a farewell tour after being
diagnosed with Alzheimer's, who had the audience singing along with his
classic "Rhinestone Cowboy." But while Adele was the big winner, the
show was punctuated with tributes to Houston, the 1980s and 1990s
superstar who died on Saturday at age 48 at the Beverly Hilton hotel on
the eve of the US music industry's big awards night.
The Grammy show began with a prayer for Houston from host LL Cool J.
"There is no way around this. We've had a death in our family," he
said, adding: "The only thing that feels right is to begin with a prayer
for a woman who we loved, for our fallen sister."
The audience, with stars including McCartney in the front row, then
watched a clip of Houston singing one of her greatest hits, "I Will
Always Love You," and gave her a standing ovation.
"Whitney, we will always love you," said the US rapper host. "This
night is about something truly universal and healing; this night is
about music."
Later in the show, singer Jennifer Hudson - who was presented with a
Grammy by Houston in 2009 -- gripped the audience in silence with a
classy rendition of "I Will Always Love You," the smash hit from
Houston's film "The Bodyguard."
"Whitney, we love you," she said as she closed the performance sung
to a piano accompaniment, spotlighted in the dark in a plain black
dress.
Houston's family issued a statement before the show, saying: "We are
devastated by the loss of our beloved Whitney. This is an unimaginable
tragedy and we will miss her terribly."
AFP |