Troubled English retro-soul singer Amy Winehouse got out of rehab in London Thursday, but she won't be on hand when the Grammy Awards celebrates its 50th anniversary today in Los Angeles.
Winehouse, who is nominated in six Grammy categories, failed to obtain a U.S. visa that would have enabled her to enter the country to attend and perform at today's star-studded awards fete. Best known for her autobiographical 2007 hit song, “Rehab” – which features the defiant refrain: They tried to make me got to rehab / I said: 'No, no, no.' – the 24-year-old vocal star has battled drugs and alcohol. For much of the past year, her increasingly self-destructive binges have made more headlines than her music.
With or without Winehouse, tonight's show won't lack for high-profile performances. The latest additions to the lineup include Tina Turner, Kid Rock and former San Diego jazz piano prodigy Eldar.
Duets will be performed by, respectively: John Legend and Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie; Andrea Bocelli and Josh Groban; and Herbie Hancock and Lang Lang (who will be accompanied by an orchestra conducted by John Mauceri). There will also be a “Cornerstones of Rock” segment that will team the pioneering Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis with former Creedence Clearwater Revival leader John Fogerty and his current band.
Other confirmed performers include Aretha Franklin, Beyoncé, Feist, Alicia Keys, Brad Paisley and Album of the Year nominees the Foo Fighters, who will perform with a 20-piece orchestra conducted by Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones.
– GEORGE VARGA
