The Grammy Awards threw a 50th birthday party Sunday with one glaring hitch: Its guest of honor was in a different country.
Troubled retro-soul singer Amy Winehouse — who won five trophies, including marquee awards for record, song and best new artist — was in London after undergoing rehab and police questioning.
At first, U.S. authorities denied her a visa to attend the awards show at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. On Friday, the visa denial was overturned, but it was too late for her to prepare for the trip.
So she performed her autobiographical tale of addiction and denial, "Rehab," live via satellite and dedicated it to her husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, who's in jail in England on charges of assault and obstructing justice.
Keyboardist Herbie Hancock, 67, won album of the year for River: The Joni Letters, his star-studded collection of Joni Mitchell songs.
"It's been 43 years … I want to thank the academy for courageously breaking the mold this time,'' he said, referring to the last time a jazz instrumentalist (Stan Getz) won the award.
AP
Usher, left, and Herbie Hancock
Rapper Kanye West, who had eight nominations, won four, for rap album (Graduation), rap solo performance ("Stronger"), rap song ("Good Life") and rap duo vocal ("Southside" with Common). His losses for album and song of the year meant he still hasn't won a major Grammy.
Although known for carping at awards shows when he doesn't win, the rapper tipped his hat to Ms. Winehouse, his competitor in the album contest. "You deserve it as much as me,'' he said.
Other multiple winners included Alicia Keys, the White Stripes, Justin Timberlake and Michael Brecker. Bruce Springsteen, shut out from the main categories, won rock song and solo rock vocal for "Radio Nowhere," and rock instrumental for "Once Upon a Time in the West."
Dallas-based rocker Don Henley and his fellow Eagles won the country group vocal statue for "How Long." Dallas-raised, East Texas-based country legend Ray Price won country vocal duet for "Lost Highway" with Willie Nelson, beating Burleson's Kelly Clarkson and Oklahoma's Reba McEntire.
The Blue Shoe Project, a local nonprofit label run by Jeff and Michael Dyson, put out the traditional blues album winner: Last of the Great Mississippi Delta Bluesmen: Live in Dallas, featuring Honeyboy Edwards, Pinetop Perkins and the late Henry James Townsend and Robert Lockwood Jr.
AP
Screen grab of Winehouse's performance
The telecast skewed gray, with appearances by a parade of legends, starting with the late Frank Sinatra "dueting" with Alicia Keys on "Learnin' the Blues."
Tina Turner, 68, came out of semiretirement to perform a medley of hits. Singer Keely Smith, 75, dueted with Kid Rock on "That Old Black Magic." Eighty-year-old Andy Williams gave out the best song trophy and 81-year-old Tony Bennett gave out best record. And producer George Martin, 82, came onstage with Ringo Starr to pick up the compilation soundtrack album trophy for Love.
Story: 
Music blog: 
