Grammy Awards: Beyoncé wins big, adds sizzle to lackluster show

By Patrick MacDonald
Seattle Times music critic

	KEVORK DJANSEZIAN / AP Beyoncé, left, and Prince perform during the 46th Annual Grammy Awards Sunday. Beyoncé won a record-tying five Grammys.
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The Grammys didn't need any seven-minute delays last night. Not even for Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne.

In fact, the three-and-a-half hour telecast could have used a little controversy, like Janet Jackson's breast-baring at the Super Bowl. Perhaps because of the controversy surrounding that incident, it turned out to be the most conservative Grammy Awards in years. Even Christina Aguilera performed fully dressed!

There wasn't one shocking outfit, nor one swear word. Among the few surprises: Evanescence beat out 50 Cent for best new artist. That award presentation brought the only scent of danger, or spontaneity, to the proceedings. When 50 came up on stage behind Evanescence, it looked like he might do some form of protest. But he just smiled and walked on. He had made his point.

Beyoncé was the night's big winner with five Grammys, but was aced out of the biggest awards.

Record of the year — the Grammys' top award — was also a big surprise, going to Coldplay for "Clocks," the least likely contender. Any of the other nominees — Beyoncé's "Crazy in Love," Eminem's "Lose Yourself," OutKast's "Hey Ya!" and Justin Timberlake's "Cry Me A River" — would have been a more credible winner, both for artistry and sales.

	KEVORK DJANSEZIAN / AP Album of the Year: "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below," OutKast, featuring Andre 3000, performing "Hey Ya!"

Same for song of the year, which should have gone to the only one in the category that will be remembered years from now as representing 2003 — Eminem's masterful and uplifting "Lose Yourself."

Instead the award was given as a tribute to the ailing Luther Vandross, who's recovering from a stroke. His winning song was "Dance With My Father," co-written with Richard Marx. Vandross appeared on film looking and sounding surprisingly healthy. His appearance was the most moving of the night.

	KEVORK DJANSEZIAN / AP Song of the Year: "Dance With My Father," written by Richard Marx and Luther Vandross. Celine Dion performs.

If OutKast hadn't won album of the year for "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below," the whole night would have been a bust, and the top awards a joke. It was pretty funny, however, when all 14 producers who worked on the two-disc CD tried to cram onto the stage. It took so long there was little time for thank-you speeches.

The show is one of the last outlets for live performances on TV, and a few of them worked, starting with the show's opener, Prince and Beyoncé celebrating the 20th anniversary of the landmark rock film "Purple Rain" with a medley of songs from it. Prince showed that his guitar prowess hasn't diminished a bit, and Beyoncé rocked (!) with "Let's Go Crazy."

	KEVORK DJANSEZIAN / AP Record of the Year: "Clocks," Coldplay, featuring Chris Martin, accepting the award.

The White Stripes created some rocking white noise doing "Seven Nation Army." Timberlake played some funky keyboards in a sizzling number that also featured the great Latin trumpeter Arturo Sandoval.

Another funk segment featured Earth, Wind & Fire — with founder/leader Maurice White, who has had medical problems in recent years, making a rare appearance — and OutKast trading licks on "Shining Star" and "The Way You Move."

	REED SAXON / AP New Artist: Evanescence, featuring Amy Lee. The group also won best hard rock performance.

But the funkiest funk came when George Clinton and Parliament/Funkadelic joined with Robert Randolph & the Family Band and a stageful of others for "Give up the Funk."

Celine Dion was hampered by a nonfunctioning microphone during a tribute to Vandross, the highlight of which was Alicia Keys' take on "A House Is Not A Home."

Several other awards were really tributes, including those for the late Warren Zevon and Johnny and June Carter Cash.

	AP Dave Matthews, right, performing "I Saw Her Standing There" with Sting in a tribute to the Beatles, won the male rock vocal performance Grammy.

The 40th anniversary of the Beatles appearance on "The Ed Sullivan" show was noted by a performance of "I Saw Her Standing There" featuring Sting, Dave Matthews and Vince Gill on vocals and guitars, and Pharrell Williams on drums. Olivia Harrison, the widow of George Harrison, Yoko Ono and Ringo and Paul on film accepted a President's Award to the Beatles.

Timberlake was all over the awards, despite all the controversy. CBS said in a statement that it had reservations about allowing him and Jackson to appear as planned, but ultimately "respected the Recording Academy's wishes to produce the program they originally intended."

	KEVORK DJANSEZIAN / AP Meg White, left, and Jack White of the White Stripes, perform "Seven Nation Army," which won the rock song Grammy at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards Sunday.

CBS said it agreed to allow Timberlake and Jackson as long as they apologized on the air for their Super Bowl stunt.

But a statement from Jackson's camp said CBS and the Grammys first asked her not to attend, then reversed themselves and re-invited her, but she chose not to attend.

Timberlake did apologize, accepting his Grammy for male pop vocal performance for "Cry Me a River." "I know it's been a rough week on everybody," he said. "What occurred was unintentional, completely regrettable, and I apologize if you guys are offended."

Patrick MacDonald: 206-464-2312 or pmacdonald@seattletimes.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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