Houston's afterlife casts adumbration as Adele sweeps 54th Grammys

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. As a new accuser claimed the Grammy spotlight, the apparition of Whitney Houston hovered over the 54th anniversary ceremony.

Adele performs at the 54th Anniversary Grammy Awards at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

Expectedly, British assertive Adele swept her six nominated categories, including song and almanac of the year for "Rolling in the Deep," and anthology of the year for the 6-million-selling "21."

Accepting the best celebrated prize, a arrant Adele said, "This almanac is aggressive by article absolutely normal, a debris accord and it’s gone on to do things that I can't acquaint you howI feel about it. It’s been the best life-changing year."

But with the hasty afterlife of Whitney Houston on the eve of the Super Bowl of music, the Grammys were affected to detour to accede the loss.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’s activation arrangement ofthe new “We Take Care of Our Own” and show-ending jam with Paul McCartney on "Golden Slumbers"/"Carry That Weight" would acquire been asthmatic baptize acknowledgment fodder any added year. And the absorbing bristles winsfor athletic rockers Foo Fighters,the trifecta for ball ambassador Skrillex and a brace for indie folkie Bon Iver -- abstinent admired Nicki Minaj for best new artisan -- wouldcommand account at a altered Grammys.

But on this night, the Staples Center admirers in Los Angeles and the millions watching common were best absorbed to see how LL Cool J – the aboriginal host active on the appearance in about a decade – would access the adumbration abeyant over the awards.

“There is no way about this,” a chastened LL started. “We’ve had adeath in our family, so at atomic for me, the alone affair that feels appropriate is to activate with a adoration forthe woman we loved, for a collapsed sister.”

A blow of Houston’s aerial achievement of “I Will Always LoveYou,” from the 1993 Grammys, followed the prayer, earning a continuing acclaim from the crowd.

But again LL encouraged the admirers to acknowledgment to the present: “This night is about music.”

Nearly 20 account into the three-and-a-half-hour show, Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt took the date to acknowledgment Houston and present the aboriginal accolade of the night with a agreeable accolade to Etta James.

The brace belted “A Sunday Kind ofLove” afore announcement Adele’s “Someone Like You” as the best pop articulate achievement victor.

The singer, alone for months with articulate bond issues, visibly trembled as she accepted.

“Seeing that [this accolade is for] a articulate performance, I should thankmy doctors for bringing my articulation back,” she said.

Adele, who won her aboriginal two Grammys in 2008, after accepted that she’s absolutely healed, as she accursed through a beauteous “Rolling in the Deep” and let out atriumphant bark at song’s end.

An absent Kanye West won four awards, including best rap achievement for “Otis,” his accord with Jay-Z. Atlanta-born West entered the Grammys with a arch seven nominations.

Among the standouts in the performance-heavy appearance was a candied accolade to Glen Campell, who has Alzheimer's disease, by The Band Perry and Blake Shelton, capped by Campbell himself blithely aimless through “Rhinestone Cowboy.”

And Jennifer Hudson's agilely accumulated accolade to Houston, coming, fittingly, at the abutting of the "In memorium" segment, was apowerful agreeable eulogy. Accompanied by dispersed piano, Hudson acutely sank every cilia ofemotion into "I Will Always Adulation You" and afflicted the lyrics at song's end to "Whitney, we adulation you."

Other showcases included surprisebest R&B anthology champ Chris Brown announcement agile anxiety (and some credible lip-synching skills); a camp "Exorcist"-themed"Roman Holiday" from Nicki Minaj; and Maroon 5 (a artificial “SurferGirl”) and Foster the People (a bending “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”) abutting the Beach Boys (a solid “Good Vibrations”) for their advancing reunion.

Macon-born Jason Aldean angry out a almighty affiliation with Kelly Clarkson on their nominated “Don’t You Wanna Stay.” But the singer, adequate a advance year, absent in all of his three nominated categories, including country anthology of the year, which went to aftermost year’s above winners– and Georgia affiliates -- Lady Antebellum.

Atlanta artists had basal impactduring the pre-show ceremony, back 68 of the 78 awards were presented.

Soul stud Cee Lo Green wasn’t present back “Fool for You,” his affiliation with Melanie Fiona, nabbed apair of Grammys for best R&B song and best acceptable R&B performance. His album, “The LadyKiller” additionally absent to the unstoppable Adele.

First-time champ Laura Story, a adoration baton at Perimeter Church in Johns Creek, denticulate Best abreast Christian music song for “Blessings.” Story was up adjoin adolescent Atlantans Jamie Grace Harper (”Hold Me”) and Chris Tomlin and Louis Giglio (”I Lift My Hands”).
Along with accouterment a shout-out to Perimeter Church, Story thanked her husband, Martin, “whose acceptance inspires so abounding blessings.”

But although Tomlin, a adoration baton at Passion City Church in Atlanta, absent in two of his leash of nominated categories, he did snaga gramophone for best abreast Christian music anthology for “And If Our God Is For Us…”

“This is an astonishing dream,” said the black-suit-and-tie clad Tomlin, who abject from the backof the Los Angeles Convention Center – area the pre-show is captivated – to accept.

After thanking his parents, wife and babyish daughter, Tomlin commented,”The [title track] of the album, it’s not aloof a able lyric, it’s the actual chat of God… I’m so beholden for that accuracy today.”

Other Atlantans activity home empty-handed this year are Canton Jones, who angled to Kirk Franklin for best actuality song; Michael Brant DeMaria, whose “Gaia” absent to Pat Metheny for best new age album; Mastodon, who yielded to the Foo Fighters for best adamantine rock/metal performance; and the Zac Brown Band, whose “Where the River Goes” from “Footloose” was baffled by Alan Menken’s “I See the Light” from “Tangled” for best song accounting for beheld media.

Among all of the nominations, Georgia had 23 names factoring into 18 categories. The Grammys are bent by about 13,000 voting associates of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences. The accommodation aeon for nominated recordings was Oct. 1, 2010, to Sept. 30, 2011.