Classics shine at 50th Grammy Awards

The show opened with Frank Sinatra, dancers performed a Beatles tribute and Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin, Ringo Starr and Little Richard all had their moment. The 1980s were, as always, close by: Last year, the telecast led with a reunion of The Police, this year it was a reunion of The Time, with Cyndi Lauper and Prince not too far behind.

Jazz pianist Herbie Hancock -- the veteran of all his fellow nominees -- won album of the year for "River: The Joni Letters" (Verve), his re-interpretations of Joni Mitchell songs. He thanked the academy for "courageously breaking the mold" for recognizing jazz in such a prominent category.

Prince made the best of the show's opening -- an awkward pairing of Alicia Keys duetting to archival footage of Sinatra -- by later commenting, "Frank Sinatra looked pretty good for 150, didn't he?"

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If Sunday's telecast of the 50th Grammy Awards seemed like it was stuck in a time warp, there was good reason. Veteran stars far outflanked current hit-makers and this year, more than in the past, lengthy performance segments overruled actual handing out of statuettes. Of the 110 nominations, only 11 made the cut. The show is, by now, such an entertainment extravaganza, when it paused for single shots at the podium, it felt like sort of a letdown.

The Recording Academy, the organization responsible for the Grammys, is apt to lavish attention on artists who make hits by making headlines not necessarily great music, but sometimes it's a pattern that bites back.

Amy Winehouse, the troubled British singer who was nominated in several categories and won five, could not make the telecast due to visa complications. Her non-presence was the pink elephant of the night. Presenters politely accepted awards on her behalf -- including best new artist and best female pop vocal performance -- until it was time for her to perform via satellite from London.

In a bizarre, twitchy performance, she sang two songs ("You Know I'm No Good" and "Rehab"), punching up the defiance of the lyrics while singing out of the corner of her mouth.

The show's only genuine moment came minutes later, when she was awarded record of the year for "Rehab." She froze in shock and then viewers watched her get mobbed by her band.

But perhaps Winehouse's most significant feat Sunday was upstaging Chicago's Kanye West. Unlike his previous Grammy turns, which turned into energetic litanies of self-promotion, West was decidedly low-key. In November, his mother died from complications due to plastic surgery. With the word "mama" buzzed into his scalp, he performed "Hey Mama," a tribute, and later addressed her from the stage after winning best rap album:

"I know you're proud of me," he said. "All I know is I'm going to keep making you proud."

West later was the recipient of a kindly joke courtesy of Vince Gill, who accepted his best country album award from Ringo Starr.

"I just got an award handed to me by a Beatle," he said. "Have you had that happen yet, Kanye?"

With a show populated so heavily by seniors, the winning performance came late in the night from a melody shared between John Fogerty, Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard. With both pianists pounding and howling and the guitarist stomping across the stage, the show caught fire, finally.

And the winners are ...

Sampling of the winners at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards. For the full list, visit www.grammy.com.

Album of the Year: "River: The Joni Letters," Herbie Hancock.

Record of the Year: "Rehab," Amy Winehouse.

Song of the Year: "Rehab," Amy Winehouse (Amy Winehouse).

New Artist: Amy Winehouse.

Pop Vocal Album: "Back to Black," Amy Winehouse.

Female Pop Vocal Performance: "Rehab," Amy Winehouse.

Male Pop Vocal Performance: "What Goes Around...Comes Around," Justin Timberlake.

Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals: "Makes Me Wonder," Maroon 5.

Alternative Music Album: "Icky Thump," The White Stripes.

Rock Album: "Echoes, Silence, Patience Grace," Foo Fighters.

Rock Song: "Radio Nowhere," Bruce Springsteen, songwriter (Bruce Springsteen).

Solo Rock Vocal Performance: "Radio Nowhere," Bruce Springsteen.

Rock Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals: "Icky Thump," The White Stripes.

Hard Rock Performance: "The Pretender," Foo Fighters.

Metal Performance: "Final Six," Slayer.

Rock Instrumental Performance: "Once Upon a Time in The West," Bruce Springsteen.

Rap Album: "Graduation," Kanye West.

Rap Solo Performance: "Stronger," Kanye West.

Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: "Southside," Common, featuring Kanye West.

Rap/Sung Collaboration: "Umbrella," Rihanna Featuring Jay-Z.

Rap Song: "Good Life," Aldrin Davis, Mike Dean, Faheem Najm Kanye West, songwriters (J. Ingram Q. Jones, songwriters) (Kanye West Featuring T-Pain).

Country Album: "These Days," Vince Gill.

Country Song: "Before He Cheats," Josh Kear Chris Tompkins, songwriters (Carrie Underwood).

Female Country Vocal Performance: "Before He Cheats," Carrie Underwood.

Male Country Vocal Performance: "Stupid Boy," Keith Urban.

Country Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals: "How Long," Eagles.

Country Collaboration With Vocals: "Lost Highway," Willie Nelson Ray Price.

Country Instrumental Performance: "Throttleneck," Brad Paisley.

RB Album: "Funk This," Chaka Khan.

RB Song: "No One," Dirty Harry, Kerry Brothers Alicia Keys, songwriters (Alicia Keys).

Contemporary RB Album: "Because of You," Ne-Yo.

Female RB Vocal Performance: "No One," Alicia Keys.

Male RB Vocal Performance: "Future Baby Mama," Prince.

RB Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals: "Disrespectful," Chaka Khan, featuring Mary J. Blige.

Traditional RB Vocal Performance: "In My Songs," Gerald Levert.