I wonder if this means Grammy organizers and producers will start listening to the avalanche of criticism they got this year for the weird nominations and the poor choice of performers. Probably not. Just so there's no confusion, this show didn't fail because of the writer's strike or the struggling music industry (though those things certainly didn't help), it failed because of bad booking and even worse staging.
Maybe they should try to put together a showcase more like the increasingly popular Country Music Awards and less like a bad spoof of the Tonys. That Beyonce opening was ridiculous, but was quickly forgotten after the fiery duet with Tina Turner. Will.i.am's painful "Mack the Knife" freestyle had no way of redeeming itself.
It's no surprise that the best performances -- Amy Winehouse's wobbly, but compelling medley and Alicia Keys' "No One" -- were gimmick free.
Amy Winehouse, You Know I'm No Good/Rehab