Don’t call it a comeback.
But L.L. Cool J makes a return appearance as host of the 55th Grammy Awards Feb. 10.
He got a lot of praise from producers of the event, who in some years have used no host at all, for presiding over an especially noteworthy year — with the star of the night Adele making her first appearance in months after throat surgery, a performing roster that included Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen, and hours before the ceremony, the death of Whitney Houston.
“The real hero of this last year’s show was L.L.,” longtime Grammy show producer Ken Erlich told critics at the TV Critics Association winter press tour Saturday. “The fact he came in this year, I don’t think anyone else who not only handled the situation on camera way he did, but to be the strong presence that he was behind the scenes leading up to the show.”
It was L.L. Cool J, the rapper who is also star of “NCIS: L.A.,” who came up with the idea to open the event with a moment of silence and a prayer for Houston’s memory.
It was all he could do, he said, to balance the exuberant performances of the night and the gravity of what just happened.
“You have a guy like Bruno Mars who is about to perform, and Bruno doesn’t want to perform at a memorial, but at same time I have to show respect and love and honor to Whitney.”
It all worked out on a show that had already changed its concluding number at the last minute.
McCartney was going to perform his Wings song “Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five” at the finale, but decided days earlier that “The End” from The Beatles’ “Abbey Road” would be a better choice, Erlich says. “I said, maybe that will be all right.”
McCartney was going to perform his Wings song “Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five” at the finale, but decided days earlier that “The End” from The Beatles’ “Abbey Road” would be a better choice, Erlich says. “I said, maybe that will be all right.”
From that point, Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters, Joe Walsh and eventually Bruce Springsteen joined in on the closing jam.
For this year’s event, producers have reached out to the Rolling Stones, who recently made a 50th anniversary splash with a handful of concerts. But so far there’s no response, Erlich says.
Instead, CBS has announced some other big names for the Feb. cx event, including Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Mumford & Sons, fun. and the Black Keys.
While once the annual telecast included jazz, classical or Latin segments, more often those are integrated into other performances, said Neil Portnoy of the Recording industry Association of America. “We like to bring in other genres and feature them when we can,” he said. “One of the things about classical and other great music is that it doesn’t necessarily make great TV.”
Erlich eschewed idea of Grammy “howlers” amid its honorees, reminding that awards to Arcade Fire, Esperanza Spalding, Radiohead in recent years.
Social media has changed the Grammys, just as it’s changed music, Erlich says.
“Look at the artists nominated now, I don’t think there’s one that has risen to the top without strong social media presence,”
As host, L.L. Cool J says it’s a good way to get quick response to everything you do. “You get to find out what works what doesn’t work.”
There is room for additional performers, collaborators and surprises.
But with any luck, there will not be the death of a music legend just before the telecast.
The 55th Annual Grammy Awards plays on CBS Feb. 10.
For this year’s event, producers have reached out to the Rolling Stones, who recently made a 50th anniversary splash with a handful of concerts. But so far there’s no response, Erlich says.
Instead, CBS has announced some other big names for the Feb. cx event, including Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Mumford & Sons, fun. and the Black Keys.
While once the annual telecast included jazz, classical or Latin segments, more often those are integrated into other performances, said Neil Portnoy of the Recording industry Association of America. “We like to bring in other genres and feature them when we can,” he said. “One of the things about classical and other great music is that it doesn’t necessarily make great TV.”
Erlich eschewed idea of Grammy “howlers” amid its honorees, reminding that awards to Arcade Fire, Esperanza Spalding, Radiohead in recent years.
Social media has changed the Grammys, just as it’s changed music, Erlich says.
“Look at the artists nominated now, I don’t think there’s one that has risen to the top without strong social media presence,”
As host, L.L. Cool J says it’s a good way to get quick response to everything you do. “You get to find out what works what doesn’t work.”
There is room for additional performers, collaborators and surprises.
But with any luck, there will not be the death of a music legend just before the telecast.
The 55th Annual Grammy Awards plays on CBS Feb. 10.