January 25, 2008

Beyonce, Foo Fighters, Rihanna, Carrie Underwood To Perform At Grammys

By Gil Kaufman (MTV.com)

The Grammys may not have any writers, but the February 10 show will have Beyoncé. The former Destiny's Child leader is among the first group of performers who've been confirmed for the ceremony, which recently got a commitment from the Writers Guild of America that it will not picket the 50th edition of music's biggest night.

Also slated to perform is country superstar and former American Idol winner Carrie Underwood and the Foo Fighters, who will play their song "The Pretender" with an orchestra led by guest conductor John Paul Jones, bassist for the recently reunited Led Zeppelin.

The show will also feature what's being billed as a "special segment" with Rihanna performing alongside a reunion of 1980s R&B/funk act the Time. A tribute to gospel music will bring together Mary J. Blige, Aretha Franklin, Israel and New Breed, Madison Bumblebees, the Clark Sisters and Trin-I-Tee 5:7.

There was a question about whether the Grammys would happen at all this year, or if, like the Golden Globes, they would end up as a press conference due to the ongoing writers' strike. But on Tuesday, it was announced that the striking union would not protest the show as had been expected, and the Recording Academy still hopes it can get a waiver from the WGA to allow staff writers to contribute to the production.

The only question now is, who else will join the roster of performers? Though People magazine reported this week that reclusive rock legend Tina Turner would be hooking up with Beyoncé for a special performance, a spokesperson for B could not be reached for confirmation. At press time, MTV had learned that Amy Winehouse, up for six awards, had decided to enter a rehab facility to deal with her ongoing drug issues. According to a statement from her representatives, Winehouse decided to enter the facility on Thursday (January 24) after realizing that "she requires specialist treatment to continue her ongoing recovery from drug addiction and prepare for her planned appearance at the Grammy Awards."

More performance announcements are expected over the course of the next few weeks.