Tony Barson/WireImage.com, Venturelli/WireImage.comTina Turner and Beyoncé! Really? Amazing!
As you may have heard, the two are teaming up for what’s being called a “special performance” at the Grammys on Sunday.
I don’t want to ruin anything for ya, so I won’t give too much away, but I promise, you do not want to miss this. It’s going to be fireworks from start to finish. Even their introduction is going to be spectacularly fabulous.
The actual performance won’t be a wham-bam-thank-ya-ma’am kind of thing, either, sources tell me. We aren't talking just one song, in other words.
And yes, Ms. Turner may be 69, but she’s still got it. She will, sources tell me, be showing off her legendary legs! (And no surprise here, I’m told that the Staples Center will be cleared and sealed tight except for a limited crew when the two fantastic femmes rehearse on Saturday night.)
But that’s not the only Grammy goodie I’m looking forward to.
First up is tonight’s In Style and the Recording Academy’s Salute to Grammys Fashion bash at Boulevard3 in Hollywood. A fashion show will feature looks from musicians turned designers like Beyoncé, Diddy, Jay-Z, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Simpson and Justin Timberlake. The highlight for me, however, will be a performance by Grammy nominee Rihanna!
Tomorrow, One Republic, Chris Cornell, Flo Rida and Taylor Swift perform at Avalon during the Verizon Wireless and People magazine bash honoring megamusic man Timbaland. At the same time, over at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, Mark Ronson will celebrate his producer nominations for his work with Amy Winehouse.
And then there’s Clive Davis. The music legend holds his annual pre-Grammy soiree at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Saturday night. He always brings out the absolute best to perform, and that's where I saw Alicia Keys before she became a household name. Last year, Pink gave partygoers a collective case of goosebumps when she covered her idol, Janis Joplin, as did Ms. Jennifer Hudson when she hit with a couple of Dreamgirls tunes.
This year is anyone’s guess. But wouldn’t it be tremendous if Whitney Houston hit the stage for her comeback performance? The diva was simply a guest last year, but she and Davis have been working overtime on her upcoming album. Is she ready to show off her pipes again? I’m still rootin’ for ya, Whitney!
I’m also hoping for a new round of goosebumps courtesy of Leona Lewis, the 22-year-old British sensation who is the Houston and Mariah Carey of a new generation. Her debut album, Spirit, doesn’t drop in the States until April, but she’s already a phenomenon in England. First discovered on X Factor, a British American Idol-esque show, she has broken all sorts of sales records there.
Remember, I'll be liveblogging from the Grammys red carpet on Sunday. Expect my first post around 5 p.m. EST, when I'll also be dishin' the latest Grammys gossip on E!'s Countdown to the Red Carpet.
—Filed by Marc Malkin