Visa Vetoed, Winehouse Goes to Grammy Satellite

Fri., Feb. 8, 2008 7:55 AM PST by Marcus Errico

Amy Winehouse won't be taking her "Rehab" act to the Grammys. Instead, the Grammys will be coming to her.

The big-piped Brit, who's up for six trophies at this weekend's award ceremony, has gotten a big thumbs down from U.S. officials, who vetoed her request for a visa.

Still, Winehouse, who has been in treatment at the Capio Nightingale clinic in north London since Jan. 24, plans to be part of the show. She promises to sing via satellite.

"I'm raring to go and really excited to be performing at my first Grammy Awards," she said in a statement.

"I'd like to thank everyone for their support over the last couple of weeks. I'm really sorry I can’t be there but I appreciate that I'm being given a second chance via satellite."

To prepare for the performance, Winehouse's reps say she will be leaving the rehabilitation clinic Friday.

"She is feeling great, looking healthy and looking forward to doing what she does best," her PR firm, the Outside Organization, said. "She will remain under full medical supervision and her treatment will continue as normal."

Winehouse is second only to Kanye West in nominations this year, including nods for Best New Artist and Song of the Year for "Rehab."

Both her label and Grammy organizers had been hoping she'd be approved for a visa despite her well documented bad behavior.

However, the State Department nixed the visa request without comment Thursday, a day after the troubled 24-year-old took time out from her drug treatment to be interviewed by London police over a video seemingly showing her smoking a crack pipe. No charges have been filed.

"Although disappointed with the decision has accepted the ruling and will be concentrating on her recovery," her reps said after the decision was made public.

But the visa rejection was not exactly a surprise, and Grammy organizers triggered their plan B.

As reported by E! Online senior editor Marc Malkin, the show's brain trust had originally allotted rehearsal time for Winehouse in Los Angeles for Friday, but as a contingency, retained a crew in London to produce a live satellite feed. The thinking is that Winehouse can belt out one or two songs and accept any awards in real time.

Yet, as fans can attest, even though Winehouse is vowing to perform, that's no guarantee she'll be up for the long-distance performance when it's time.

The 50th Annual Grammy Awards will air Sunday on CBS.

(Originally published Feb. 7, 2008 at 1:10 p.m. PT)