Grammys 2012: Whitney Houston overshadows Adele as ceremony starts

Esperanza Spalding is seen onstage during the 54th annual Grammy Awards pre-show on Feb. 12, 2012, in Los Angeles.

/ AP

(CBS/AP) LOS ANGELES - The Grammy Awards got underway on Sunday with the Recording Academy trying to focus on music's biggest night after of the death of one of music's biggest names: Whitney Houston.

Houston died on the eve of the Grammys at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, where she was preparing to attend a pre-Grammy party. Her death cast a huge shadow over the event.

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As the pre-telecast awards ceremony began, co-host Dave Koz acknowledged the tragedy, noting the "great legacy of Miss Whitney Houston. She's in our hearts and our minds."

A tribute to Houston featuring Jennifer Hudson and Chaka Khan was to take place during the main ceremony later Sunday.

Before the death of one of pop music's most important figures, the Grammy buzz focused on whether Adele, 2011's top-selling artist and set to make her first public performance on the show since having vocal cord surgery, would be the queen of the Grammys. Although Kanye West leads all nominees with seven and Bruno Mars and the Foo Fighters tied Adele with six nominations, she was favored to sweep all of her categories.

But as show time neared, the focus remained on Houston's death.

Grammy show producer Ken Ehrlich was quick to announce Hudson's tribute. "It's too fresh in everyone's memory to do more at this time," he said late Saturday, "but we would be remiss if we didn't recognize Whitney's remarkable contribution to music fans in general, and in particular her close ties with the Grammy telecast and her Grammy wins and nominations over the years."

More Houston tributes from nominees and presenters are expected during the three-and-a-half hour Staples Center show, which was to feature the Foo Fighters, Mars, Nicki Minaj, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift, Chris Brown and Rihanna.

It will mark the first time Rihanna and Brown have appeared at the same awards show since his attack on her three years ago also on the eve of the Grammys forced both to drop out of the show and led to an assault conviction for Brown. It almost derailed his career, but 2011 marked a huge comeback, and he was rewarded with a Grammy performance slot on Sunday night's CBS broadcast.

Rihanna is also a nominee, up for album of the year. She is competing with Adele's "21," Mars' "Doo-Woops & Hooligans," the Foo Fighters "Wasting Light" and Lady Gaga's "Born This Way."

Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" is nominated for record and song of the year. Both categories also include Bon Iver's "Holocene," Mumford & Sons "The Cave," and Mars' "Grenade." Katy Perry's "Firework" is up for record of the year but instead of that song, West's "All of the Lights" takes the remaining position in the song of the year category

[johnniewillie]

Great performance by Adele and 6 grammys! That's something. I'm sure it was hard to come back on stage after the surgery, but she did it! http://www.bublaa.com/bubble/Indie%20Talk

[doctorj2u]

I was hoping the "buzz" might be about Bruce's new song about the desertion of Americans, you know that Katrina event where 1800 Americans were killed. Instead it is about Ms. Whitney. Go for it America. It is what we expect from you. RIP Whitney Houston. I am sad at your passing too. For a country with no sense of time nor histroy, I understand.

[doctorwho1111]

you and your (idk for sure but I am assuming American) "politically correct" sicken me.....it is an art show where art is celebrated, and in this specific case, the art of singing and persons contributions in enriching that art ..art is the expression of life or death or whatever inbetween, but not the events themselves!there are other ways,(charity events) where you can express that! As for no sense of time nor history, I kinda agree with you there.. I just signed up only to write this...

[lsgal]

Won't suprise me to find she commited suicide on the eve of the Emmy's. Not at all, for a huge variety of reasons.

[heyder84]

If Dr. Murray was charged for Michael Jackson dead, bobby brown (white-cocaine) should be charged for Whitney's dead.

[kww28]

Right on! That loser should have been the one that OD'd..."Booby" Brown will not be missed when he dies...I got a lougie with his name on it! Whitney rest in peace, you deserve it...finally.