Nicole Kidman couldn’t have looked better or had a nicer time at the 52nd annual Grammy Awards.

The Oscar-winning actress is also Mrs. Keith Urban, wife of the very much about to be country music — and maybe pop music — superstar. In the private club backstage at the Staples Center, known as the Chairman’s Room, Nicole and Keith met and mingled with other stars and music execs, dined on buffet short ribs and plates of dessert and fruit.

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For so many reasons, Michael Jackson must have been spinning in his million-dollar mausoleum last night.

His kids, Prince and Paris, whom he draped in bee keeper’s hats and masks to keep them out of the public, took center stage and accepted his Lifetime Achievement Award at the 52nd annual Grammy Awards.

Yes, they were poised and articulate. That certainly shows that Jackson’s parenting was better than anyone could have guessed.

But their remarks were scripted. And when Prince Michael, Jackson’s 12-year-old son with Debbie Rowe, spoke, it was worth examining what he said. He acknowledged both his “grandma” — Katherine Jackson, his legal guardian — and his “grandpa,” Joe Jackson, whom Michael hated. Joe Jackson is currently suing Michael’s estate to get a $20,000-per-month allowance. Read the rest of this entry »

GRAMMY NOTES:

“Soul Man” Sam Moore, the 74-year-old Grammy winner, has been asked to be the star performer at the official Grammy after party at the L.A. Convention Center following Sunday’s Grammy telecast. “American Idol” judge and famed musician Randy Jackson, who produced Moore’s “Overnight Sensational” album, will be a special guest star on guitar in Moore’s band. Singer-composer Brenda Russell is going to join in on vocals. That should be some show…

…On the Grammy telecast, expect a tribute to the late Les Paul, the man who invented the rock and roll guitar. Among those involved: the great Jeff Beck, and performer-producer Narada Michael Walden…

…The Golden Globes had no “in memoriam” section, but hopefully that will not be the case with the Grammys. We recently lost Al Green’s amazing producer Willie Mitchell. And last week, the wonderful Robert “Squirrel” Lester, founding member of the Chi Lites, passed away. Lester was a soft spoken, lanky, masterful singer and dancer. His contributions to the Chi Lites over 40 years led to their hits like “Have You Seen Her?” and “Oh Girl.” Squirrel joins his old friend, Chi Lites founder and songwriter Eugene Record, another lovely guy, in rock and roll heaven. He will be sorely missed… Read the rest of this entry »

EXCLUSIVE: This column has learned that Quincy Jones and Lionel Richie are planning a massive 25th anniversary re-recording of “We Are the World.”

The timing couldn’t be better, sadly enough.

The duo is summoning lots and lots of talent from Grammy weekend to stay an extra night — Monday Feb. 1 — and come to the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles. There, they will celebrate a quarter century since Ken Kragen, Richie and Michael Jackson organized the original “We Are the World” with Quincy.

This time the artists invited include Usher, Natalie Cole, and John Legend. But you can bet that more names will be added shortly and that all the Grammy nominees and participants will be asked to come as well. Grammy producer Ken Ehrlich will produce the event, which will then be turned into a video and single just like it was in 1985. Don’t be surprised if Wyclef Jean joins in, along with Sting, Fergie, Alicia Keys, Justin Timberlake and other distinctive voices.

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The music business — what’s left of it — is getting ready for Grammy weekend at the end of January and there’s a lot going on.

Not the least of it is Sony selling 4 million and more copies of Susan Boyle’s debut CD. It’s like the old days! And talk about easy listening. Boyle’s renderings are the perfect backdrop to almost anything.

Over at EMI Records, beloved longtime chief Bruce Lundvall is giving up the daily grind, so to speak. He deserves a break after all this time. Bruce has been running Blue Note for 25 years. Lundvall has worked with every jazz great, and cultivated Blue Note into one of the few important labels left. He also was responsible for Norah Jones, one of the few stars with a lasting career to be created in the 00s.

Taking Bruce’s place is the phenomenal Ian Ralfini. He came to Blue Note in 2001 and re-started Manhattan Records with legend Arif Mardin. Now Ian, who is a man devoted to his acts — especially Celtic Woman — takes the reins. It couldn’t happen to a better guy. It shows that EMI is not just giving up.

Meanwhile, the lawyer who guided the whole Michael Jackson executor mess this year is being honored. Joel Katz, who has really steered the Jackson camp through murky waters, is getting the 2010 Service Award from the Grammy Foundation at the annual Law Luncheon on January 29th. There should be a gold plated Advil bottle on the plaque for what Katz accomplished this past year!

P.S. Universal Music’s Doug Morris is the Grammy honoree at Clive Davis’s annual dinner this year. This means in addition to Clive’s acts, like Alicia, Whitney, and Leona, the Beverly Hilton gang will probably get a little GaGa, if you know what I mean! Clive, Doug, Bruce Lundvall — these are the last of the great music men. We’d better appreciate them while we can. And Clive’s party is the event of the year, hands down. Whitney had better be there to sing “Million Dollar Bill”!

Whitney Houston’s new CD, her big comeback effort, is said to “near ready,” “almost done,” or “just about finished.”

I’d heard last week that Clive Davis was putting a September release date on it. But really, here’s the thing: the Grammy deadline is August 31st. That’s a month earlier than usual because the Grammy Awards are a week earlier this year, on January 31, 2010.

Yes, that’s right: a week, a month. It makes no sense, but that’s what they did at Grammy HQ. At the end of January 2010 they’re going to give out awards for music released between October 1, 2008 and August 31, 2009.

And Whitney’s comeback may not make that deadline. Of course, it’s possible a single could be released by then. But that’s always a tricky story. J Records tried that with Alicia Keys a couple of years ago, with “No One” making the cut. A year later, her very good album, “As I Am,” seemed old.

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