By Jenn McBride

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Between emotional tributes honoring the late Whitney Houston and fiery performances by some of music’s biggest stars, all eyes were on Adele at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards.

The British queen of soul returned to the spotlight Sunday night for the first time since undergoing throat surgery last year to repair a hemorrhaged vocal cord.

Adele, who picked “Rolling In The Deep” for her comeback performance, is most certainly rolling in Grammy gold after claiming all six of the awards for which she was nominated.

“My life changed when I wrote this song, and I felt it before anyone even heard it,” 23-year-old Adele told the crowd after winning Best Pop Solo Performance for “Someone Like You.”

Ironically, she took home the same number of awards Houston earned during her illustrious career in just one night. With her two previous awards from 2009, including Best New Artist, Adele is now an eight-time Grammy winner.

However, just hours after Houston’s Feb. 11 death at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, her 2000 compilation album topped iTunes charts, bumping Adele’s “21” to second place.

Oscar-winning actress and Grammy-winning singer Jennifer Hudson paid homage to Houston with an acapella rendition of “I Will Always Love You”, which she finished with, “Whitney, we love — we love you.”

“It’s like there’s a hole in the heart of music now, and I don’t know if it can ever be filled,” Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott said after the group accepted the award for Best Country Album.

Despite the ceremony’s often somber mood, performances by Glen Campbell and The Beach Boys brought the audience to its feet.

The Foo Fighters, who recorded their seventh album, “Wasting Light”, in frontman Dave Grohl’s garage, also had a great evening with four wins.

New talent was yet another highlight as The Civil Wars took to the Grammy stage for the first time to perform the title track of their debut album, “Barton Hollow”.

One of the most critically acclaimed new artists of 2011, the duo, comprised of John Paul White and Joy Williams, received awards for Best Country Duo/Group Performance and Best Folk Album.

“We made a pact that we would only make music that pleased us,” White said backstage. “We’ve made music the other way around before.”

“It’s completely surreal,” a pregnant Williams said of their wins. “And to be welcomed, too, in the realms of both country and folk.”

With the recent deaths of Houston, Etta James and Amy Winehouse – who posthumously won Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for her “Body and Soul” duet with Tony Bennett – the 54th Annual Grammy Awards offered several nods to artists who, sadly, are now beyond this earthly realm.

“We shouldn’t be here. Our darling daughter should be here. These are the cards that we’re dealt,” Winehouse’s father, Mitch, said when Bennett called him onstage.

Adele (Photo Credit: Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Adele, who captured the world’s heart with an album about a broken romance, emerged as the top winner at Sunday’s Grammy Awards, winning six trophies including the prestigious trifecta of record, song and album of the year.

The singer, who also made a triumphant comeback from vocal cord surgery on the Grammy stage, sobbed as she won the night’s final award, album of the year, for 21. It was last year’s top-selling album with more than six million copies sold and remains lodged at the No. 1 spot on this year’s charts.

Her victories tied her with Beyonce as the most wins by a woman in one evening.

“Mom, gold is good!” Adele shouted as she took the album of the year trophy.

The celebration of Adele, a big-voiced, soulful singer, came on a night where the Grammys marked the loss of one of music’s great female voices — and one of its most prized talents overall. Whitney Houston died the night before the Grammys, casting a shadow over music’s biggest night.

But while her death lent a somber overtone to the evening’s show, it did not overwhelm it, perhaps best proved by the show’s closing number, a rollicking jam session featuring Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, and Dave Grohl among others.

Foo Fighers (Photo Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

The night’s other big winners were Grohl’s Foo Fighters, who won five Grammys. They noted that they made their album Wasting Light in a garage.

“To me this award means a lot because it shows that the human element of making music is what’s most important. Singing into a microphone, learning to play an instrument and learning to do your craft, that’s the most important thing for people to do,” Grohl said as the band accepted their best rock performance trophy for “Walk.” ”It’s not about being perfect. It’s not about sounding absolutely correct. It’s not about what goes on in a computer. It’s about what goes on in here (your heart) and what goes on here (your head). … Long live rock ‘n’ roll!”

Among the evening’s performances was a dance-heavy number by Chris Brown, and performances by McCartney and Springsteen, who kicked off the show by performing his new song “We Take Care of Our Own,” a rousing song that references the troubles of the nation.

But the evening’s most moving moment came as Jennifer Hudson — who has called Houston an inspiration and one of her biggest idols — emerged to sing one of Houston’s signature songs, “I Will Always Love You.” Dressed in black, with only the accompaniment of a piano, Hudson appeared to fight back tears as she sang the song, ending with the line, “Whitney, we will always love you.”

(Photo Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

The show started off on a somber note, as host LL Cool J appeared in black, and told the audience: “There is no way around this. We’ve had a death in our family.”

He then led the audience in prayer to “our fallen sister.”

“Heavenly father, we thank you for sharing our sister Whitney with us,” he said, as celebrities like Lady Gaga and Miranda Lambert bowed their heads in prayer. “Though she is gone too soon, we remain truly blessed to have been touched by her beautiful spirit.”

He then introduced a clip of a glowing Houston singing “I Will Always Love You.” In his performance of “Runaway Baby,” Bruno Mars also mentioned the death: “Tonight we’re celebrating. Tonight we’re celebrating the beautiful Miss Whitney Houston.”

And Stevie Wonder said: “To Whitney up in heaven, we all love you.”

The show, as usual, was heavy on performances more than awards. Among those was Chris Brown, who was performing on the stage for the first time since he dropped out of 2009′s broadcast; his attack on Rihanna the night before led to both of their absences, an assault charge for Brown and a career low.

But 2011 marked an amazing comeback for Brown and he was rewarded with two planned performances during the show, the first time he and Rihanna performed at the same event since the attack (she sang solo and with Coldplay during the ceremony).

Brown also won best R&B album: “First and foremost, I gotta thank God, and thank the Grammys for letting me get on this stage and do my thing,” he said “All my fans, I love you. We got one. Thank you.”

Justin Vernon, whose band Bon Iver beat Nicki Minaj, The Band Perry, J. Cole and Skrillex for best new artist, accepted the award with admittedly mixed emotions.

“It’s really hard to accept this award. Well, there’s so much talent out here, like on this stage. There’s a lot of talent that’s not here tonight. It’s also hard to accept because when I started to make songs I did it for the inherent reward of making songs, so I’m a little bit uncomfortable up here,” he said. “But with that discomfort I do have a sense of gratitude. I want to say thank you to all the nominees, all the non-nominees that have never been here and never will be here.”

The Grammys did their best to keep a tone that balanced the many moods of the night: The Foo Fighters performed in a tent outside the Staples Center, where the awards were being held, amid a throng of bouncing fans; but moments earlier, Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt paid tribute to Etta James, the legend who died last month.

There was also a tribute to the recently reunited Beach Boys that featured Maroon 5, Foster the People and Mike Love, Al Jardine and Brian Wilson, the three remaining members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band, all pitch-perfect as they brought the groups California rock sound and harmonies back to life.

Glen Campbell, who announced his retirement last year after disclosing he had Alzheimer’s disease, also performed with The Band Perry and Blake Shelton, singing his classic hit, “Rhinestone Cowboy.”

The Foos and Brown also returned for another dance-themed performance, a first for the Grammys. It also featured deadmau5, David Guetta and Lil Wayne.

And with Lady Gaga not performing, Minaj stepped in to give the night’s most bizarre/headscratching performance. The rapper-singer’s number included a clip that referenced “The Exorcist” and a stage show that had her levitating on stage amid a church-like background, with hooded choir members and religious imagery.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Winners Announced During Broadcast:

Album Of The Year: 21 – Adele

Record Of The Year: “Rolling In The Deep” – Adele

Best New Artist: Bon Iver

Best Country Album: Own The Night – Lady Antebellum

Song Of The Year: “Rolling In The Deep” – Adele

Best R&B Album: F.A.M.E. – Chris Brown

Best Rock Performance: “Walk” – Foo Fighters

Best Rap Performance: “Otis” – Jay-Z/Kanye West

Best Pop Solo Performance: “Someone Like You” – Adele

Winners Announced Before Broadcast:

Best Pop Performance By Duo/Group: “Body and Soul” – Tony Bennett/Amy Winehouse

Best Pop Instrumental Album: The Road From Memphis – Booker T. Jones

Best Pop Vocal Album: 21 – Adele

Best Dance Recording: Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites – Skrillex

Best Dance/Electronic Album: Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites – Skrillex

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: Duets II – Tony Bennett

Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance: “White Limo” – Foo Fighters

Best Rock Song: “Walk” – Foo Fighters

Best Rock Album: Wasting Light – Foo Fighters

Best Alternative Music Album: Bon Iver – Bon Iver

Best R&B Performance: “Is This Love” – Corinne Bailey Rae

Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance: “Fool For You” – Melanie Fiona/Cee-Lo

Best R&B Song: “Fool For You” – Melanie Fiona/Cee-Lo

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration: “All Of The Lights” – Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi & Fergie

Best Rap Song: “All Of The Lights” – Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi & Fergie

Best Rap Album: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy – Kanye West

Best Country Solo Performance: “Mean” – Taylor Swift

Best Country Duo/Group Performance: “Barton Hollow” – The Civil Wars

Best Country Song: “Mean” – Taylor Swift

Best New Age Album: What’s It All About - Pat Metheny

Best Improvised Jazz Solo: “500 Miles High” – Chick Corea

Best Jazz Vocal Album: The Mosaic Project – Terri Lyne Carrington

Best Jazz Instrumental Album: Forever – Corea, Clarke & White

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album: The Good Feeling – Christian McBride Big Band

Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Performance: “Jesus” – L’Andria Johnson

Best Gospel Song: “Hello Fear” – Kirk Franklin

Best Contemporary Christian Music Song: “Blessings” – Laura Story

Best Gospel Album: Hello Fear – Kirk Franklin

Best Contemporary Christian Music Album: And If Our God Is For Us… – Chris Tomlin

Best Latin Pop, Rock, Or Urban Album: Drama Y Luz – Maná

Best Regional Mexican Or Tejano Album: Bicentenario – Pepe Aguilar

Best Banda Or Norteño Album: Los Tigres Del Norte And Friends – Los Tigres Del Norte

Best Tropical Latin Album: The Last Mambo – Cachao

Best Americana Album: Ramble at the Ryman – Levon Helm

Best Bluegrass Album: Paper Airplane – Alison Krauss & Union Station

Best Blues Album: Revelator – Tedeschi Trucks Band

Best Folk Album: Barton Hollow – The Civil Wars

Best Regional Roots Music Album: Rebirth Of New Orleans – Rebirth Brass Band

Best Reggae Album: Revelation Pt. 1: The Root of Life – Stephen Marley

Best World Music Album: Tassili – Tinariwen

Best Children’s Album: All About Bullies… Big and Small – Various Artists

Best Spoken Word Album: If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won’t) – Betty White

Best Comedy Album: Hilarious – Louis C.K.

Best Musical Theater Album: The Book Of Mormon

Best Compilation Soundtrack Album For Visual Media: Boardwalk Empire – Various Artists

Best Score Soundtrack Album For Visual Media: The King’s Speech – Alexandre Desplat

Best Song Written For Visual Media: “I See the Light” – Alan Menken & Glenn Slater

Best Instrumental Composition: “Life In Eleven” – Béla Fleck & Howard Levy

Best Instrumental Arrangement: “Rhapsody In Blue” – Gordon Goodwin

Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalists: “Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)” – Jorge Calandrelli

Best Recording Package: Scenes From The Suburbs – Caroline Robert, art director (Arcade Fire)

Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package: The Promise: The Darkness On The Edge Of Town Story – Dave Bett & Michelle Holme, art directors (Bruce Springsteen)

Best Album Notes: Hear Me Howling!: Blues, Ballads & Beyond As Recorded By The San Francisco Bay By Chris Strachwitz In The 1960s – Adam Machado, album notes writer (Various Artists)

Best Historical Album: Band on the Run (Paul McCartney Archive Collection – Deluxe Edition) – Paul McCartney

Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical: Paper Airplane – Neal Cappellino & Mike Shipley, engineers; Brad Blackwood, mastering engineer (Alison Krauss & Union Station)

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical: Paul Epworth

Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical: “Cinema (Skrillex remix)” – Sonny Moore

Best Surround Sound Album: Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs (Super Deluxe Edition) – Elliot Scheiner, surround mix engineer; Bob Ludwig, surround mastering engineer; Bill Levenson & Elliot Scheiner, surround producers (Derek & The Dominos)

Best Engineered Album, Classical: Aldridge: Elmer Gantry – Byeong-Joon Hwang & John Newton, engineers; Jesse Lewis, mastering engineer (William Boggs, Keith Phares, Patricia Risley, Vale Rideout, Frank Kelley, Heather Buck, Florentine Opera Chorus & Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra)

Producer of the Year, Classical: Judith Sherman

Best Orchestral Performance: “Brahms: Symphony No. 4″ – Gustavo Dudamel

Best Opera Recording: “Adams: Doctor Atomic” – Alan Gilbert, conductor

Best Choral Performance: “Light & Gold” – Eric Whitacre

Best Small Ensemble Performance: Mackey: “Lonely Motel – Music From Slide” – Rinde Eckert & Steven Mackey; Eighth Blackbird

Best Classical Instrumental Solo: Schwantner: Concerto For Percussion & Orchestra – Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor

Best Classical Vocal Solo: “Diva Divo” – Joyce DiDonato

Best Classical Contemporary Composition: “Elmer Gantry” – Robert Aldridge & Herschel Garfein

Best Short Form Music Video: “Rolling In The Deep” – Adele

Best Long Form Music Video: Foo Fighters: Back And Forth – Foo Fighters

[Update a/o 3:30 p.m.] An autopsy has been conducted on Whitney Houston, but Beverly Hills police say that a hold has been placed on the findings.

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Just hours before Sunday’s Grammy Awards, the music industry and fans are mourning the loss of Whitney Houston.

» PHOTOS: Whitney Houston 1963-2012

Houston’s body arrived at the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office in Boyle Heights 11 hours after she was declared dead at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

The pop superstar was pronounced dead 3:55 p.m. Saturday in her fourth-floor room at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

Kirk Hawkins, reporting for CBS2 and KCAL9, said paramedics performed CPR for 20 minutes prior to that after they were called by a member of Houston’s entourage.

Houston was found unresponsive in a bathtub in her fourth floor hotel room.

Houston’s family says they talked to her earlier Saturday and didn’t believe anything was unusual.

But during a rehearsal last week, some witnesses said she was sweating profusely while others said she was doing handstands by the pool at the hotel.

Coroner’s officials say they can’t talk discuss what they saw in her room.

“It didn’t appear that there was foul play and that’s all I can say about it,” said Los Angeles County Asst. Chief Coroner Ed Winter.
Houston has been treated at least twice for her addictions.

In a 2009 interview with Oprah Winfrey, she said she used cocaine for several years with her then-husband Bobbi Brown.

Toxicology tests will determine if legal or even illegal drugs played a role in her death. The results of those tests could take several weeks.

However, an autopsy is expected begin at some point Sunday.

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» Singer Whitney Houston Dead At 48

» PHOTOS: Grammy Fashion Hits And Misses

Electronic music producer Skrillex arrived in an all black, punk ensemble consisting of a leather motorcycle jacket and oversized glasses. Prescription? Probably not, but he clearly thinks they make him look cool. Good thing his songs are hits, because this outfit definitely is not.

(Getty Images/Larry Busacca)

Venezuelan band La Vida Boheme may not be well-known in the United States, but they certainly made an eye-catching appearance on the Grammy red carpet. The guys opted for all-white outfits covered in multi-colored spray paint. Not only is it all over their clothes, but the paint covers most of the band members’ faces as well.

(Getty Images/Joe Klamar)

Country singer and songwriter Alison Krauss is incredibly talented, but this dress definitely missed the mark. Although her hair and makeup look beautiful, the white crochet overlay on her dress is both unflattering and matronly. She also could’ve used a few more accessories to complete her outfit.

» PHOTOS: Stars Arrive At Grammy Awards 2012

(Getty Images/Larry Busacca)

Comedian Kathy Griffin looked nothing short of fantastic on the red carpet. Her cream one-shoulder gown is completely age-appropriate, yet still sexy. It flatters her tiny frame without being too revealing and the chunky gold accessories add just enough glam to her look. Major fashion win for Griffin.

(Getty Images/Larry Busacca)

Jersey Shore star Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi rocked her typical “guidette” look with high hair and a barely there mini-dress. The zebra print on her black mini and the bow on her head not only clash, but also look a little ridiculous. It’s safe to say she will probably end up on many of the Grammy Awards worst-dressed lists.

(Getty Images/Larry Busacca)

Nominee Adele showed off a new do and slimmer figure in a striking black beaded gown. The songstress is donning her signature red lips and long lashes, which only compliment her beautiful features.

Houston died Saturday at the Beverly Hills Hotel. The cause of death hasn’t been determined.

Show Ken Ehrlich says Hudson will be featured in a “musical tribute.” He said it’s too fresh to do more now, but they had to note the Grammy-winner’s amazing accomplishments.

Prior to the news of Houston’s death, Hudson attended a pre-Grammy event where she discussed the impact Houston had on her career.

The Chicagoan talked about her love for Houston’s hit “I Will Always Love You” and said that she would “create duets with her because I wanted to sing with Whitney Houston.”

Houston actually presented Hudson with her first Grammy. Hudson said meeting her idol “almost overshadowed getting the Grammy.”

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Publicist Kristen Foster said Saturday that the singer had died, but the cause and the location of her death were unknown.

Reporting for CBS2 and KCAL9, Edward Lawrence said she was found on the 4th floor of the Beverly Hilton. He said paramedics tried to revive her but she was pronounced dead at 3:55 p.m.

Houston was set to attend Clive Davis’s annual pre-Grammy party.

Notable music producer Scott Bomar told CBS, “Whitney performing was always the apex of this party. It is surreal that she passed here earlier today. You can feel in the room that we have lost one of our own and an icon. It was all made more real when I got into an elevator with Dionne Warwick and many of her family…you realize how much of a loss this is not only to her fans but her family as well.”

Chaka Khan and Jennifer Hudson will reportedly sing a tribute to Houston at Sunday’s Grammys. Khan, of course, first sang one of Houston’s biggest smashes, “I’m Every Woman.”

At her peak, Houston the golden girl of the music industry. From the middle 1980s to the late 1990s, she was one of the world’s best-selling artists. She wowed audiences with effortless, powerful, and peerless vocals that were rooted in the black church but made palatable to the masses with a pop sheen.

Her success carried her beyond music to movies, where she starred in hits like “The Bodyguard” and “Waiting to Exhale.”

She had the he perfect voice, and the perfect image: a gorgeous singer who had sex appeal but was never overtly sexual, who maintained perfect poise.

She influenced a generation of younger singers, from Christina Aguilera to Mariah Carey, who when she first came out sounded so much like Houston that many thought it was Houston.

But by the end of her career, Houston became a stunning cautionary tale of the toll of drug use. Her album sales plummeted and the hits stopped coming; her once serene image was shattered by a wild demeanor and bizarre public appearances. She confessed to abusing cocaine, marijuana and pills, and her once pristine voice became raspy and hoarse, unable to hit the high notes as she had during her prime.

“The biggest devil is me. I’m either my best friend or my worst enemy,” Houston told ABC’s Diane Sawyer in an infamous 2002 interview with then-husband Brown by her side.

It was a tragic fall for a superstar who was one of the top-selling artists in pop music history, with more than 55 million records sold in the United States alone.

She seemed to be born into greatness. She was the daughter of gospel singer Cissy Houston, the cousin of 1960s pop diva Dionne Warwick and the goddaughter of Aretha Franklin.

Photo Gallery: Universal City, Ca Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston at the MTV awards. (Photo by Brenda Chase Online USA, Inc.)

Houston first started singing in the church as a child. In her teens, she sang backup for Chaka Khan, Jermaine Jackson and others, in addition to modeling. It was around that time when music mogul Clive Davis first heard Houston perform.

“The time that I first saw her singing in her mother’s act in a club … it was such a stunning impact,” Davis told “Good Morning America.”

“To hear this young girl breathe such fire into this song. I mean, it really sent the proverbial tingles up my spine,” he added.

Before long, the rest of the country would feel it, too. Houston made her album debut in 1985 with “Whitney Houston,” which sold millions and spawned hit after hit. “Saving All My Love for You” brought her her first Grammy, for best female pop vocal. “How Will I Know,” ”You Give Good Love” and “The Greatest Love of All” also became hit singles.

Another multiplatinum album, “Whitney,” came out in 1987 and included hits like “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” and “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.”

The New York Times wrote that Houston “possesses one of her generation’s most powerful gospel-trained voices, but she eschews many of the churchier mannerisms of her forerunners. She uses ornamental gospel phrasing only sparingly, and instead of projecting an earthy, tearful vulnerability, communicates cool self-assurance and strength, building pop ballads to majestic, sustained peaks of intensity.”

Her decision not to follow the more soulful inflections of singers like Franklin drew criticism by some who saw her as playing down her black roots to go pop and reach white audiences. The criticism would become a constant refrain through much of her career. She was even booed during the “Soul Train Awards” in 1989.

“Sometimes it gets down to that, you know?” she told Katie Couric in 1996. “You’re not black enough for them. I don’t know. You’re not R&B enough. You’re very pop. The white audience has taken you away from them.”

Some saw her 1992 marriage to former New Edition member and soul crooner Bobby Brown as an attempt to refute those critics. It seemed to be an odd union; she was seen as pop’s pure princess while he had a bad-boy image, and already had children of his own. (The couple had a daughter, Bobbi Kristina, in 1993.) Over the years, he would be arrested several times, on charges ranging from DUI to failure to pay child support.

But Houston said their true personalities were not as far apart as people may have believed.

“When you love, you love. I mean, do you stop loving somebody because you have different images? You know, Bobby and I basically come from the same place,” she told Rolling Stone in 1993. “You see somebody, and you deal with their image, that’s their image. It’s part of them, it’s not the whole picture. I am not always in a sequined gown. I am nobody’s angel. I can get down and dirty. I can get raunchy.”

It would take several years, however, for the public to see that side of Houston. Her moving 1991 rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner” at the Super Bowl, amid the first Gulf War, set a new standard and once again reaffirmed her as America’s sweetheart.

In 1992, she became a star in the acting world with “The Bodyguard.” Despite mixed reviews, the story of a singer (Houston) guarded by a former Secret Service agent (Kevin Costner) was an international success.

It also gave her perhaps her most memorable hit: a searing, stunning rendition of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You,” which sat atop the charts for weeks. It was Grammy’s record of the year and best female pop vocal, and the “Bodyguard” soundtrack was named album of the year.

She returned to the big screen in 1995-96 with “Waiting to Exhale” and “The Preacher’s Wife.” Both spawned soundtrack albums, and another hit studio album, “My Love Is Your Love,” in 1998, brought her a Grammy for best female R&B vocal for the cut “It’s Not Right But It’s Okay.”

But during these career and personal highs, Houston was using drugs. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2010, she said by the time “The Preacher’s Wife” was released, “(doing drugs) was an everyday thing. … I would do my work, but after I did my work, for a whole year or two, it was every day. … I wasn’t happy by that point in time. I was losing myself.”

In the interview, Houston blamed her rocky marriage to Brown, which included a charge of domestic abuse against Brown in 1993. They divorced in 2007.

Houston would go to rehab twice before she would declare herself drug-free to Winfrey in 2010. But in the interim, there were missed concert dates, a stop at an airport due to drugs, and public meltdowns.

She was so startlingly thin during a 2001 Michael Jackson tribute concert that rumors spread she had died the next day. Her crude behavior and jittery appearance on Brown’s reality show, “Being Bobby Brown,” was an example of her sad decline. Her Sawyer interview, where she declared “crack is whack,” was often parodied. She dropped out of the spotlight for a few years.

Houston staged what seemed to be a successful comeback with the 2009 album “I Look To You.” The album debuted on the top of the charts, and would eventually go platinum.

Things soon fell apart. A concert to promote the album on “Good Morning America” went awry as Houston’s voice sounded ragged and off-key. She blamed an interview with Winfrey for straining her voice.

A world tour launched overseas, however, only confirmed suspicions that Houston had lost her treasured gift, as she failed to hit notes and left many fans unimpressed; some walked out. Canceled concert dates raised speculation that she may have been abusing drugs, but she denied those claims and said she was in great shape, blaming illness for cancellations.

Simon Cowell was reportedly considering Houston to fill a judges seat on Fox’s second season of  “X Factor.”

Houston had recently finished filming a starring role in the remake of the 1976 film “Sparkle.” Saturday evening, a spokesperson for Sony Pictures said the movie’s August 17th release date remains firm.

Neil Portnow, president and CEO of the Recording Academy, said in a statement, “Six-time Grammy-winner Whitney Houston was one of the world’s greatest pop singers of all time who leaves behind a robust musical soundtrack spanning the past three decades. Her powerful voice graced many memorable and award-winning songs. A light has been dimmed in our music community today, and we extend our deepest condolences to her family, friends, fans and all who have been touched by her beautiful voice.”

In a later report for CBS2 and KCAL9, Edward Lawrence said scores of fans have gathered outside the Hilton. “Many are holding candles and many are singing her songs.”

He spoke to fan Melody Daff who said the singer’s death hit close to home. “I’m 48. She was 48.”

IMAGES: Whitney Houston’s Amazing Life And Tragic Death

(TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Photo Credit: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

The 54th Annual Grammy Awards, which airs Feb. 12 at 8 p.m. on CBS, will honor the best and brightest of the music industry. Share the art of music with your children by celebrating this year’s nominees.

The following is a list of child-appropriate nominees:

Bon Iver
www./boniver.org

This folk band has been nominated for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist for the record Hologene. Wisconsin’s favorite son, Bon Iver writes moving songs about redemption, something every child can learn from.

(credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Mumford & Sons
www.mumfordandsons.com
London based Mumford & Sons, featuring music inspired by folk, country, rock and bluegrass, has received four nominations. The categories are Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song for their second U.S. single, “The Cave,” from their debut album, Sigh No More. The band, comprised of four friends, is committed to making music that matters, which will certainly resonate with parents and kids alike.

Coldplay (Photo Credit: Alexander Klein/AFP/Getty Images)

Coldplay
www.coldplay.com
British alternative rock band Coldplay has been nominated for Best Pop/Duo/Group Performance for the song “Paradise.” The popular band has received numerous awards since coming onto the scene in 1996. Members are active supporters of social and political causes and perform at charity rock ‘n roll shows making them positive role models for children.

The Decemberists
decemberists.com
The band is nominated for Best Rock Performance for the track “Down By The Water” from their album The King is Dead.  The Decembrists is an indie rock band from Portland, Oregon. With lyrics focusing on important historical events, kids can learn while listening.

Adele (Photo Credit: Valerie Macon/AFP/Getty Images)

Adele
www.adele.tv
British singer Adele is particularly a parent favorite not only for her songs and lyrics but also for the fact that she is a positive role model for girls everywhere. With six nominations, Adele is the first female singer to receive a nod for the top album, 21, single from that album, “Rolling In The Deep”, and vie for artist of the year.

The Grammy Awards will broadcast at 8 p.m. from The Staples Center in downtown L.A. Kanye West led with seven nominations this year, but Adele, the Foo Fighters and Bruno Mars brought up close seconds with six each. Who among the nominees do you let your kids listen to?

Visit the GRAMMYs section at CBS Local.

Related: Staples Center Guide.

Susan Hartzler is a freelance writer living in L0s Angeles. She is covering Family & Pets. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.

Colbie Caillat

Photo Credit: ODD ANDERSEN/AFP/Getty Images

Colbie Caillat is a local artists, born in Malibu, CA, and winner of two Grammys in 2009. The first was for her featured performance on Taylor Swift’s Fearless. The second was for collaboration with Jason Mraz on her breakout anthem “Lucky”. Although she was born into the music industry, she first rose to fame as the number one unsigned artist on Myspace Music. Caillat will be performing a special engagement Valentine’s Day show in Thousand Oaks.

Chucho Valdes & The Afro Cuban Messengers

Chucho Valdes is the Cuban born Latin jazz heavyweight who is an accomplished pianist, composer, arranger and bandleader. His pedigree includes his father Bebo, director of the iconic Tropicana nightclub in Havana, Cuba. Valdes is perhaps known best as the founder of the late 70s group Irakere, which won him his first Grammy in 1978. He has gone on to win four more, including last year’s Best Latin Jazz Album with his new project The Afro-Cuban Messengers.

Los Lonely Boys

Los Lonely Boys are three Texas-based brothers who exploded onto the music scene in 2003 with their unique “Texican” rock and roll. The next year, the boys won the Grammy for Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal.  The group will be performing at Santa Monica College on February 25th.

Related: Best music clubs in LA.

Mingus Dynasty

Jazz great, Charles Mingus died in 1979, leaving behind more than 300 unheard compositions. His devoted wife Sue Mingus took on the monumental task of carrying on his legacy by creating and directing repertory ensembles to perform his work. Last year, Sue won the Grammy for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album with the most well known of the Mingus Bands, the Mingus Big Band. Sue will bring the first band she organized to play Charles’ unheard work, The 7-piece Mingus Dynasty to Royce Hall at UCLA for a one night only engagement.

Elvis Costello

Photo Credit: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

The 1999 Grammy winner (for his collaboration with Burt Bacharach on 1998’s “I Still Have That Other Girl”) was first nominated in 1979 for Best New Artist, and has been nominated 13 times to date. His current project, Elvis Costello and the Imposters, sold out two shows last spring to the Revolver tours “Spectacular Spinning Songbook” at the historic Wiltern Theater at the intersection of Wilshire and Western.  For fans of the seminal performer who missed the shows, this springs one night only engagement at the Wiltern provides one last chance to catch the unique program where the set list is determined by a wheel of fortune.

Visit the GRAMMYs section at CBS Local.

Related: 2012 Grammy Nominees.

Kristen Lowman is a freelance writer living in Los Angeles. Her work can be found on Examiner.com.

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Hundreds of Los Angeles area high school students Wednesday attended Grammy Camp, where they learned about the realities of the music business from Grammy-winning singers, songwriters, and producers.

The Grammy Foundation invited more than 700 kids to take part in intensive career workshops and one-on-one sessions with music industry professionals.

Jimmy Jam is a five-time Grammy winner who has worked with artists such as Janet Jackson and Mariah Carey.

“We’re not really trying to show them how to do specific things,” said Jam. “But we’re trying to make sure that if music is something they want to pursue, we inspire them to do that.”

Inspiration can be hard to come by for these students who often see their school music programs cut.

“I think arts in schools is one of the most important things,” said student Rebecca Michelson. “Building group dynamics, and getting people to be creative, knowing they can do something that they really love.”

Michelson said the Grammy program helps reaffirm that importance.

Producer and songwriter Evan Bogart, who has worked with Rihanna and Beyonce, told students the key to making it is to be themselves.

“I think a lot of people are doing stuff that they feel like other people want from them as opposed to being themselves,” said Bogart.

Grammy Camp “Basic Training” took place at USC’s Thornton School of Music. It was sponsored by Ford Motor Company Fund and the Starkey Hearing Foundation.

The Grammys are this Sunday on CBS. But there’s still time to pick your favorites on Pick-A-Side.

Who had the best album last year? What was the best song? Who was the best new artist? Grammys nominees and also-rans square off on Pick-A-Side. And you pick the winner.

And the Grammy goes to… Decide who should win the Grammy for all the top categories. Select a category below and get started…

The announcement comes on the heels of The Roots’ 7th Grammy nomination for Best Traditional R&B Performance for “Surrender” with Betty Wright.

With an audience packed full of musicians and talent from every area of the entertainment industry, The Roots Jam Session is a night where unique mash-ups and groundbreaking music is created. Past performers and attendees include Jay-Z, Norah Jones, Cee-Lo, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Slash, Black Eyed Peas, Fall Out Boy, Mos Def, Beyoncè, Queen Latifah, Bill Maher, Snoop Dog, Matisyahu, Anita Baker, Queens of the Stone Age, K’naan, Corinne Bailey Rae, John Mayer, Chelsea Handler, Travis Barker and Prince.

In addition to the performances, The Roots Jam Session is annually interwoven with themes of social awareness, partnering with top organizations dedicated to creating global change. The goal is to entertain but also to utilize the power of its high-profile attendees to make an impact and educate audiences outside of the Jam.

The Roots Jam Session has previously partnered with organizations from Save Darfur to Green Music Group. This year’s cause partner is United Roots, an organization that engages and empowers marginalized youth in a variety of socially innovative ways from arts and media training, career and workforce development, community engagement and wellness services by creating a safe and sustainable environment for youth to heal and grow.

Talent for the Jam will be announced in the upcoming days.

The Grammys are this Sunday on CBS. But there’s still time to pick your favorites on Pick-A-Side.

Who had the best album last year? What was the best song? Who was the best new artist? Grammys nominees and also-rans square off on Pick-A-Side. And you pick the winner.

And the Grammy goes to… Decide who should win the Grammy for all the top categories. Select a category below and get started…

Visit the GRAMMYs section at CBS Local.

The iconic 1960′s band is slated to perform with Foster the People and Maroon 5.

Also new to the performers list are the Civil Wars, Diana Krall, funk artist Maceo Parker and Joe Walsh. They join an already heavy-duty roster that includes Adele, Jason Aldean, Kelly Clarkson, Tony Bennett, Carrie Underwood, Chris Brown, Glen Campbell with the Band Perry and Blake Shelton, Coldplay, Rihanna, deadmau5, Foo Fighters, David Guetta, Alicia Keys, Bonnie Raitt, Lil Wayne, Bruno Mars, Paul McCartney, Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band and Taylor Swift.

Presenters will include Common, actor Taraji P. Henson, Reba McEntire, Diana Ross, Marc Anthony, Dierks Bentley, Jack Black, Drake, Fergie, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ryan Seacrest and Ringo Starr.

LL Cool J will host the Grammys, which air live Sunday on CBS.

Visit the GRAMMYs section at CBS Local.

The Grammys are this Sunday on CBS. But there’s still time to pick your favorites on Pick-A-Side.

Who had the best album last year? What was the best song? Who was the best new artist? Grammys nominees and also-rans square off on Pick-A-Side. And you pick the winner.

And the Grammy goes to… Decide who should win the Grammy for all the top categories. Select a category below and get started…

Visit the GRAMMYs section at CBS Local.

The pulse of Downtown LA is pretty fast paced and a good dose of Java usually helps keep in stride. Illy Espressamente sits in the lobby of the JW Marriott Hotel. With it’s sleek design of red, silver and white and authentic Italian style, Illy Espressamente offers light gastropub fare with emphasis on coffee and tea. Whether you get your caffeine on the fly or sip it leisurely in the cafe or outer hotel lobby to people watch, this is one place you don’t want to skip.

Related: Best coffee Boutiques in Los Angeles

(credit: bowlluckystrike.com)

This isn’t your parents’ bowling alley. Plush seating, cozy dining areas, posh VIP, surround sound, DJ’s and electronic art shows are just a few elements in the Lucky Strike Lanes & Lounge experience. And with items like grilled burgers, chicken pot pie and short ribs so tasty you might forget you’re there to bowl.

Relaxed, stylish setting, private dining and patio seating are only part of the charm for this authentic brand of true Mexican dining. The menu hosts an array of bold flavors and unique creations like empanadas de jaiba and chile ancho relleno that will keep you coming back for more. And if that’s not enough to get you in, there’s always their daily happy hour.

Move over Downtown Standard Hotel, Ion has arrived. Hip, swanky and the right amount of pretentious cool has transformed the fourth floor of The Marriott Hotel into one of LA’s coolest rooftop bars. Ion is the ultimate break from reality with its own unique skyline view and heated pool. Signature cocktails and appetizer menu are offered year round.

(credit: lawrysonline.com)

Looking for a little carnivorous indulgence before your team goes into battle? Then Lawry’s Carvery is where to head before a big game. Eight to 12 ounce prime rib platters, hand carved roast beef, turkey, chicken and of course prime rib sandwiches are all made to order and served hot and juicy, just the way they should be. But Lawry’s Carvery knows the players aren’t the only ones trying to beat the clock. All to-go orders are packed special so you can still eat it as hot as it would be if you ate it in the restaurant.

Related: Best sandwiches in Los Angeles

Kristine G. Bottone is a freelance writer living in Los Angeles. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.

He thinks he’s figured it out this year. For the first time, the Grammy show will put the spotlight on the genre with a segment featuring Grammy nominees Deadmau5, the Foo Fighters, Chris Brown, David Guetta and Lil Wayne, all performing in a tent space amid 1,000 fans.

“We decided to go all out this year,” Ehrlich said of the performance taking place outside the Staples Center, where Sunday’s ceremony will be held. “All we’re going to try and do next week is to try and put the home audience in the middle of it. … It is more than just sitting there and watching it.”

Dance music did not receive its own category until 2003 with the best dance recording/dance field, and the music had not been featured with its own segment in the show.

“I don’t know that I figured out a way to do it that felt right until now,” Ehrlich said in an interview Monday. “My feeling about dance is it’s such an immersive experience for the participant, that to put it on stage … where the audience is not a part of it … I don’t know, honestly, until we came up with the idea of doing it this way, I don’t know if it ever would have worked.”

Ehrlich calls the performance the “most ambitious number that we’ve ever done outside the Staples Center.” It will feature at least four cameras from audience level as Deadmau5 (pronounced dead mouse) and the Foo Fighters perform his remixed version of the band’s song “Rope,” which netted him one of his Grammy nominations, and as Brown and Lil Wayne perform with Guetta.

Ehrlich said the performance reflects the popularity of dance music over the past few years.

“As much as a recorded medium that it is, and the fact that it’s selling a lot of CDs and downloads, it’s really a live experience,” he said. “It is more than just sitting there and watching it.”

Other performers on the show include Adele, Bruce Springsteen, Chris Brown, Paul McCartney and Taylor Swift for what Ehrlich boasted would be a “pretty amazing show.”

“What I try and do when we’re building this show is to think about the audience first. … What can I do that’s going to keep an audience for 3 1/2 hours watching the Grammy Awards?” he said. “I do try and look for how broad I can make it and still assume that people are going to tune in and stay with it.”

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Photo Credit: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

East of the 405

Amoeba Music opens its doors to music lovers of all genres. The store stocks sounds from the top 40 to the best in underground rock and hip-hop, soul, electronica, new and classic jazz and world music.  Recently, the boutique highlighted 14-time Grammy-winner Chet Atkins Chet Picks On the Grammys.

Related: Best Jazz Clubs In Los Angeles

Debuting at the height of New Wave music in 1985 when Cyndi Lauper was crowned Best New Artist, Record Surplus is one of the largest sellers of used vinyl records and CDs on the West Coast.  Loyal customers swear by Record Surplus’ affordable prices, rare finds and “laid back vibe.” The extensive collection is restocked daily and covers rock, soul, jazz, big band, classical, opera, blues, oldies, rap, reggae, new age, gospel, country, folk, world music and 12-inch singles.

Beach Town

Touting itself as the “best kept secret record store” for hunters near Santa Monica and Venice Beach, Angel City Bookstore & Records has one of the largest collection of new and used vinyl LPs, classic rock, blues, jazz, country, soul, funk, pop, Elvis, Sinatra, movie soundtracks, Broadway shows and comedy. You might even be able to locate Grammy-nominees from the 1^st Annual Grammy Awards in 1959 when Van Cliburn, Tchaikovksy: Concerto No. 1 In B-Flat Minor, Op. 23 and Ella Fitzgerald, Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Irving Berlin Songbook topped the charts and ran away with Album of the Year.

Photo Credit: Thinkstock.com

Off the 101

CD Trader began as a hole-in-the-wall independent music and video store in 1995 and has been servicing music lovers for the last 10 years. CD Trader features classic rock Grammy-nominees and winners including Bob Dylan, the Beatles, the Byrds and the Doors.

Related: An Intimate Evening with Brian McKnight

Freakbeat Records store is filled with new and used vinyl from all musical genres. The shop features hundreds of collectible records lining the walls and ceiling beams and vinyl box sets from The Doors, Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead. Freakbeat Records’ $0.99 room is a Mecca for bargain hunters and restocked daily.

Worth the 20 minute drive

If you are looking for it, Penny Lane Records will help you find it. The record shop is known for its database of one-of-a-kinds and scouring the earth for the rare vinyl on your wish list. Penny Lane Records will let you know if a title is currently in print, locate it and will usually have it for you within one to five days.

Visit the GRAMMYs section at CBS Local.

Jennifer Geisman is a freelance writer and faithful beauty junkie living in Los Angeles. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.

Price: $12.95 adults; $11.95 students 18 years and older with valid ID and seniors; $10.95 youth (6-17 years) and military personnel; Children 5 years and under and members free

Tickets can be purchased at the Box Office or on Ticketmaster.com

(Photo by Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images)

Located in a tall and narrow structure facing Figueroa Street at LA Live in downtown Los Angeles, the Grammy Museum celebrates the legacies of all forms of music, the artists who have elevated each genre to the spotlight, and the history of the Grammy Awards.

As visitors enter the museum’s lobby, they are directed to an elevator that takes them to the fourth floor and into a colorful room equipped with large television screens displaying moments recorded during past Grammy Awards celebrations. Guests get a glimpse of the evolution of the Grammy Awards through glass boxes housing different versions of the statuettes–from its first version back in 1958 to the one music artists receive today.

(credit: Dena Burroughs)

The fourth floor opens up into a gallery filled with interactive presentations, artifacts, photographs, and films. The Crossroads table, for example, allows visitors to explore any genre of music and read about its history, the artists that best represent it, and other music genres that may be related to their choice. It is also on this floor that the special exhibit “Andrea Bocelli: The Story of a Voice” stands. This lovely display of Bocelli’s performing outfits, Braille machines, interviews, and photos is now in its final days, remaining at the museum until February 12.

A set of stairs leads to the third floor, which houses a permanent exhibit of the Latin Grammy Awards. The display includes a video of various performances recorded during awards ceremonies, multiple photographs, one of Celia Cruz’s shiniest dresses, and interactive congas and timbales set up with everything needed for guests to imagine themselves as a Latin music performer for a few minutes. It is also here that “the dress” that Jennifer Lopez wore to the 42nd Grammy Awards in 2000, that green-turquoise flowery gown with a V-neck that plunged to her belly button and gave her much media attention, is displayed.

The third floor also gives guests an opportunity to experience the advancements in technology since Edison’s 1877 phonograph. In a small room, choose one of four songs and hear it transform from what it would have sounded like on a phonograph to what it sounds like today, thanks to surround systems.

(credit: Dena Burroughs)

Until March 25, the second floor exhibits “George Harrison: Living in the Material World.” Through multiple photographs the gallery allows guests to see the famous Beatle in his young years and to appreciate the musical accomplishments of his life time. Framed on the wall are several songs in his handwriting and large and beautiful pictures taken during his years in India.

The journey through the Grammy Museum can comfortably last a couple of hours and could be extended much longer by watching every film, using every interactive aid, and reading every document available. It provides for a stimulating and thought provoking tour that will help us appreciate the power of music and how much it is involved in our daily living.

Visit the GRAMMYs section at CBS Local.

Related:  Kid Friendly Museums in Los Angeles

Dena Burroughs is a freelance writer living in Azusa, CA. She is a CSULA graduate with specialties in Creative Writing and Communications. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.

Katy Perry (Photo Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

The Live on Letterman concert series brings you electrifying performances from today’s hottest musical acts. Check out Katy Perry, Wilco, Taylor Swift, My Morning Jacket and other 2012 Grammy nominees, straight from the Ed Sullivan Theater to your computer.

Watch GRAMMY artist performances from CBS Radio studios.

Visit the GRAMMYs section at CBS Local.

Check Out Live On Letterman for additional exciting performances.

Mumford & Sons (Photo Credit: Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images)

These 2012 Grammy-nominated artists recently performed in our studios at CBS Radio. See (and hear) what all the buzz is about…

Watch GRAMMY artist performances from Live On Letterman.

Visit the GRAMMYs section at CBS Local.

Visit the GRAMMYs section at CBS Local.

The Boss joins a list of Grammy performers this year that includes Paul McCartney, Adele, Foo Fighters, Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, and Bruno Mars. The Grammys are known for high-profile collaborations and this year will see Coldplay with Rihanna; Glen Campbell and Blake Shelton together with The Band Perry; and Kelly Clarkson will duet with Jason Aldean.

Newly announced stars presenting Grammys this year include actor and recording artist Jack Black, six-time GRAMMY winner and current three-time nominee Fergie, three-time GRAMMY winner and current nominee Amir “?uestlove” Thompson of the Roots, and nine-time Grammy winner Ringo Starr. They join previously announced presenters Dierks Bentley, Drake, Miranda Lambert, and Gwyneth Paltrow.

LL Cool J will be hosting the Grammys for the first time. He’s been hosting The Grammy Nominations Concert since it started in 2008. He’ll be the first official host in seven years, replacing a system of rotating presenters acting as master of ceremonies. The Grammys will be shown live Sunday February 12th.

Check out some of the nominees in action to whet your appetite.

Visit the GRAMMYs section at CBS Local.

Perry joins previously announced performers and nominees, including Jason Aldean, Kelly Clarkson, the Foo Fighters, Bruno Mars, Nicki Minaj, Taylor Swift and Adele, who will perform for the first time since undergoing throat surgery in November of last year.

The Recording Academy announced last month that LL Cool J will host the awards show.

The show, which takes place live at the Staples Center, will air on CBS2 at 8 p.m.

Kanye West leads Grammy nominees with seven nods, while Adele, Bruno Mars, and the Foo Fighters each have six.

Visit the GRAMMYs section at CBS Local for complete coverage.

“I’m immensely proud to have been asked to perform at this year’s Grammy Awards,” Adele said. “It’s an absolute honor to be included in such a night, and for it to be my first performance in months is very exciting and of course nerve racking, but what a way to get back into it all.”

Adele was nominated for six Grammys this year: Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Short Form Music Video for “Rolling in the Deep;” Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album for 21: and Best Pop Solo Performance for “Someone Like You.”

The Grammy Awards takes place Sunday, Feb. 12 at Staples Center and will be aired live on CBS. The show will be hosted by rapper and actor LL Cool J.

Visit the GRAMMYs section at CBS Local for complete coverage.

Other artists hitting the GRAMMY stage include Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson, Foo Fighters, Bruno Mars, Nicki Minaj and Taylor Swift. Additional performers will also be announced soon.

Coldplay, Rihanna and Paul McCartney are all GRAMMY veterans. Coldplay and Paul McCartney last performed in 2009, while Rihanna performed just last year at the 2011 GRAMMY Awards.

Coldplay, seven-time GRAMMY winner, is up for three awards: Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “Paradise,” and Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song for “Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall.”

Four-time GRAMMY winner Rihanna has four nods: Album Of The Year and Best Pop Vocal Album for Loud and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for both “What’s My Name?” (with Drake) and “All Of The Lights” (with Kayne West, Kid Cudi and Fergie).

McCartney heads into the GRAMMYS with 14 GRAMMY awards under his belt. The 2012 MusiCares Person Of The Year is nominated for Best Historical Album for Band On The Run (Paul McCartney Archive Collection – Deluxe Edition).

The GRAMMYs will air Sunday, February 12 at 8 p.m. (EST/PST) on CBS. Two-time GRAMMY winner LL Cool J is this year’s host.

Visit the GRAMMYs section at CBS Local for complete coverage.

Photo Credit: Frazer Harrison/Staff

After LL’s breakthrough with rap-metal wunderkind Rubin, the duo hit hard again with the classic “Rock The Bells,” propelling Radio to Platinum. Two years later, he touched upon what would be his enduring trademark — the rap ballad. “I Need Love,” with LL rapping about true love and devotion (while serving up a healthy portion of his trademark abs), hit #1 on the Hot R&B charts and #14 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1990 he scored one of his biggest hits of all time with the fast-paced and furious “Mama Said Knock You Out” and won his first Grammy. His sexy video for “Doin’ It” not only made eating an apple sexy — it propelled the sales of Mr. Smith to double Platinum. After collaborating with a wide range of artists (including Jennifer Lopez, Busta Rhymes and Jamie Foxx), LL released his twelfth and final album for Def Jam in 2008: Exit 13.

LL Cool J has also shown himself a diverse entrepreneur. He may not have founded the popular FUBU fashion line, but he certainly gave it a huge boost with his endorsements. While appearing in FUBU jerseys during performances gave the company publicity, LL’s biggest coup for the company came in a Gap commercial. How? While rapping about Gap, he wore a FUBU hat and snuck in the FUBU tag line — “For Us, By Us.” In 2008 he finally started his own line: Todd Smith. It includes hoodies, T-shirts and jeans decorated with symbols from his own tattoos. He’s also written a fitness book, a children’s book and an autobiography.

Photo Credit: Sonja Flemming/CBS ©2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

LL may have focused his efforts on film and television more recently, but his acting interest isn’t a new hobby — his first appearance on screen coincided with his first song. Almost immediately after “I Can’t Live Without My Radio” debuted, LL Cool J scored a small cameo in the cult classic Krush Groove, performing his hit single and speaking just one line. Working in mostly bit parts, he eventually appeared in films like Toys, and had a cameo in The Adventures of Pete & Pete, before landing his own sitcom, In The House, with Kim Wayans and Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star Alfonso Ribeiro.

His career gained major legitimacy with meatier action roles in Deep Blue Sea and Any Given Sunday. Having starred in numerous action and comedy films since, LL Cool J has now taken his talents back to the little screen, playing Field Agent Sam Hanna on the CBS hit show NCIS: Los Angeles. But those who miss the rapper side of LL shouldn’t worry — while on the set in 2009, inspiration struck, and he penned some lyrics. The result was “No Crew Is Superior,” an NCIS-inspired rap showing the star having some fun in the booth again. Maybe hosting the Grammys will inspire something new from Cool James.

Tune in to CBS on Sunday, February 12 at 8/7 p.m. Central to see LL Cool J host The Grammys. And follow the festivities online at CBS Local.

Universal Republic Records and The Recording Academy have paired together to release the album. This will be the 18th edition of the best-selling collection. A portion of the proceeds from the album benefits the MusiCares Foundation and the GRAMMY Foundation – both of which were established by The Recording Academy.

MusiCares provides services and resources to musicians in need. Programs range from financial assistance to medical aid to senior housing, with a focus on bettering the musical community. The GRAMMY Foundation aims to further the understanding and appreciation of recorded music as a part of American culture. Its programs engage the industry and general public, spotlighting the importance of music in schools and the preservation of our rich heritage, among other issues.

This year’s GRAMMY Awards will take place on Sunday, February 12 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and air on CBS.

Visit the GRAMMYs section at CBS Local for complete coverage.

2012 GRAMMY Nominees Album Tracklist:

1. Adele: “Rolling In The Deep,” nominated for Record Of The Year and Album Of The Year.

2. Bruno Mars: “Grenade,” nominated for Record Of The Year and Album Of The Year.

3. Katy Perry: “Firework,” nominated for Record Of The Year.

4. Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera: “Moves Like Jagger,” nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

5. Nicki Minaj: “Super Bass,” nominated for Best New Artist.

6. Rihanna featuring Drake: “What’s My Name?” nominated for Album Of The Year.

7. J. Cole: “Work Out,” nominated for Best New Artist.

8. Lady Gaga: “You and I,” nominated for Album Of The Year.

9. Foster The People: “Pumped Up Kicks,” nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

10. Skrillex: “Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites,” nominated for Best New Artist.

11. Coldplay: “Paradise,” nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

12. Foo Fighters: “Walk,” nominated for Album Of The Year.

13. The Band Perry: “If I Die Young,” nominated for Best New Artist.

14. Mumford & Sons: “The Cave,” nominated for Record Of The Year.

15. Bon Iver: “Holocene,” nominated for Record Of The Year and Best New Artist.

16. Lady Antebellum: “Just A Kiss,” nominated for Best Country Album.

17. Taylor Swift: “Mean,” nominated for Best Country Album.

18. Blake Shelton: “Honey Bee,” nominated for Best Country Album.

19. Eric Church: “Drink In My Hand,” nominated for Best Country Album.

20. The Black Keys: “Dearest,” nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

21. Jason Aldean with Kelly Clarkson: “Don’t You Wanna Stay,” nominated for Best Country Album.

22. Tony Bennett and Amy Winehouse: “Body and Soul,” nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

The two-time Grammy winner and “NCIS: Los Angeles” star, who has hosted “The Grammy Nominations Concert Live!” since its inception in 2008, will be the first official host of the show in seven years.

“I’m thrilled to be part of Music’s Biggest Night,” he said. “I will always have fond memories of my first Grammy Awards and to now be hosting the Grammy show, in the company of so many other
incredible artists, is a dream come true. Great performances and great music — it’s gonna be a great night!”

The show, which takes place live at the Staples Center, will air on CBS2 at 8 p.m.

LL Cool J joins previously announced performers and current nominees Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson, Foo Fighters, Bruno Mars, Nicki Minaj, and Taylor Swift.

Kanye West leads Grammy nominees with seven nods, while Adele, Bruno Mars, and the Foo Fighters each have six.

Swift, Foo Fighters, Mars and Clarkson are all returning to the GRAMMY stage. Minaj and Aldean are both GRAMMY rookies, performing for the first time.

Swift, who’s already won four GRAMMYs, was nominated for three awards. She earned nods for Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Song for “Mean” and Best Country Album for Speak Now.

Leading the current performers in nominations are Foo Fighters and Mars, both with six nods. Foo Fighters, six-time GRAMMY winners, are nominated for Album Of The Year and Best Rock Album for Wasting Light; Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song for “Walk”; Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance for “White Limo” and Best Long Form Music Video for Foo Fighters: Back And Forth.

Mars, one-time GRAMMY winner, is up for Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year and Best Pop Solo Performance for “Grenade”; Album Of The Year and Best Pop Vocal Album for Doo-Wops & Hooligans and Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical.

Minaj is up for four nominations: Best New Artist, Best Rap Performance for “Moment 4 Life,” Best Rap Album for Pink Friday and Album Of The Year.

Aldean earned three nods, and is nominated for Best Country Solo Performance for “Dirt Road Anthem,” Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “Don’t You Wanna Stay” and Best Country Album for My Kinda Party.

Two-time GRAMMY winner Clarkson is up for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “Don’t You Wanna Stay” with Jason Aldean.

Any additional performers, presenters and special segments will be announced soon. Follow updates about The GRAMMYs at CBS Local.

The GRAMMY Camp, put on by the GRAMMY Foundation, will begin its eighth year in Los Angeles, its first year in Nashville and its second year in New Year in the summer of 2012.

“We are extremely excited to bring GRAMMY Camp to three dynamic music markets in the summer of 2012, and provide this valuable experience to the next generation of music makers,” said Neil Portnow, President and CEO of the Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Foundation. “GRAMMYCamp is one of our most immersive programs in terms of exposing young people to what it’s like to have an actual working career in the music business, and the opportunity to receive instruction directly from GRAMMY-winning artists and industry professionals instills knowledge, confidence and lasting lessons on GRAMMY campers.”

Los Angeles’ GRAMMY Camp provides high school students the opportunity to learn all aspects of commercial music from industry professionals. Students are immersed in a creative environment primarily at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music for 10 days – from July 14 to July 23. The six career tracks offered are Audio Engineering, Concert Promotion/Production, Electronic Music Production, Music Journalism, Songwriting and Performance.

Nashville’s GRAMMY Camp launches June 17, and will last for eight days. The camp will be held at Black River Entertainment in Nashville’s music row. High schoolers will be given real-world, hands-on opportunities to look at an artist’s creative process. A launch party is the camp’s culmination of a week’s work.

“GRAMMY Camp is a residential, deeply interactive and collaborative experience that draws on the music industry riches of its respective host cities. We’re happy that we’ll have a home in Nashville next summer, and frankly see few boundaries in where we can go in the future,” said Kristen Madsen, Sr. Vice President of the GRAMMY Foundation.

New York’s GRAMMY Camp begins its second year by Converse Rubber Tracks in Brooklyn. The camp’s focus is similar to the Nashville camp’s – to highlight the creative process from start to finish in real-world situations. The New York camp runs from August 6 to August 13.

High school students can apply at www.grammyintheschools.com; the deadline is March 31, 2012. Students can apply to camps at all three locations, and a discount is provided for students attending multiple sessions. For students looking for financial aid, about 75 percent of GRAMMY camp participants who have applied for financial aid receive assistance. Applications for paid counselor positions are also available at www.grammyintheschools.com for people aged 21-25.

Jobs, who died Oct. 5 of pancreatic cancer, will be honored with a Trustees Award for helping create products “that transformed the way we consume music, TV, movies and books,” according to The Recording Academy.

Bandleader and composer Dave Bartholomew and recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder will also receive Trustees Awards.

All of the honors will be presented during an invitation-only ceremony Feb. 11, and recipients will be recognized during the Grammy Awards ceremony the next night.

Along with the Allman Brothers, Campbell and Ross, Lifetime Achievement Awards will be presented to pianist/singer/guitarist Antonio Carlos Jobim (“The Girl from Ipanema”); trumpeter Wayne Jackson and saxophonist Andrew Love of the Memphis Horns; country legend George Jones; and the late Gil Scott-Heron, whose fusion of jazz, blues and spoken word influenced the creation of the rap genre.

Meanwhile, Grammy Technical Awards will be presented to the German sound-technology firm Celemony and the late audio engineer Roger Nichols, who worked with artists including Ross, Placido Domingo, James Taylor and Stevie Wonder.

(©2011 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

SPOILER ALERT: Grammy Winners Revealed Below

Adele (Photo Credit Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

Winners Announced Before Broadcast:

Best Pop Performance By Duo/Group: “Body and Soul” – Tony Bennett/Amy Winehouse

Best Pop Instrumental Album: The Road From Memphis – Booker T. Jones

Best Pop Vocal Album: 21 – Adele

Best Dance Recording: Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites – Skrillex

Best Dance/Electronic Album: Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites – Skrillex

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: Duets II – Tony Bennett

Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance: “White Limo” – Foo Fighters

Best Rock Song: “Walk” – Foo Fighters

Best Rock Album: Wasting Light – Foo Fighters

Best Alternative Music Album: Bon Iver – Bon Iver

Best R&B Performance: “Is This Love” – Corinne Bailey Rae

Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance: “Fool For You” – Melanie Fiona/Cee-Lo

Best R&B Song: “Fool For You” – Melanie Fiona/Cee-Lo

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration: “All Of The Lights” – Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi & Fergie

Best Rap Song: “All Of The Lights” – Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi & Fergie

Best Rap Album: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy – Kanye West

Best Country Solo Performance: “Mean” – Taylor Swift

Best Country Duo/Group Performance: “Barton Hollow” – The Civil Wars

Best Country Song: “Mean” – Taylor Swift

Best New Age Album: What’s It All About - Pat Metheny

Best Improvised Jazz Solo: “500 Miles High” – Chick Corea

Best Jazz Vocal Album: The Mosaic Project – Terri Lyne Carrington

Best Jazz Instrumental Album: Forever – Corea, Clarke & White

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album: The Good Feeling – Christian McBride Big Band

Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Performance: “Jesus” – L’Andria Johnson

Best Gospel Song: “Hello Fear” – Kirk Franklin

Best Contemporary Christian Music Song: “Blessings” – Laura Story

Best Gospel Album: Hello Fear – Kirk Franklin

Best Contemporary Christian Music Album: And If Our God Is For Us… – Chris Tomlin

Best Latin Pop, Rock, Or Urban Album: Drama Y Luz – Maná

Best Regional Mexican Or Tejano Album: Bicentenario – Pepe Aguilar

Best Banda Or Norteño Album: Los Tigres Del Norte And Friends – Los Tigres Del Norte

Best Tropical Latin Album: The Last Mambo – Cachao

Best Americana Album: Ramble at the Ryman – Levon Helm

Best Bluegrass Album: Paper Airplane – Alison Krauss & Union Station

Best Blues Album: Revelator – Tedeschi Trucks Band

Best Folk Album: Barton Hollow – The Civil Wars

Best Regional Roots Music Album: Rebirth Of New Orleans – Rebirth Brass Band

Best Reggae Album: Revelation Pt. 1: The Root of Life – Stephen Marley

Best World Music Album: Tassili – Tinariwen

Best Children’s Album: All About Bullies… Big and Small – Various Artists

Best Spoken Word Album: If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won’t) – Betty White

Best Comedy Album: Hilarious – Louis C.K.

Best Musical Theater Album: The Book Of Mormon

Best Compilation Soundtrack Album For Visual Media: Boardwalk Empire – Various Artists

Best Score Soundtrack Album For Visual Media: The King’s Speech – Alexandre Desplat

Best Song Written For Visual Media: “I See the Light” – Alan Menken & Glenn Slater

Best Instrumental Composition: “Life In Eleven” – Béla Fleck & Howard Levy

Best Instrumental Arrangement: “Rhapsody In Blue” – Gordon Goodwin

Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalists: “Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)” – Jorge Calandrelli

Best Recording Package: Scenes From The Suburbs – Caroline Robert, art director (Arcade Fire)

Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package: The Promise: The Darkness On The Edge Of Town Story – Dave Bett & Michelle Holme, art directors (Bruce Springsteen)

Best Album Notes: Hear Me Howling!: Blues, Ballads & Beyond As Recorded By The San Francisco Bay By Chris Strachwitz In The 1960s – Adam Machado, album notes writer (Various Artists)

Best Historical Album: Band on the Run (Paul McCartney Archive Collection – Deluxe Edition) – Paul McCartney

Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical: Paper Airplane – Neal Cappellino & Mike Shipley, engineers; Brad Blackwood, mastering engineer (Alison Krauss & Union Station)

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical: Paul Epworth

Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical: “Cinema (Skrillex remix)” – Sonny Moore

Best Surround Sound Album: Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs (Super Deluxe Edition) – Elliot Scheiner, surround mix engineer; Bob Ludwig, surround mastering engineer; Bill Levenson & Elliot Scheiner, surround producers (Derek & The Dominos)

Best Engineered Album, Classical: Aldridge: Elmer Gantry – Byeong-Joon Hwang & John Newton, engineers; Jesse Lewis, mastering engineer (William Boggs, Keith Phares, Patricia Risley, Vale Rideout, Frank Kelley, Heather Buck, Florentine Opera Chorus & Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra)

Producer of the Year, Classical: Judith Sherman

Best Orchestral Performance: “Brahms: Symphony No. 4″ – Gustavo Dudamel

Best Opera Recording: “Adams: Doctor Atomic” – Alan Gilbert, conductor

Best Choral Performance: “Light & Gold” – Eric Whitacre

Best Small Ensemble Performance: Mackey: “Lonely Motel – Music From Slide” – Rinde Eckert & Steven Mackey; Eighth Blackbird

Best Classical Instrumental Solo: Schwantner: Concerto For Percussion & Orchestra – Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor

Best Classical Vocal Solo: “Diva Divo” – Joyce DiDonato

Best Classical Contemporary Composition: “Elmer Gantry” – Robert Aldridge & Herschel Garfein

Best Short Form Music Video: “Rolling In The Deep” – Adele

Best Long Form Music Video: Foo Fighters: Back And Forth – Foo Fighters

Nominees

Record Of The Year

Rolling In The Deep
Adele
Track from: 21
[XL Recordings/Columbia Records]

Holocene
Bon Iver
Track from: Bon Iver
[Jagjaguwar]

Grenade
Bruno Mars
Track from: Doo-Wops & Hooligans
[Elektra]

The Cave
Mumford & Sons
Track from: Sigh No More
[Glassnote Records]

Firework
Katy Perry
Track from: Teenage Dream
[Capitol]

Lady Gaga (Photo Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Album Of The Year

21
Adele
[XL Recordings/Columbia Records]

Wasting Light
Foo Fighters
[RCA Records/Roswell Records]

Born This Way
Lady Gaga
[Streamline/Interscope/
Kon Live]

Doo-Wops & Hooligans
Bruno Mars
[Elektra]

Loud
Rihanna
[Def Jam]

Song Of The Year

All Of The Lights
Jeff Bhasker, Stacy Ferguson, Malik Jones, Warren Trotter & Kanye West, songwriters (Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi & Fergie)
Track from: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
[Roc-A-Fella]

The Cave
Ted Dwane, Ben Lovett, Marcus Mumford & Country Winston, songwriters (Mumford & Sons)
Track from: Sigh No More
[Glassnote Records]

Grenade
Brody Brown, Claude Kelly, Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine, Bruno Mars & Andrew Wyatt, songwriters (Bruno Mars)
Track from: Doo-Wops & Hooligans
[Elektra]

Holocene
Justin Vernon, songwriter (Bon Iver)
Track from: Bon Iver
[Jagjaguwar]

Rolling In The Deep
Adele Adkins & Paul Epworth, songwriters (Adele)
Track from: 21
[XL Recordings/Columbia Records]

The Band Perry (Photo Credit: Valerie Macon/AFP/Getty Images)

Best New Artist

The Band Perry

Bon Iver

J. Cole

Nicki Minaj

Skrillex

Best Pop Solo Performance

Someone Like You
Adele
Track from: 21
[XL Recordings/Columbia Records]

Yoü And I
Lady Gaga
Track from: Born This Way
[Streamline/Interscope/Kon Live]

Grenade
Bruno Mars
Track from: Doo-Wops & Hooligans
[Elektra]

Firework
Katy Perry
Track from: Teenage Dream
[Capitol]

F***in’ Perfect
Pink
Track from: Greatest Hits… So Far!!!
[Jive Records]

Coldplay (Photo Credit: Alexander Klein/AFP/Getty Images)

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

Body And Soul
Tony Bennett & Amy Winehouse
Track from: Duets II
[Columbia Records]

Dearest
The Black Keys
Track from: Rave On Buddy Holly
[Fantasy]

Paradise
Coldplay
Track from: Mylo Xyloto
[Capitol Records]

Pumped Up Kicks
Foster The People
Track from: Torches
[Star Time Intl./Columbia]

Moves Like Jagger
Maroon 5 & Christina Aguilera
Track from: Hands All Over
[A&M/Octone Records]

Best Pop Instrumental Album

Wish Upon A Star
Jenny Oaks Baker
[Shadow Mountain Records]

E Kahe Malie
Daniel Ho
[Daniel Ho Creations]

The Road From Memphis
Booker T. Jones
[Anti Records]

Hello Tomorrow
Dave Koz
[Concord Records]

Setzer Goes Instru-Mental!
Brian Setzer
[Surfdog Records]

Bruno Mars (Photo Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Best Pop Vocal Album

21
Adele
[XL Recordings/Columbia Records]

The Lady Killer
Cee Lo Green
[Radiculture/Elektra]

Born This Way
Lady Gaga
[Streamline/Interscope/Kon Live]

Doo-Wops & Hooligans
Bruno Mars
[Elektra]

Loud
Rihanna
[Def Jam]

Best Dance Recording

Raise Your Weapon
Deadmau5 & Greta Svabo Bech
Track from: 4×4=12
[Ultra Records]

Barbra Streisand
Duck Sauce
[Downtown Records]

Sunshine
David Guetta & Avicii
Track from: Nothing But The Beat
[Virgin]

Call Your Girlfriend
Robyn
Track from: Body Talk Pt. 3
[Interscope Records]

Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites
Skrillex
Track from: Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites
[Big Beat/Atlantic]

Save The World
Swedish House Mafia
[Astralwerks]

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — The Recording Academy announced nominations Wednesday night for the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards, which airs Feb. 12 on CBS. The awards show will be broadcast from The Staples Center in downtown L.A.

Kanye West led the pack in total nominations with seven, followed closely by Adele, Foo Fighters, and Bruno Mars, each earning six nods. Lil Wayne and Skrillex are each nominated for five awards.

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CBS presented a one-hour special, “GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live!!,” which aired live to the east coast Wednesday from the Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE.

Performers  included Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Jason Aldean, Lupe Fiasco, Sugarland, The Band Perry, Common, Grandmaster Flash and Ludacris.

The taped show will air at 10 p.m. Wednesday night on CBS2.

The nominations concert special marked the fourth time nominations for the annual GRAMMY Awards were announced live on primetime television.

Nominees in the general field categories are:

Record Of The Year

• “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele
• “Grenade” by Bruno Mars
• “Holocene” by Bon Iver
• “The Cave” by Mumford & Sons
• “Firework” by Katy Perry

Song Of The Year

• “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele
• “Grenade” by Bruno Mars
• “Holocene” by Bon Iver
• “The Cave” by Mumford & Sons
• “All of the Lights” by Kanye West

Best New Artist

• Bon Iver
• Nicki Minaj
• J. Cole
• The Band Perry
• Skrillex

Album Of The Year

• “21″ by Adele
• “Wasting Light” by the Foo Fighters
• “Born this Way” by Lady Gaga
• “Doo-Wops & Hooligans” by Bruno Mars
• “Loud” by Rihanna

The late Amy Winehouse garnered a nomination for pop duo/group performance for her duet with Tony Bennett, “Body and Soul.” Also nominated were “Dearest” by the Black Keys, “Paradise” by Coldplay, “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster the People, and “Moves Like Jagger” by Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera.

Among Kanye West’s nominations was a nod for best rap/sung collaboration for “All of the Lights,” with Rihanna, Kid Cudi, and Fergie. Other nominees in the category were “Party” by Beyonce and Andre 3000; “I’m On One” by DJ Kahled, Drake, Rick Ross, and Lil Wayne; “I Need a Doctor” by Dr. Dre, Eminem, and Skylar Grey; “What’s My Name?” by Rihanna and Drake; and “Motivation” by Kelly Rowland and Lil Wayne.

Country music sensation Taylor Swift earned a nomination for best country solo performance for “Mean.” She will be vying against Jason Aldean for “Dirt Road Anthem,” Martina McBride for “I’m Gonna Love You Through It,” Blake Shelton for “Honey Bee,” and Carrie Underwood for “Mama’s Song.”

The number of Grammy categories was cut from 109 last year to 78 this year, as The Recording Academy looks to streamline the awards show.

For a complete list of nominees, visit GRAMMY online.

(©2011 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Music’s biggest stars will soon know who will be competing at the 2012 Grammy Awards.

Several performers are busy rehearsing for Wednesday night’s Grammy nomination concert at the Nokia Theater.

LL Cool J will host the show, which will feature performances by Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Sugarland and others.

Be sure to watch the show at 10 p.m. on CBS2.

credit: Wendi Kaminski/Getty Images

Staples Center, the arena that revived Downtown Los Angeles, opened its doors in October of 1999 and has attracted more than 4 million visitors each year. It is the home to the Los Angeles Lakers, Clippers, Sparks, Kings, D-Fenders and the Pac-10 men’s basketball tournament. It has also played host to many special events, such as the 2000 Democratic National Convention and the memorial service of late pop singer Michael Jackson.

credit: www.staplescenter.com

Getting There

Staples Center is located at 1111 S. Figueroa Street in downtown Los Angeles. The arena’s location is accessible from many freeways.

From Los Angeles International Airport:
Take 105E to 110N
Exit Pico Blvd./10W and take the Pico Blvd. off ramp on the left
Continue on Cherry Street and turn right at Chick Hearn Ct.

From Santa Monica, West Los Angeles:
Take 10E (towards downtown Los Angeles)
Exit Hoover St. Make a left from off ramp.
Continue on Hoover and bear right at Alvarado St.
Turn right at Olympic Blvd.
Turn right at Georgia St.

From San Fernando Valley:
Take 101S to 110S
Exit Olympic Blvd. and turn right at end of ramp (Blaine St.)
Turn right on Olympic Blvd.
Continue on Olympic Blvd. and turn right at Francisco St.

From San Bernardino:
Take 10W (towards Los Angeles)
Take 110N and exit Pico Blvd.
Continue North past Pico Blvd. (on Cherry St.) to 11th St. and
Turn right

From Orange County, San Diego:
405N to 110N
Exit Pico Blvd./10W and take the Pico Blvd. off ramp on the left
Continue on Cherry Street and turn right at Chick Hearn Ct.

Parking

There are 3,300 parking spaces at Staples Center and over 16,000 spaces available within a seven to ten minute walk to the arena. Rates can vary depending on the event. Typically, Lakers games will cost the most, $25 close to the arena, but that price certainly could go higher.

TIP: Cheap/Free parking? Metered parking can be found on Blaine Street, and on Sunday’s, park for free. Spaces are limited and you must get there early. (Heading East on Olympic from Alvarado, make a left on Blaine.)

credit: David McNew/Getty Images

Public Transportation
This is by far the easiest way to get to Staples Center. Wherever you’re coming from in Southern California, you can avoid the parking rates and take the Blue Line to the arena. From the Red Line get off at 7th/Metro and catch the Blue Line. It’s the first stop and about a 5-minute walk to the arena.

credit: Amanda Edwards/Getty Images

Food Options

L.A. Live
Make it a night with a walk through L.A. Live and enjoy the many restaurants located within walking distance from the Staples Center.

For a list of places to eat in the area check out Eat L.A. Live

credit: www.pantrycafe.com

The Original Pantry Cafe:
Since 1924 they’ve never closed and never been without a customer, the cash only icon of Los Angeles serves up greasy meals and is owned by former mayor Richard Riordan.

For more info check out their site www.PantryCafe.com

credit: www.sbe.com

credit: Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty

credit: Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Suite Level

American Express Platinum Lounge:
Suite level “B”, is exclusive to AMEX Platinum cardholders and up to 3 guests.
For more info visit American Express Platinum Lounge

San Manuel Club:
Luxury and platinum seat holders can enjoy this exclusive restaurant and bar with great visibility to the arena bowl.
For more info visit San Manuel Club. For reservations call 213-742-7450

Lexus Club
Membership only: Located on Suite Level A, serves as a retreat from the busy arena and gives a spectacular view of the nearby L.A. Live from the patio.
For more info visit Lexus Club. For membership questions call 213-742-7480.

Hyde Lounge:
Open before, during and LONG after events, the SBE and AEG, have developed a lounge with bottle service, 3 bars, a dance hall, and private “Great Room”.
For more info visit Hyde Lounge. For table reservations email hydestaplestables@sbe.com

Team L.A.
The largest selection of officially licensed merchandise from the Lakers, Clippers, Kings, Dodgers, Galaxy and Sparks can be found on the concourse at the Team LA store.

Proudly on display outside the doors of the arena are four statues of some famous Los Angeles sports icons: Wayne Gretzky, Magic Johnson, Oscar de la Hoya and Chick Hearn.

credit: www.staplescenter.com

Seating

Like most modern arenas, it’s hard to find a bad seat inside Staples Center. You can see the view from your tickets using their online seat viewer.

credit: Noah Graham/Getty Images

credit: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

In game entertainment:

Laker Girls/Clippers Spirit
When the game action takes a break, that’s when the dance teams go to work. Staples Center is where the world famous Laker Girls and Clippers Spirit perform.

Ice Girls
During Kings games, watch beautiful women skate across the ice cleaning the excess snow during play stoppages.