M.I.A., Stevie Wonder, Bo Diddley Tribute Added to Grammys Performers
The Grammys have added yet another batch of new performers for this Sunday’s ceremony, recruiting M.I.A., Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, MusiCares Person of the Year Neil Diamond, Terence Blanchard, Robin Thicke and Allen Toussaint. Plus, there will be an all-star tribute to Bo Diddley featuring B.B. King, Buddy Guy, John Mayer and Keith Urban. The announcement was made via the Grammys’ Twitter. Since the ceremony will air live February 8th, the Grammys only have three more days to announce additional performers.
In case you haven’t been keeping track, this is the jaw-dropping list of artists that will be performing at the Staples Center this year: Radiohead, Coldplay, U2, Paul McCartney with Dave Grohl, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Lil Wayne, Kanye West, T.I., Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, Kid Rock, Jonas Brothers, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson, Katy Perry, Kenny Chesney, Rihanna, Estelle, Taylor Swift, Chris Brown, Adele, Sugarland and a Four Tops tribute with Ne-Yo, Jamie Foxx and Duke Fakir. Phew. Our cable box says this ceremony is only supposed to run three-and-a-half hours, but if this thing goes eight-plus hours, that’s fine by us. After all, they are supposed to be also handing out awards at some point.
“Tentative” isn’t even the word to describe the very-pregnant M.I.A.’s planned performance: The estimated due date for the Kala rapper’s first child is February 8th, the night of the Grammys. The baby could pop out today, this week, during the ceremony at any moment. So if you’re tuning in just to watch M.I.A.’s performance of “Paper Planes” — and maybe the “No one on the corner” hook for the “Swagga Like Us” all-star jam featuring Kayne, Jay-Z and T.I. — there’s a coin’s flip chance M.I.A. won’t perform at all.
Rock Daily will be all over the Grammys this weekend, on the red carpet, backstage with the winners and at the star-studded afterparties. Before this epic ceremony takes place, make sure to check out our Grammy Faceoff ’09, with a celebrity panel of experts predicting who they think will go home with the night’s biggest awards. Plus, follow all the action over at our Grammys hub.