The Grammy Awards Pt. 3

Even the ticket to get into the Grammy Awards is special. It's large and formal and a collector's item in itself. It lets you know well ahead of time that you're in for a special night. And that's what the 50th Annual Grammy Awards was from my view inside the Staples Center.

It was like going to 20 of my favorite concerts in one night.

How they can book, coordinate, mix, light, and pace a show like what I just saw is beyond me. I know a lot of work went into rehearsals because we could hear them through the walls as I broadcast from inside the Staples Center on Thursday and Friday. Carrie Underwood must've practiced "Before He Cheats" at least 10 times. Kanye also put in significant time for run-throughs. But still, I've been to concerts with one act where they didn't get the sound right. The Grammys crew had 3 1/2 hours of the biggest names in music to set up, and they nailed it without exception.

At the end of each commercial break a voice would calmly remind the crowd of mingling nominees to find their seats as we were getting ready to go live on CBS. His tone was that of somebody's Dad in his study telling his kids in the family room that Mom was on her way home with dinner. This is the guy in charge of merging 17,000 people in the hall with 17 million viewers around the country yet he sounded like he was cozied up in a recliner reading the newspaper. It was my first Grammys, but I'm guessing it wasn't his.

On my big fat Grammy ticket it said "Black Tie," but I thought I could get away with a black sportcoat, dark shirt and jeans. When I saw most of the people entering the hall with me dressed in tuxes and long gowns, I became a little worried. But once inside I had to laugh when these same formally-dressed folks stood in the same concessions line as me to get hot dogs, pretzels and cheese nachos. And as is usual at these kind of events, it was a cleaveage convention. As a boy you're taught not to stare directly at the sun, as a man you do your best not to stare at other things. In both cases, sunglasses help a lot.

Highlights of the Grammys for me were The Time singing "Jungle Love", Tina Turner with Beyonce, Ringo and The Beatles' producer George Martin, and Aretha fronting an amazing gospel choir. Even the ones that make TV producers nervous, Amy Winehouse and Kanye, were show-stopping impressive. Kanye was savy enough to self-edit his lyrics before the censors had to. He vocally clipped the naughty words without missing a beat.

It's one thing to listen to my favorite songs in the car, it's another thing to have my whole musical history tour performed right in front of me at The Grammys. I know they didn't know I was coming, but it sure felt like they did.