Sly at the Grammys - Dance To The Music

[RonJonSurfer]

Funk pioneer Sly Stone could steal show at Grammys By Dean Goodman

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The biggest mystery at Wednesday night's Grammy Awards has nothing to do with how many of music's top prizes leading nominees Mariah Carey, Kanye West and John Legend will take home.

Rather, everyone is wondering whether reclusive funk music pioneer Sly Stone will make his first major public appearance in almost 13 years at the event.

Grammy organizers have invited the 61-year-old to attend the Staples Center ceremony, which will feature an all-star tribute to his band Sly and the Family Stone, purveyors of such hits as "Dance to the Music" and "Everyday People."

Stone, whose real name is Sylvester Stewart, last made a big splash in 1993, when he showed up briefly for the band's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Los Angeles. Dressed in a blue jumpsuit, he muttered "see ya soon," and quickly disappeared into the night. Since then, his only reported appearance was at a Los Angeles club last August for a tribute performed by blind musicians.

"I would expect him to be there," Recording Academy vice chairman Jimmy Jam told Reuters. "That's just my gut feeling."

And that's about the best organizers can hope for until the three-and-a-half-hour televised show begins at 8 p.m. EST (1 a.m. GMT).

Stone did appear at a Monday Grammys rehearsal, according to the Los Angeles Times. But the paper said he was late, dressed oddly in a hood, plastic camouflage slicker and pants and played only two of three run-throughs of a song. He disappeared for the third and had to be replaced on keyboards by a crew member.

Although Sly and the Family Stone were hugely influential practitioners of a pop-rock-funk hybrid that crossed racial barriers during their brief heyday in the late '60s-early '70s, Stone has not been able to bask in the glory. By the middle of the decade, as disco was catching on, he was plagued by drug problems and arrests. He was jailed at least twice in the '80s for cocaine possession. Various comebacks never led to much.

MADONNA OPENING SHOW

The "awards" part of the Grammys will actually be a very small part of the broadcast. Producers estimate about three-quarters of the running time will feature performances.

In addition to the Sly and the Family Stone tribute, featuring such performers as Aerosmith principals Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, and young English soul singer Joss Stone, there will be special musical segments devoted to the devastated city of New Orleans, and late soul singer Wilson Pickett.

The broadcast will begin with a technologically challenging collaboration between Madonna and the British cartoon band Gorillaz, who are nominated for record of the year. Another unusual pairing will see five-time nominees U2 join forces with R&B singer Mary J. Blige. And three-time nominee Paul McCartney will play the Grammys for the first time in his career.

The Grammys bestow prizes in 108 categories, and all but a dozen will be given out in a fast-paced two hour ceremony beginning at 4:30 p.m. EST. By the time the non-televised event ends, it could be fairly clear who the big winners and losers will be overall.

Jimmy Jam, a Grammy-nominated producer of the year, predicted the awards would be spread evenly. Carey, Legend and West each have eight nominations. Rapper 50 Cent, R&B singer Beyonce Knowles, funk musician William Adams of the Black Eyed Peas and Motown icon Stevie Wonder each have five.

Flying the flag for rock 'n' roll are U2 and Bruce Springsteen, who have five each, along with rapper Missy Elliott, R&B singer Alicia Keys and pop singer Gwen Stefani.