Aguilera, who fumbled recently while singing the national anthem at the Super Bowl, slipped and nearly fell at the end of a tribute to Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin.
The ceremony Sunday night included other highlights as well.
Millions of television screens reverted to black and white for a few minutes during a performance by Bruno Mars.
It was a section of the show that emphasized the connections current popular music has to the past, on a night where several music legends teamed with new stars, including Barbra Streisand, Mick Jagger and Dylan.
But it was an independent rock band from Canada, Arcade Fire, that
took the night's biggest prize, the album of the year Grammy. The band
seemed surprised when it won the award -- one member's first words on
stage were "What the hell?"
Mars sang his hit "Grenade," a performance that echoed back to the 1950s and Sam Cooke, or the 1960s and Otis Redding.
Janelle
Monae followed with a futuristic soul performance of her song "Cold
War," which brought the Staples Center crowd to its feet for a long
standing ovation.
Rihanna made a triumphant return to the Grammys, two years after she
canceled her performance hours after she was beaten by then-boyfriend
Chris Brown.
Rihanna teamed with rapper Eminem to perform their "Love the Way You Lie," a record of the year contender.
Joining the duo on stage were Skylar Grey and Dr. Dre. It was Dre's first live television performance in more than a decade.
Eminem
was later handed a Grammy for best rap album for "Recovery," the best
selling CD of 2010. It was his second Grammy for the day, counting one
awarded during the pre-telecast show for best rap solo.
Rihanna,
who appeared to have recovered from her bout with the flu, also
delivered a steamy rendition of her hit "What's My Name" with best new
artist nominee Drake.
Lady Antebellum took home five Grammys,
including for song of the year, record of the year and best country
album for "Need You Now." The group also got two Grammys in the
pre-telecast show.
Jazz bassist and singer Esperanza Spalding beat out Drake and Justin Bieber to win the best new artist award.
The show opened with a "get-well card" to Franklin, who is recovering from an undisclosed illness.
Yolanda
Adams, Aguilera, Jennifer Hudson, Martina McBride and best new artist
nominee Florence Welch sang a soulful montage of Franklin's hits,
including "A Natural Woman," "Ain't No Way," "Knock On Your Door,"
"Think," "Baby I Love You" and "Respect."
Franklin did not attend, but instead a video message was played.
"I
especially want to thank all of you who took the time to send me get
well cards and flowers, beautiful flowers, and most importantly your
prayers during my time of hospitalization," Franklin said. "I wish I
could have been with you tonight," Franklin said. "But next year, OK?"
The
star power from the past included Streisand, who sang her 1976 Grammy
and Oscar winning song, "Evergreen." It was the theme song for "A Star
Is Born," the film in which she starred with
Kris Kristofferson, who
introduced Streisand.
Mick Jagger paid tribute to songwriter
Solomon Burke, who died last October, by singing Burke's "Everybody
Needs Somebody to Love." The Rolling Stones covered the song on a 1965
album.
Dylan sang and played his harmonica with best new artist
nominee Mumford and Sons, and rising roots rockers, the Avett Brothers,
in a salute to the comeback of acoustical music.
A musical tribute to country legend Dolly Parton featured Nora Jones, Keith Urban and John Mayer singing her song "Jolene."
Lady
Gaga popped out of a giant egg on stage at the start of her performance
of "Born This Way," a song with a message about gay and lesbian rights.
Gaga, who wore a raw meat dress on another red carpet last year, arrived inside the egg for the Grammys.
Gaga was "incubating," her creative director Lauri Ann Gibson said.
"It
was necessary to incubate her for a certain time, because tonight she
is actually birthing a new race," Gibson said. "A new race that doesn't
have the ability to judge or hate in their DNA, so she is incubating
right now so she goes through that process."
Gaga, whose "Bad
Romance" won her two Grammys during the pre-telecast show, was given the
best pop vocal album Grammy during the telecast for "The Fame Monster."
British alternative rock band Muse won the best rock album Grammy for "The Resistance."
Miranda Lambert won her first Grammy, taking home the best female country vocal award for her song "The House That Built Me."
"Thank you, and I love country music," Lambert said.
Train won the first Grammy handed out on the telecast. It was for best pop duo or group performance with vocals.
"Thanks, Justin Bieber, for not being in a duo or a group," Train lead singer Patrick Monahan said.
A
mini-tribute to the four-year career of the 16-year-old pop sensation
included video of an even younger Bieber auditioning for his eventual
mentor, Usher. Bieber sang a montage of three songs with Usher and actor
Jaden Smith, the 12-year-old son of actors Will Smith and Jada Pinkett
Smith.
Cee Lo revamped his hit "F-k You" into "Forget You" so he
could perform the record of the year contender on the broadcast. He was
accompanied by Jim Henson's Muppets and Gwyneth Paltrow. It was a
colorful performance, strikingly reminiscent of Elton John's guest
appearance on the Muppets.
With 98 of the 109 awards presented
pre-telecast, producers had plenty of time for entertainment during the 3
1/2-hour live show on CBS.
Jeff Beck, Legend and Jay-Z each won
three Grammys in the pre-telecast presentations, while BeBe & CeCe
Winans, the "Crazy Heart" soundtrack and Usher gained two trophies.
Jazz
legend Herbie Hancock added two Grammys to his extensive collection,
one for improvised jazz solo and one for best pop collaboration with
vocals. With 14 of the trophies on his shelf, Hancock said winning them
never gets old.
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/SHOWBIZ/Music/02/14/grammy.awards.show/index.html
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