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"The Grammys Will Go On: A Death in the Family" details scramble following Whitney Houston's death

by jmaloni

Press release

Thu, Jan 31st 2013 04:10 pm

A new one-hour CBS special describes how the show went on following the untimely death of Whitney Houston

Less than 24 hours before the 2012 Grammy Awards, the entertainment world was rocked with news of Whitney Houston's tragic death. This year, on the eve of the 2013 Grammy Awards, CBS and The Recording Academy present "The Grammys Will Go On: A Death in the Family," a new one-hour special that looks at how the show's producers, host and musical artists made last-minute changes to the program against the backdrop of these circumstances.

The special features never-before-seen rehearsal footage and behind-the-scenes interviews with various music artists and the Grammy production team that revisits the extraordinary hours leading up to last year's The 54th Annual Grammy Awards. The special will be broadcast Saturday, Feb. 9 (10 p.m.), on the CBS Television Network.

With the untimely death of six-time Grammy Award winner Whitney Houston, the show needed to address many changes, including LL Cool J's opening prayer, Jennifer Hudson's unannounced performance of Houston's Grammy-winning classic "I Will Always Love You" and the last-minute decision to end the show with the closing medley of Paul McCartney's all-star lineup.

"In an ordinary year, The Grammys is a really tough show to produce; it's live and things happen behind-the-scenes at the last minute that you never expect," said Jack Sussman, CBS executive vice president specials, music and live events. "But every year the people behind this show find ways to make eleventh-hour creative adjustments resulting in memorable moments that you only see on the Grammys. This special is a very entertaining peek behind the curtain at the extra-extraordinary circumstances of last year, and how some of the biggest stars in the musical world came together for a television broadcast that will be remembered for many years to come." 

Grammy-winning artists, including host LL Cool J, Dave Grohl, Hudson, Bruno Mars, Katy Perry, Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Springsteen, Taylor Swift, Joe Walsh and chief creative officer of Sony BMG Clive Davis, the man who discovered Houston, all give personal accounts of the hours leading up to the live broadcast. In addition, the Grammy production team, including executive producer Ken Ehrlich, director Louis J. Horvitz, producer Terry Lickona, President/CEO of The Recording Academy Neil Portnow, talent producer Chantel Sausedo and writer David Wild provide their perspectives.

The music industry's premiere event, The 55th Annual Grammy Awards, takes place Sunday, Feb. 10 (8 p.m.), at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles and will be broadcast on the CBS Television Network.

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