Keys, 'O Brother' dominate Grammys

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 27 (UPI) -- The 44th Annual Grammy Awards turned out to be a big night Wednesday for the neo-soul of Alicia Keys and the old-time sound of bluegrass as Keys and the soundtrack from the Coen brothers movie "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" grabbed five awards each.

"Fallin,'" the hit single from Keys' debut album "Songs in A Minor," won for record of the year and song of the year, as well as best R&B song. The album won for best R&B album, and Keys won for best new artist and female R&B vocal performance.

"I'd like to dedicate this to just thinking outside the box and not being afraid of who you are no matter what you do,'' said Keys, who tied Lauryn Hill's record for most Grammys by a female artist, set in 1999 for "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" -- even though "Songs in A Minor" was not nominated for album of the year.

That honor went to the "O Brother" soundtrack, which picked up five Grammys -- even though country stations across the country gave it the cold shoulder and largely kept it off their playlists. The Recording Academy showed a lot of love for bluegrass music all around -- awarding three prizes to Alison Krauss & Union Station.

"O Brother" also won for best compilation soundtrack album and its producer, T Bone Burnett, was named non-classical producer of the year. Two songs from the album were also singled out.

Ralph Stanley, the 75-year-old bluegrass legend, won for male country vocal performance for "O Death," and Dan Tyminski, Harley Allen and Pat Enright -- The Soggy Bottom Boys -- won for country collaboration with vocals for "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow."

Burnett also picked up a traditional folk album Grammy for "Down from the Mountain."

Asked backstage to explain the popularity of the "O Brother" soundtrack, Burnett said it isn't that easy.

"Really, this is music for people who like music," he said. "Not everybody does. Music annoys some people. They just don't care for it. But if you do like music, then chances are you like this record."

Alison Krauss & Union Station won for best bluegrass album ("New Favorite") and best country song and Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for "The Lucky One."

"This is the music we've loved our whole lives," Krauss told reporters backstage. "It's the most natural thing in the world to be playing it."

Veteran Irish rockers U2 picked up four Grammys -- one more than they took home last year for the same album, "All That You Can't Leave Behind." "Walk On" won for record of the year, "Elevation" won for rock performance by a duo or group with vocals, "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of" won for pop performance by a duo or group with vocals and the album won for best rock album.

The single "Beautiful Day" won three Grammys last year -- for record and song of the year and rock performance by a duo or group with vocals.

"Stankonia," by the Atlanta duo OutKast, won for best rap album.

The telecast, originating from the Staples Center, opened with U2 performing their record of the year nominated song, "Walk On."

Host Jon Stewart got his portion of the show started with a gag that tied in post-Sept. 11 anxiety with one of his funnier subjects from the 43rd Grammys -- the controversy over Eminem's anti-gay lyrics and the rapper's duet with openly gay pop icon Elton John.

As Stewart walked under an arch -- part of the set on the Staples Center stage -- he set off a beeping noise and was set upon by "security" personnel who stripped him down to his shorts before they would let him take his mark on the stage.

"Remember when security was tight because Eminem was going to sing with Elton John? Those were the days," joked Stewart.

When Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya, Pink and Missy Elliott performed their Grammy-nominated version of LaBelle's 1975 hit "Lady Marmalade" -- from the movie "Moulin Rouge" -- they were joined by a surprise guest, Patti LaBelle herself.

The record went on to win for pop collaboration with vocals.

James Taylor won for male pop vocal performance for "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight." Lucinda Williams -- who came in with four nominations -- picked up the Grammy for female rock vocal performance for "Get Right With God."

Usher won for male R&B vocal performance for "U Remind Me," and Destiny's Child won for R&B performance by a duo or group for "Survivor."

Michael Jackson, who had been a central figure in a lawsuit filed by American Music Awards producer Dick Clark -- accusing Grammy chief Michael Greene of strong-arming musical acts into not performing on other awards shows if they want to perform in the Grammy telecast -- dropped plans at the last minute Tuesday to perform on the Grammy show.

His sister, Janet Jackson, won a Grammy for best dance recording, "All for You."

Sade won for best pop vocal album, "Lovers Rock," and Harry Connick Jr. won for traditional pop vocal album, "Songs I Heard."

The Grammy for best male rock vocal performance went to Lenny Kravitz for "Dig In," and newcomer Linkin Park won for best hard rock performance for "Crawling." Tool won for best metal performance for "Schism," and Jeff Beck won for best rock instrumental performance for "Dirty Mind."

Coldplay won for best alternative music album for "Parachutes."

Dolly Parton won for best country female vocal performance for "Shine."

Comic actor Steve Martin won a Grammy as part of the music ensemble on "Foggy Mountain Breakdown," which was named best country instrumental performance. Martin played banjo with a lineup that also included Earl Scruggs, Glen Duncan, Randy Scruggs, Vince Gill, Marty Stuart, Gary Scruggs, Albert Lee, Paul Shaffer, Jerry Douglas and Leon Russell.

"Timeless -- Hank Williams Tribute" won for best country album.

Quincy Jones -- no stranger to winning Grammys for his music -- picked up the prize for spoken word album for the recorded version of his recent best-selling memoir, "Q: The Autobiography of Quincy Jones." George Carlin won for best-spoken comedy album for "Napalm & Sillyputty," adapted from his best-selling book.

"The Producers" won for best musical show album and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" -- which won the Oscar last year for best original score -- won the Grammy for best score soundtrack album.

Violinist Joshua Bell's "Bernstein (Arr. Brohn & Corigliano): West Side Story Suite" won a Grammy for best-engineered non-classical album for recording engineer Richard King.

Manfred Eicher won the prestigious classical producer of the year Grammy for turning out a body of work last year that included "Haydn: The Seven Words" (Rosamunde Quartett);"Holliger: Schneewittchen "(Heinz Holliger, J. Banse, C. Kallisch, S. Davislim, O. Widmer & W. Gröschel); "Leos Janácek -- A Recollection" (In The Mist; Piano Sonata, 1. X. 1905; On An Overgrown Path, Etc.) (András Schiff); "Morimur (Bach: Partita D Min.; Christ Lag In Todesbanden; Jesu Meine Freude, Etc.)" (Christoph Poppen & The Hilliard Ens.) and "Schönberg: Verklärte Nacht/Veress: Four Transylvanian Dances/Bartók: Divertimento" (Thomas Zehetmair & Camerata Bern)

"Berlioz: Les Troyens" was named best classical album.

The Recording Academy presented 2002 Lifetime Achievement Awards to Count Basie, Perry Como, Rosemary Clooney, Al Green and Joni Mitchell.

The Lifetime Achievement Award honors "lifelong artistic contributions to the recording medium." Past winners include Louis Armstrong, Fred Astaire, Tony Bennett, Ray Charles, Patsy Cline, Miles Davis, Bob Dylan, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, Billie Holiday, Barbra Streisand and Stevie Wonder.

Producer-recording engineer Tom Dowd and pioneering rock and roll deejay Alan Freed were honored with Trustees Awards, in recognition of "outstanding contributions to the industry in a non-performing capacity."

At a gala dinner and all-star concert Monday night, singer-songwriter Billy Joel was honored as the 2002 MusiCares Person of the Year. The MusiCares Foundation is the Recording Academy's ongoing program to honor music legends and raise funds intended to help musicians with health and welfare needs.