It is 9 a.m. post-Grammy day and I cannot get out of bed. Getting to sleep at 3 a.m. doesn't help. However, I am thinking about all of last night's festivities in great detail. Covering the red carpet behind the more famous reporters from "ET," "Access Hollywood," "Extra" and "The Insider." Having the publicists say, "one moment and I promise so-and-so will be with you, but they have to do other interviews first."
But since the word "no" does not exist in my vocabulary, I booked it up to where my old friends and colleagues worked -- and grabbed myself a space where I could interview the top maestros in the music biz.
I can tell you about interviewing J-Lo about her recent career surge as "American Idol's" Season 10 Paula Abdul style-judge -- discussing how happy she was to be working with Steven Tyler and helping the kids figure out how to find their "right note." Marc Anthony was faithfully by her side trying to fit the role of the doting husband whose wife was getting all of the attention (as she should have with that knockout dress).
I could also tell you about interviewing indie-rock sensation Arcade Fire, whom no one seemed to hear of except for "Lost" actor Dominick Monaghan (aka "Charlie"). He loved the group that took that top prize for Best Album "The Suburbs." There wasn't another person on the red carpet that could identify any of their songs. But they seemed really nice.
The Black Eyed Peas Taboo was the absolute sweetest, most sincere person I spoke with. He has a new book out entitled, "Fallin' Up: My Story," which outlines the struggles he went through before the fame and selling multi-platinum CD's including last years, "The E.N.D." I will have a longer interview posted about the Peas next week when I write you after a proper eight-hour's night sleep.
Diddy, Puff Daddy, Sean John, whomever he is today, literally ran down the carpet at 4:35 p.m. so he couldn't do any interviews, as the doors closed at 5 p.m. I am not sure if he even posed for a picture.
Uber-winners of the evening, Lady Antebellum (who are very shy and humble), won five of six categories in which they were nominated and were so emotional about it afterwards that Charles Kelley cried his eyes out backstage. Their 2010 smash "Need You Now," was named song and record of the year. The tune, a perfect one for Valentine's Day (about yearning for the one you love at 1 a.m. on a combo of bourbon and heartbreak), was in my opinion, truly well deserved.
But the surprises weren't as much on the red carpet, which is the same every year. Publicists tell their clients to give pat answers and you very rarely break scoop unless you write for the Huffington Post (coming later this week).
The shock and awe of hearing some of the National Recording Academy's choices for the "best of the best," were absolutely mind-blowing. Esperanza Spalding, a 26-year-old jazz singer and bass player was named best new artist and you could hear the crowd gasp right from the start. She beat out Justin Bieber, a much more well-known and commercially successful artist, and rapper/singer Drake.
The tribute to the ailing Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin was truly touching with a conglomerate of music's top female voices... Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Hudson, Martina McBride, Yolanda Adams and Florence Welch (who blew the crowd away with her incredibly soulful voice) was beautiful and heartwarming.
But this exhausted reporter will give you some more scoops after I get a massage and figure out whether the Academy has lost their touch for choosing winners (with the exception of Lady A).
Peace, love and music ... isn't that what Valentine's Day is all about?