Paige Donner: If you could choose an anthem for our times, what song would that be?
Jamie Foxx: What's Goin' On?
Paige Donner: As the man who writes the songs, what would be your title of the anthem for our times?
Barry Manilow: Crazy, Craziness. Crazy Show Business.
Taylor Swift, 51st Grammy's, Photo by Paige Donner
Paige Donner: If you could write or choose a song as an anthem for our times, what would it be?
Taylor Swift: I wrote a song awhile ago called Change that I never really applied to what our country was going through. I wrote it about a separate thing but now that I hear it and I look back at the lyrics it really reminds of me what's going on right now.
David Spade poses with Paige Donner, Grammy's, 2009
Paige Donner: If you could choose an anthem for our times right now, what song would that be?
David Spade: Umbrella. Because Rihanna is pretty cute. And it's quite a toe-tapper.
...ella...ella...eh...eh...eh Rihanna - Umbrella
Paige Donner: What song would make a good anthem right now for our country, our times?
Quincy Jones: America The Beautiful.
Carrie Underwood, 51st Grammy's, Photo by Paige Donner
Paige: How are these tough times bringing us all closer together, on a human level?
Quincy: Communications are making this one world. Back in the day, 400-500 years ago, nobody knew what anyone else was doing. It's on the 6 O'Clock news now. Now we can say, Oh, that's the way they live. Oh, they do that!! Opportunities, the chance to bring about change, it's all based on communication. Communication and jet planes. 
Tina and Erica Atkins-Campbell of Mary Mary, Photo by Paige Donner
Paige Donner: If you could write or choose a song to be an anthem that represents our times, what would that song be?
Erica and Tina Atkins-Campbell, aka Mary Mary, Winner, Best Performance, Gospel for "Get Up" from album The Sound - I tell you what, I'd write the song that we wrote. It's called Get Up! It's the song we're nominated for twice over for Best Song and Best Performance. It goes like this:
Get up, 'cuz you can't stop
Get up, got a lot to do
Twenty-four hours almost gone
Get up, don't sit there
Get up if you wanna get there
Clocks don't stop and time don't wait. Get Up!
And that to me is the drive behind America. It's like OK, this is where we were, let's see where we're going now, let's move forward, let's press forward.
We're all affected by the economy and everything negative that's going on but this is not the end of it. Let's move on to better things. Let's get up and get it crackin'.
Tina: The Grammy's bring so many different genres of music together. It's a really good representation of American Music. Moreso than any other award show. So it's great to be here.
Erica: This is our fourth album and our sixth nomination. We won one on our first record. It's always a privilege and an honor to be recognized for your work.
Chris Shiflett, Foo Fighters, Guitar, Performed at the 51st Grammy Awards Show
Paige Donner: If you had to pick a song or write a song as an anthem for our times, what would it be?
Chris Shiflett: What would the title of my song be if I had to write an anthem for the times? My song would be: Tax Cuts Don't Stimulate The Economy. That's what it would be.
Paige: How can music help lift us up out of these tough times?
Chris: When we have bad political situations, for example, Reagan, when I was a kid, all the punk rock bands hated Reagan. so that was sort of a unifying thing with the punk rock scene. A lot of good music came out of that.
Even in the 60's, a lot of good music came out of that era when there was a war and the civil rights movement. I don't really follow pop music all that well but I do think the underground is always inspired by crises - real or imagined.
Raphael Saadiq featuring Stevie Wonder was nominated for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals.
Raphael Saadiq acknowledged Chris Douridas from KCRW for helping to get him noticed for his music. "He was the first guy to play my tracks on the radio," said the Grammy nominated musician.
Paige Donner and Colby O'Donis, 51st Grammy's, Photo by Alex Stone
Paige Donner: If you could write or choose a song to be the anthem for our times right now, what would it be?
Colby O'Donis: I probably would be like One Love, One Race. Something like that. Because for me I never really judge people on color or skin or anything like that. For me everyone is just one person. That's how I look at everything.
Paige: Have you noticed any instances where these economic hard times have actually brought people more together?
Colby: I think everyone is kind of realizing that we're going to have to work together. If we don't work together, things can fall apart, even more than what they are right now. But I hope everything can come back together. Cooperation is key. Hopefully, Obama will bring everything back.
Paige: You're on Akon's label?
Colby: Yes! I'm signed to his label on InterScope Records. He's family.
Akon, 51st Grammy's, Photo by Paige Donner
Colby O'Donis and Akon What You Got
Paige Donner: What would your title be for a song that could be an anthem for our times right now?
Akon: It would be called Change.
Paige: How do you recognize other people's talent? For example, like Colby O'Donis?
Akon: Yeah, he's my little brother. It's self-explanatory almost. I usually know off the top. It's just that you have to be in a position to make a move on it. I see talented kids all the time but there's only a couple of them that I say Okay, that's a star!
Paige: It takes more than talent?
Akon: Yeah. It takes hard work. I mean I could find a person that's equally as talented as the person next to him but if the hard work don't reflect the talent then it means nothing.
Keyshia Cole, 51st Grammy's, Photo by Paige Donner
Paige Donner: What song could be a good anthem for our times right now?
Keyshia Cole: That's a really serious question. Well, I did the cancer song with all the women, Mariah and Mary and Rihanna and that was huge and that was for cancer relief. It benefitted the Cancer Foundation. They raised a lot of money with that song actually.
Paige: Has the economy affected you at all?
Keyshia Cole: Not so far. They say that about the music business. They say there are a lot of layoffs and things of that nature. My brother called me and said that he'd been laid off. But as a musician it really hasn't affected me yet. I'm just in a studio working. It probably would have affected me so much more like three years ago. But being that I've been so blessed and worked so hard to get here...still, though, Barack should have come five years ago.
Paige Donner: If you could choose a song that could be an anthem for our times, what would that song be?
Mayor Villaraigosa: It's A Beautiful Day.
Paige Donner: Out among these music legends tonight, was there a favorite music artist you had particularly hoped to see?
Mayor Villaraigosa: I was just asked, previously, what brought me out onto the red carpet tonight, and actually it's all the people with the jobs behind the camera. The jobs behind the camera, for L.A., are much more important than the ones in front.
This industry - music, film, fashion, TV - all of it is part of the creative economy. 455,000 jobs. As you know, that economy is hurting right now. Unemployment is in double digits. So, I go to Washington because we want to get our fair share of federal dollars and put people back to work.
Paige Donner and Duffy, 51st Grammy's, Photo by Alex Stone
Duffy won a Grammy for her "Rockferry," best pop vocal album category.
Paige Donner: You're awesome in concert! I saw you at the Orpheum a little while ago. You rock! Congratulations on your nominations and win this year!
Duffy: Thank you!
Paige Donner: What's your favorite album?
Duffy: U2 Joshua Tree. I remember my step-brother bought it and I think he had to go to the next town, which was about a half an hour's drive there, and when he brought it back we all listened to it. It was amazing. We didn't even own any records. There wasn't even a record store in our town. My step-brother went and bought the Joshua Tree and it was a turning of an era. It sounded amazing!
Paige Donner: Who are you looking forward to seeing tonight?
Duffy: Whitney Houston. What a legend! We'll all be singing along.
Katy Perry - I Kissed A Girl - Nominated for Best New Artist Photo by Paige Donner
Neil Portnow, president and CEO of the Recording Academy was especially thrilled about Saturday evening's event which was the Pre-GRAMMY Gala and Salute to Industry Icons with Clive Davis held at the Beverly Hills Hilton. When Portnow began his career it was with Clive Davis who hired him to be the West Coast Executive for his Arista Label. Portnow fondly recalls helping to build and guide the careers of music stars like Whitney Houston who performed at the Gala that evening and presented at the Awards.
Neil Portnow, president and CEO of Recording Academy, Photo by Paige Donner
Portnow stated that the academy will continue to push for the enactment of Performance Rights Act. In addition, he asked Obama for the development of a cabinet-level position dedicated to culture and the arts.
Among the legends who walked down the carpet were Herbie Hancock, Rod Stewart and, of course, Clive Davis. Also the new blood such as Rihanna, Josh Groban, and the Kings of Leon showed face.
Paige Donner: Tell me a little bit about your PeaPod Foundation?
Taboo: The PeaPod Foundation was started in 1999 as just a canned good and toys drive for the Five Acres Home and Orphanage. And now it's grown so big. We're performing in Soweto Africa for 40,000 kids. Eventually we'll be able to do Mexico and the Philippines. We're excited about that - that it keeps on growing.
Our fundraiser the other night was amazing. We had the opportunity to raise a million dollars. Which is the biggest amount of money we've ever raised for the PeaPod Organization. And the people who came out to the Conga Room to support and take time out of their busy schedules and come and perform for such a great cause...it was amazing! We had a variety of entertainers come on stage.
PD: And the PeaPod Foundation was created by The Black Eyed Peas?
Taboo: The Black Eyed Peas, Yep, that's right.
Taboo can also be seen in Street Fighter now. Even will.i.am is taking up the movie thingy these days. He was nominated for a Grammy for Producer of the Year, non-classical.
Paige Donner: If you could choose or write an anthem for our times right now, what would that be?
Russell Simmons: Do you want to talk about...Michael Steele? What do you think about that? What's going on right now? What do you think?
Paige Donner: Me? What do I think?
Russell Simmons: Yeah. I mean all the dialogue that's going on right now? It's been kind of a combative dialogue and he's under investigation right now and stuff?
Paige Donner: Well, personally, I think there's a lot of hoopla going on in a lot of different directions.
Russell Simmons: You know, I just got off the phone, and I was talking to people and, you know, the finance thing, yeah, small stuff, mostly. I'm not a big supporter...I'm not a Republican. I would just like someone in that space who would support the President, obviously. I just thought maybe you were going to ask me about that. That's OK...
So that was Saturday night. Sunday night was the Grammy Awards.
Thursday night - after all this was Grammy Week! with events every night for a whole week - Thursday night was the night honoring mainly Recording Engineers. The Grammy's Rock My Soul event was held at The Village Recording Studios in West L.A. owned by Jeff Greenberg. The Village Recording studio this year saw Jennifer Hudson, T. Bone and M.I.A. as some of its returning client-musicians.
"It's a fun night seeing our friends and clients winning so many awards," said Greenberg about the Grammy's this year. "People who are in it because they really love music and because of their passion are receiving the success they deserve." T. Bone used The Village this year while producing some of the Alison Krauss and Robert Plant tracks that swept the awards this year.
It was an awesome night with musicians, engineers and music producers mingling and checking out the recording studios housed in the building. Honorees included Ahmet Ertegun.
On display was a phenomenal new recording sound system by Gen Audio demonstrated in one of the sound booths, that renders "surround sound" more or less archaic. The sounds of the rustling of a newspaper made you look over your shoulder to see if someone was there, even though you knew the sounds were coming through the headphones. GenAudio Inc. out of Colorado is the creator of the system that has already been used for HellBoy 2. Shown here is Grammy Nominee Scott Adam Jacoby playing around with the GenAudio System. 
Scott Adam Jacoby, Demonstrating GenAudio Sound System at Grammy's Rock My Soul, Photo by Paige Donner
The band that played that night was The Paper Dolls. They sounded a bit like a punked out Pink. They rocked the house.
Paper Dolls Band Members: Kristina Allison vocals,Henrik Linde guitar,Matt Conley drums and Blane Barker, Bass. Photo by Paige Donner, Damon Elliot, a Grammy nominated producer-songwriter, is helping to guide the band's career. Elliott's other artists include Keyshia Cole.
Friday night was the Grammy Week FriendsNFamily party held at Paramount Studios on one of their sound stages. This party hosted by Music Industry Executives and Evolutionary Media raised funds for Children of Peace International. 
Rich Royal and Jennifer Gross, CEO, Evolutionary Media Group, Photo by Paige Donner
Jennifer Gross, CEO of Evolutionary, has the recipe for a good party: Invite lots of fun people, provide quality free booze (such as Belvedere vodka) and have great DJ's (like DJ AM, The Alchemist, and Talib Kweli)play groovy music mixes. About 4,000 Friends And Family guests showed up for this one. Sweet!