YOLANDA ADAMS, CHRISTINA AGUILERA, JENNIFER HUDSON, MARTINA MCBRIDE AND FLORENCE WELCH WILL JOIN TOGETHER IN A ROUSING CELEBRATION OF THE QUEEN OF SOUL, ARETHA FRANKLIN, ON “THE 53RD ANNUAL GRAMMY(R) AWARDS”

ESPERANZA SPALDING JOINS STUDENTS FROM THE GRAMMY^® JAZZ ENSEMBLES AND GRAMMY^® CAMP FOR A SPECIAL PERFORMANCE

Marc Anthony, Jamie Foxx, Jewel, John Mayer, Pauley Perrette and Donnie Wahlberg Added to the Star-Studded Lineup as Presenters

As a “Valentine” and “get-well card” to Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award and GRAMMY^® Legend Award recipient Aretha Franklin, four-time GRAMMY winner Yolanda Adams, four-time GRAMMY winner and Latin GRAMMY^® winner Christina Aguilera, GRAMMY winner Jennifer Hudson, country superstar Martina McBride and current nominee Florence Welch will perform together on THE 53^rd ANNUAL GRAMMY^® AWARDS live from the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2011 (8:00-11:30 PM, ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network.  The special segment will feature individual and collective performances of some of the Queen of Soul’s classic hits in celebration of the 18-time GRAMMY winner and current nominee’s ongoing music legacy.  Current nominee Esperanza Spalding also will perform in a special number with members of the GRAMMY Jazz Ensembles and GRAMMY Camp.

Two-time GRAMMY and three-time Latin GRAMMY winner Marc Anthony, GRAMMY and Academy Award^® winner Jamie Foxx, seven-time GRAMMY winner and current nominee John Mayer, actor Pauley Perrette and actor/singer Donnie Wahlberg have been added as presenters to the music industry’s premier event.  They join a star-studded lineup that includes current three-time GRAMMY nominee Dierks Bentley, pop singer/actor Miley Cyrus, singer/actor Selena Gomez, two-time Emmy^® winner Neil Patrick Harris, nine-time GRAMMY winner and current nominee Norah Jones, three-time GRAMMY winner Kris Kristofferson (who will introduce Barbara Streisand’s performance), six-time GRAMMY winner and current nominee John Legend, two-time GRAMMY winner and actor LL COOL J, current nominee Nicki Minaj, nominee Paramore, actor Seth Rogen and current nominee Blake Shelton.

Adams, Aguilera, Hudson, McBride, Spalding and Welch join previously announced performers and nominees Arcade Fire, Eminem, Lady Antebellum, Lady Gaga, Miranda Lambert, Muse, Katy Perry and Barbra Streisand (who will appear in a rare performance); nominees Justin Bieber and Usher, with Jaden Smith; nominees B.o.B, Bruno Mars and Janelle Monáe; nominees Drake and Rihanna; nominee Cee Lo Green, with Gwyneth Paltrow and the Jim Henson Company Puppets; and Mick Jagger with Raphael Saadiq.

First-time nominees Spalding and Welch each have one nomination: both are up for Best New Artist.

Arcade Fire, Bieber, B.o.B, Jagger, Lambert, Mars, Monáe, Muse, Paltrow and Smith will be performing on the GRAMMY telecast for the first time, and all five Album of the Year nominees are set to perform on Music’s Biggest Night^®: Arcade Fire, Eminem, Lady Antebellum, Lady Gaga and Perry.

Additionally, the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards Pre-Telecast Ceremony will take place from 1:00-4:00 PM, PT, at the Los Angeles Convention Center and will be streamed live internationally on www.grammy.com/live and on www.youtube.com/thegrammys beginning at 1:00 PM, PT.  Current GRAMMY nominees Bobby McFerrin and Esperanza Spalding will co-host the star-studded ceremony, which will feature performances by current nominees including Afro-Colombian hip-hop trio and Latin GRAMMY winner ChocQuibTown; blues musician and five-time GRAMMY winner Buddy Guy; singer/songwriter and GRAMMY winner Cyndi Lauper; American roots musician Maria Muldaur; contemporary blues artist Kenny Wayne Shepherd; trombone and trumpet player Trombone Shorty; legendary gospel and soul singer Mavis Staples; jazz musician Kirk Whalum; and R&B singer/songwriter and GRAMMY winner Betty Wright.

Presenting the first GRAMMY Awards of the night in approximately 98 categories will be current nominees: performance artist Laurie Anderson, pop singer/songwriter Sara Bareilles, electronic/dance music artist and remixer BT, actor/comedian Kathy Griffin and Latin Jazz musician Wayne Wallace.  The live stream of the Pre-Telecast will remain on GRAMMY.com as video on demand for 30 days following the event.

THE 53^rd ANNUAL GRAMMY^® AWARDS are produced by John Cossette Productions and AEG Ehrlich Ventures for The Recording Academy.  Ken Ehrlich and John Cossette are executive producers, Louis J. Horvitz is director, and David Wild and Ken Ehrlich are the writers.

About The Recording Academy

Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers.  Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards – the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music – The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs.  The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture.  For more information about The Academy, please visit http://www.grammy.com/.  For breaking news and exclusive content, join the organization’s social networks as a Twitter follower at www.twitter.com/thegrammys, a Facebook fan at www.facebook.com/thegrammys, and a YouTube channel subscriber at www.youtube.com/thegrammys.

Official CBS Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/CBSTweet

JOHN MAYER SLAMS HUFFPO: “GO F**K YOURSELF!”

In a recent article on the Huffington Post, an article was posted questioning if John Mayer and ex-girlfriend, actress Jennifer Aniston were back on. Here is an excerpt from the article:

Are John Mayer and Jennifer Aniston back on? Mayer seemed to indicate they might be when he spoke in front of a crowd of 18,000 at his concert on Sunday at the Hollywood Bowl in LA.

“I believe in second chances!” he said. “You might have been a pain in the ass the last time around, but you can still start over again from home base. Next time you get a text from the one you love just text back ‘come over’ – no matter what happened in the past. If you really love someone, just tell them and be with them.”

Now Mayer is really pissed off about the article and posted on his blog:

This is equal parts fabricated, cobbled together and misleading. Let’s break it down: I don’t think I ever said “I believe in second chances!” but I can’t be 100 percent sure, as it’s possible I could have accidentally said something succinctly and to the point. The next sentence is from the song “Half of My Heart,” in reference to the idea that meeting new people allows for hiding old mistakes. (Well, for most people at least.) The sentence about texting comes from the show’s encore, “Edge of Desire,” in a moment of giving people permission not to beat themselves down for still wanting someone. Two sentences about different things at different points in a concert.

Mayer then blasted the publication, saying “You’re a stripper wearing reading glasses. Or maybe you’re an insolvent law student willing to dance for a few extra dollars. Either way, it’s uncomfortable to watch you try to wrap yourself around a pole when you have that C-Span scar.”

Ouch!

The Huffington Post then quoted Mayer’s comment and responded with:

He does not deny that he and Aniston are dating.

Simpson talks John Mayer to Oprah – “I was so disappointed in him. That’s not the John I knew.”

After John Mayer went public in an interview about his sexual life during his relationship with Jessica Simpson calling it “sexual napalm”, Jessica Simpson will be featured on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in which Simpson discusses the John Mayer situation.

Simpson tells Oprah, “I was so disappointed in him. That’s not the John I knew.”

Even though Mayer has apologized, Simpson tells Oprah, “I haven’t written back. I don’t accept it … I hope he gets his life together.”

Jessica Simpson doesn’t discuss “sexual napalm” but she does mention Mayer in her latest interview

We were hoping Jessica Simpson would comment on John Mayer’s comment of her being sexual napalm in an interview with Playboy. For those who didn’t read the interview, Mayer tells Playboy in his interview (about his relationship with Simpson), “That girl, for me, is a drug. And drugs aren’t good for you if you do lots of them. Yeah, that girl is like crack cocaine to me… Sexually it was crazy. That’s all I’ll say. It was like napalm, sexual napalm… There are people in the world who have the power to change our values. Have you ever been with a girl who made you want to quit the rest of your life? Did you ever say, “I want to quit my life and just fuckin’ snort you? If you charged me $10,000 to fuck you, I would start selling all my shit just to keep fucking you.”

Simpson doesn’t reply to Mayer’s “sexual napalm” comment but she does tell Allure magazine, “”He didn’t make me go brunette! John doesn’t get credit for making me brunette. He’d like to think so, but he doesn’t deserve the credit.”

But she did talk about former boyfriend Tony Romo. Simpson tells Allure Magazine, “”I’m still a fan. I’m a huge fan. I wear my gear, and I cheer Tony on. You know, I talked to Tony today. None of my breakups, none of it’s been bitter.”

Holly Robinson on John Mayer’s comments: “I was disgusted and offended”

After Holly Robinson was given a soundbyte that John Mayer said she was gorgeous, she was thankful for the compliment. That is until she read his comments especially utilizing the N-word. Robinson tells People Magazine, “I was disgusted and offended. Especially when I started reading his surrounding comments. In the whole body of the article, there wasn’t anything that wasn’t offensive. … It was beyond inappropriate. It’s crucial for African American women to understand that I would never knowingly gush about such a compliment had I had any clue that it was bookended by these racially denigrating comments about black women. I feel disgusted by it. I went from flattered to flat-out pissed.”

John Mayer reached out to Robinson via e-mail but not to apologize for his comments but to apologize that she got caught up in the media mess.

Robinson continued, “It’s time for him to really just drop the frat boy act and take responsibility for everything that he said, no matter how painful it’s going to be for him.”

Read more of what Robinson had to say

John Mayer apologizes for use of N-word during interview with Playboy

John Mayer is on apology mode after using the N-word for an interview featured in Playboy Magazine. Mayer tweets:

Re: using the ‘N word’ in an interview: I am sorry that I used the word. And it’s such a shame that I did because the point I was trying to make was in the exact opposite spirit of the word itself. It was arrogant of me to think I could intellectualize using it, because I realize that there’s no intellectualizing a word that is so emotionally charged. And while I’m using today for looking at myself under harsh light, I think it’s time to stop trying to be so raw in interviews… It started as an attempt to not let the waves of criticism get to me, but it’s gotten out of hand and I’ve created somewhat of a monster. I wanted to be a blues guitar player. And a singer. And a songwriter. Not a shock jock. I don’t have the stomach for it. Again, because I don’t want anyone to think I’m equivocating: I should have never said the word and I will never say it again.

Mayer said in his interview with Playboy:

I am a very…I’m just very. V-E-R-Y. And if you can’t handle very, then I’m a douche bag. But I think the world needs a little very. That’s why black people love me.

“Someone asked me the other day, ‘What does it feel like now to have a hood pass?,’. “If you really had a hood pass, you could call it a n—- pass But I said, ‘I can’t really have a hood pass. I’ve never walked into a restaurant, asked for a table and been told, ‘We’re full.’ “

Come on John…an apology on Twitter is a bit tacky!

John Mayer at the store opening celebrated by Giorgio Armani at the 5th Avenue Store in New York

John Mayer at the store opening celebrated by Giorgio Armani at the 5th Avenue Store in New York. Pictured: John Mayer Picture by: Entertainment Press / Splash News. Content © 2009 Splash News . All rights reserved.

Musician John Mayer attends the 95.5 WPLJ-FM’s 17th Annual Scott & Todd live broadcast & auction

picapp: VALHALLA, NY – DECEMBER 22: Musician John Mayer attends the 95.5 WPLJ-FM’s 17th Annual Scott & Todd live broadcast & auction at Blythedale Children’s Hospital on December 22, 2008 in Valhalla, New York. (Photo by Rob Loud/Getty Images). Content © 2008 Getty Images . All rights reserved.