Bollywood’s biggest star Amitabh Bachchan is recovering from abdominal surgery in a Mumbai hospital.

The actor has a history of stomach ailments following an intestinal injury he suffered while filming a movie in 1982.

His son Abhishek Bachchan says Saturday’s surgery went well and his father is resting.

He tweeted thanks to Bachchan’s fans for their prayers and get well wishes.

Affectionately known as “Big B,” Bachchan has acted in around 180 films in a career spanning four decades in Bollywood, the home of India’s prolific movie industry.

Coldplay, Katy Perry, Tony Bennett and Neil Young plumbed Paul McCartney’s vast songbook in taking the former Beatle on a musical journey of his more than 50-year career.

They joined James Taylor, Diana Krall and Foo Fighters among others in launching Grammy weekend Friday night by honoring McCartney as the MusiCares Person of the Year.

McCartney, who turns 70 in June, was toasted for his musical achievements and philanthropic work two days before the Grammy Awards. “It’s great for me to be here,” he told the crowd in the Los Angeles Convention Center. “It’s fantastic to hear all these fantastic artists doing my songs.”

The dinner menu even reflected his vegetarian lifestyle, from the tomato and fresh mozzarella tower to the main course of grilled seitan and roasted vegetables in puff pastry. Seitan is a wheat gluten used as a meat substitute.

The former Beatle singled out Young’s rowdy version of “I Saw Her Standing There” and “all the others putting nuances on the songs I didn’t know were there.” He was on his feet leading the applause after Foo Fighters tore through the Wings hit “Jet.”

Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin said, “We love Paul and we’re happy to be here” before launching into “We Can Work It Out.”

It also was a working night for McCartney, who capped an opening medley by the cast from the Beatles’ “Love” by Cirque du Soleil with “Magical Mystery Tour.”

At the end of the evening, McCartney turned the vast hall into an intimate jazz club with “My Valentine,” a song he wrote for new wife Nancy Shevell, and “I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter,” two cuts off his latest album, “Kisses On the Bottom.” He was accompanied by Krall on the piano.

He whipped off his jacket and raced to the piano for the Wings song “Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five.” He strapped on the bass for a closing medley of “Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End,” with Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters and former Eagle Joe Walsh backing him.

Alicia Keys performed a soulful “Blackbird,” tweaking the lyrics to sing “I’ve just been waiting for this moment to be free.”

“I never knew how much this song is about me,” she said.

Perry fooled the audience when her four-piece backing band launched into the opening notes of “Live and Let Die.” She quickly switched to “Hey Jude,” leading McCartney and Shevell in a crowd sing-along of the chorus as Perry conducted with a sparkly baton. Perry wore a large pale pink floral bud hat that would have fit in well at the Kentucky Derby.

Bennett lent a swinging touch to “Here, There and Everywhere,” while Alison Krauss and Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas performed a bluegrass-tinged “No More Lonely Nights.’”

“Hello, sir,” Norah Jones cooed to McCartney as she settled in at the piano to sing the Beatles tune “Oh! Darling.”

British comedian Eddie Izzard got laughs with his trademark rambling, this time a whimsical story of McCartney’s life that bore little resemblance to the facts. He eventually got serious, saying: “For Paul McCartney, words are not needed. The music speaks for itself.”

Among the star-studded crowd of 2,800 were Yoko Ono, “American Idol” judge Randy Jackson, David Crosby, Rosanna Arquette, Bonnie Raitt, Berry Gordy, Tom Hanks and wife Rita Wilson, music executive LA Reid, songwriter Diane Warren, Piers Morgan, and actor John Stamos.

Friday’s dinner and auction produced the highest-grossing evening in the tribute’s 22-year history, with more than $6.5 million raised, said Recording Academy president Neil Portnow.

MusiCares, run by the Recording Academy, provides financial assistance to individuals in the music industry during times of need. Portnow said the charity served 2,700 people in 2011, the most in a single year.

He said Perry has pledged to donate a minimum of $250,000 to MusiCares from sales of a benefit single she was moved to record after learning more about the organization.

Marlene Dietrich is having a moment. The runways of New York Fashion Week are paying homage to the late star’s sultry, glamorous but sometimes slightly mannish style.

On the second of eight days of previews for next season, Friday’s newness largely came from this old-school Hollywood star.

Dietrich’s “balance of smoldering femininity and masculine garb was the starting point for the mood,” explained Peter Som in his notes for editors, stylists and retailers. His collection was filled with modest-yet body-conscious silhouettes. A top look was the peek-a-boo effect of slim sheaths and pencil skirts covered with a glossy organza that often extended the hemline or covered the arms.

“She, like Katharine Hepburn, wore pants but still looked like a woman. She wore menswear and androgynous style with a sexiness,” said Catherine Moellering, executive vice president of The Tobe Report, a trend-tracking service.

Jason Wu said in a pre-show interview that he aimed to interpret different elements of historical Chinese fashion through the lens of Dietrich’s 1932 film “Shanghai Express.”

“I don’t need to say any more about Marlene Dietrich, or that time and place. It all has such strong features,” Wu said.

Dietrich also was an inspiration for Tadashi Shoji, who previewed his looks Thursday. And Rag & Bone, showing Friday, took inspiration from Asian culture, while Yigal Azrouel used tailoring to give structure to the looser silhouette that also seems to be emerging this week as a trend.

Here are some of the looks shown Friday.

JASON WU

Jason Wu has been considered a strong up-and-comer since Michelle Obama wore a gown by the then-barely known designer to the presidential inaugural balls in 2008. A Target deal put a limited collection in stores earlier this month, and Wu’s confidence was evident in a dramatic show that was also highly personal, with Chinese-influenced styles inspired partly by a trip 18 months ago to Taiwan, where he grew up.

The runway show had studded fortress doors, billowing smoke and a theatrical finale. The clothes tapped into Chinese military uniforms with Mao jackets, grommets, strong shoulders and capes, with the best look in the show opener: a green coat with attached cape and black lace. Tassels, embroideries and brocades drew on ornate costumes worn by empresses, with references to 1930s and ’40s Hollywood, where traditional Chinese dress was reinterpreted in movies like Marlene Dietrich’s “Shanghai Express.”

The result? Puffy jackets in glitzy brocade.

The lingering look from this collection, though, is likely the finale: a black wool jacket with epaulets and mink trim covered in crystal embroidery paired with a black skirt etched with fabric through a process known as devore.

PETER SOM

Peter Som’s fall collection had below-the-knee hemlines, covered sleeves and wrap-style coats. It felt very modern and sexy — never dowdy — thanks to Som’s creative use of sheer fabrics, especially a glossy organza that topped pencil skirts and slim sheaths. He showed awareness of a woman’s body while never clinging to it. He used architectural shapes and clean lines to draw attention to the waist and a woman’s curves, but that added layer — whether it was the organza or a peplum — gave her a little freedom.

“Masculine and feminine, hard and soft, textured and smooth,” he described in his notes at the show held at Milk Studios, New York Fashion Week’s main rival location to the Lincoln Center tents. Som said he “wanted to convey a sense of strength and beauty” inspired by Marlene Dietrich and Katharine Hepburn.

Luxury has become a signature of Som, but this season he did it more with soft leathers, cozy cashmere and silk instead of exotic furs and feathers. There were a few fox coats that were colored as if they were lipstick graffiti.

Otherwise, though, the palette was very uptown: winter white, camel, emerald green and plum.

KATE SPADE NEW YORK

Kate Spade New York offered a playful shoutout to Paris with styles in maraschino red, aqua and forest green, huge polka dots and graphic prints.

Creative director Deborah Lloyd matched the walls at the brand’s show in a black dress adorned with French script reading “Toutes les filles sont folles,” or “All the girls are crazy.” She perched her models on columns in a downtown space, inspired by gardens near the Palais-Royal in Paris and the columns in its famous courtyard. “The last time I was there, all these cute girls were being statues on columns,” she said.

She went oh so French with a cobalt blue button-up swing coat adorned with a large matching bow at the neck, and a column skirt with large dots in two shades of blue and a girlie bow at the waist.

Lloyd carried a dreamy, watercolor flower pattern from a full, pleated jumper into tops and cardigans. Her “joie de vivre” embracing Paris and the fashionable women who live there also showed up in a pattern adorned with colored drawings of the women themselves, including one holding a lit cigarette.

“There’s definitely a French, flirtatious feeling to this collection,” Lloyd said.

RAG & BONE

British-born Rag & Bone designers David Neville and Marcus Wainwright started with English mainstays, including tweeds, tails and jackets fit for military officers. But a recent trip to India also got them thinking about former British colonies and the traditional dress in those mostly Asian places, they explained backstage before the show.

On the runway there were folded skirts — a particularly nice one done in walnut-colored leather — that was paired with a polo-neck T-shirt and a high-neck, below-the-hip raj jacket, and draped, low-slung dhoti pants with a striped wool biker tailcoat.

The tapestry-style brocade outfits, jazzed up with flashes of silver and copper, were dressier than garments typical of Rag & Bone.

YIGAL AZROUEL

One of the dominant looks emerging this fashion week that Yigal Azrouel did well was the idea of a looser silhouette while still giving structure with tailoring. There was definitely nothing frilly or flouncy in his pieces, which were seasonal with what he called a bit of “cold minimalism.”

He favored cashmere and silk, with hints of leather and fur, with a standout winter-white wool hooded pullover top paired with skinny trousers, and a lovely light tan gabardine dress with architectural lines. A cable-knit sweater dress seemed perfect for the chilly weather evoked by the line.

He embraced the use of soft, supple leather, another emerging must-have item, and a mostly neutral color palette with pops of emerald green and shades of purple and burgundy.

___

Follow AP coverage of New York Fashion Week at http://twitter.com/ap_fashion

Brad Goreski has new clients who include Swedish actress Noomi Rapace, a new TV show and a new gig styling for Kate Spade New York.

What he doesn’t have is any interest in rehashing a feud with his former boss Rachel Zoe, who accused him of ditching her right before the Oscars and trying to steal her clients when he struck out on his own in 2010.

“How am I dealing with it? I have no comment about it. That’s how I’m putting it to rest. I wish her all the best,” Goreski said Friday at the Kate Spade presentation during New York Fashion Week.

He has denied both accusations in the past. Otherwise, life is really, really good for the Bravo star of “It’s a Brad, Brad World.”

The show premiered last month. It takes on Goreski’s life in Los Angeles with his partner of 10 years, TV writer Gary Janetti, as he moves from storing glamorous clothes for clients in his garage into a comfy work space of his own. And the tears. He cries a lot.

On TV, Goreski bemoans his short client list, but he said business has picked up off-screen with jobs for Rapace, Christina Ricci, Rashida Jones and Abigail Spencer.

“Times have changed, luckily,” said the 34-year-old from Ontario.

Goreski hinted “something so magical happens between Gary and myself” as the show’s first season comes to a close. He was mum about the details.

Janetti appears not so terribly comfortable at times on the show. Has he settled into his role as a co-star?

“He’s a very private person and has been his whole life,” Goreski said. “Opening up our lives and our home and all the inner workings of our private life is something a little daunting, but it’s very true to who we really are every single day.”

Prosecutors have said Monica Beresford-Redman did not leave the hotel and was killed there by her husband, former “Survivor” producer Bruce Beresford-Redman. He has said his wife left the hotel and disappeared.

Testifying Friday on the second day of a preliminary hearing, a taxi driver and craft-store owner said they saw the victim leave the hotel, take a cab and buy about $100 worth of items.

The body of the victim was found in a sewer cistern during a family vacation in April 2010.

Bruce Beresford-Redman says he is innocent, and his lawyers said Thursday that they hope to persuade a judge to drop the charges.

Jaime Cancino Leon, an attorney for Beresford-Redman, said Thursday that he had found inconsistencies in the prosecution case, but did not elaborate.

The Quintana Roo state attorney general, Gaspar Armando Garcia Torres, said he expects the judge to order the case to go to trial.

She’s been a sensation since she’s been born, and now Blue Ivy has made her public debut.

Five photos of the 1-month-old were posted by her parents — Beyonce and Jay-Z — on a page at the blogging service Tumblr.

The pictures at http://helloblueivycarter.tumblr.com include a close-up of the baby and two of each parent holding her.

A statement next to the photos reads, “We welcome you to share our joy.” The couple also thanked the public for respecting their privacy.

Blue Ivy is the superstar couple’s first child.

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

The annual pre-Grammy Clive Davis gala is so hot this year that even Diddy is getting calls from celebrities who are trying to get on the bill — and in the seats.

Diddy will introduce Davis at the event Saturday, one day before the Grammy Awards.

Davis got a call from Diddy on Friday, and Diddy told him, “Everybody is trying to get me to call you.”

The music mogul’s pre-Grammy party is always white-hot. It has featured performances from top acts like Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin and Carlos Santana.

This year, The Kinks will take the stage to play a medley of their hits, with the help of Jackson Browne and Elvis Costello. Davis says Mumford & Sons are hoping they arrive in time to get in on the performance.

Spokesman Joseph Armillas says Bruns died Wednesday in Los Angeles of natural causes.

Bruns appeared on two seasons of “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” playing Mary’s father on the soap-opera parody. He also spent three years with Jackie Gleason on his comedy-variety show in the mid-1960s.

Born in Pipestone, Minn., Bruns attended Yale University’s drama school, then began his career in New York on the stage and as a prolific actor in TV commercials.

He later went to Los Angeles, appearing in more than 40 feature films, including “Flashdance,” ”The Stunt Man” and “My Favorite Year.”

Bruns is survived by his wife, actress Laurie Franks.

Tony Bennett performed on the very first Grammy Awards, and as he returns for the 54th show this Sunday, the singer says it never gets old.

He loves the Grammys because “it’s the only place where all the performers get together in one weekend” — and he actually knows most of them.

The 85-year-old entertainer rehearsed a duet of “It Had to be You” with country star Carrie Underwood on Friday. Underwood called Bennett “America’s most enduring artist.”

When they finished their rehearsal, Bennett told Underwood it was “beautiful” singing with her.

The pair is also set to present the award for best new artist during the ceremony at Staples Center. The Band Perry, Bon Iver, J. Cole, Nicki Minaj and Skrillex are up for the honor.

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Kid Rock has posted an expletive-laced letter criticizing a columnist who reported that some of the musician’s “Made in Detroit” T-shirts are not made in the city or the U.S.

Detroit Free Press Columnist Susan Tompor wrote Monday that some “Made in Detroit” T-shirts are manufactured overseas, while some adult-sized T-shirts were missing labels.

Kid Rock’s letter on the “Made in Detroit” website says the column misses the co

mpany’s goals of re-instilling “a sense of Detroit pride.” The letter also says the company “NEVER laid claim” to items “actually being made in Detroit.”

The letter is signed by the popular rocker-rapper, who was born Robert Ritchie.

Kid Rock bought the clothing line several years ago.

Free Press senior managing editor Jeff Taylor says “the column was fair, balanced and accurate.”

Will.i.am said he hoped to raise $1 million for his charity that benefits needy students at a concert Thursday night. Instead, he raised $5 million.

He hosted an event that featured performances from Stevie Wonder and Ne-Yo at the Hollywood Palladium for his i.am angel foundation, established in 2009.

The Black Eyed Peas leader said he was inspired by the 2010 documentary “Waiting for Superman,” about U.S. public education. He said that “Superman is not coming to save no neighborhood or no education system.”

“They might as well call that movie ‘Waiting for William.’ That’s the reason why I’m doing what I am doing because that movie hits straight to heart because my mom went to one of those schools,” he said.

Will.i.am also talked politics: He said President Barack Obama is not a “magic man,” and that people shouldn’t expect him to solve the country’s problems with “some freakin’ plan.”

“We can sit and point fingers and say Obama’s not doing his job, but you’re supposed to do your job,” said will.i.am, who has supported Obama in the past.

Thursday night’s event, dubbed “TRANS4MATION EXPERIENCE,” was the first annual celebration for will.i.am’s foundation. Videos played in the background highlighted students struggling to get an education from various neighborhoods, including Boyle Heights, where will.i.am grew up. One message on the screen read: “It’s time to bring good to the hood.”

Will.i.am performed with the Black Eyed Peas, though Fergie was absent. The night’s top guest was Wonder, who played the harmonica and the keys and sang classics like “My Cherie Amor” and “Superstition.” The veteran singer said he was delighted to support will.i.am.

“How do you show your true friendship?” Wonder asked. “You put actions behind your words.”

Ne-Yo followed after Wonder, saying loudly to laughs from the crowd: “I want to know who wants to put me after Stevie Wonder. What the (expletive)?”

Other performers included K’Naan and Flo Rida.

Snoop Dogg, Mos Def, Q-Tip, Eminem, Nas and Kanye West are coming to a theater near you.

The Indomina Group said Friday it will release Ice-T’s rap documentary, which features all those artists, in North America on June 8.

Ice-T’s directorial debut, “Something From Nothing: The Art of Rap,” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival last month. The film shows classic rappers from across the country discussing how they write songs.

The 53-year-old entertainer says “music and movie lovers alike will really get into it.”

Don Cornelius was cremated at a private service attended by family and family who were led in prayer by the Rev. Jesse Jackson, the “Soul Train” founder’s family announced Friday.

Jackson led the gathering in prayer during the service, which was held at the same cemetery where Michael Jackson and other celebrities are interred.

“The Rev. Jackson and my father were very, very close friends and I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Cornelius’ son Tony wrote in a statement.

Cornelius’ family is also planning a larger private memorial for next week, during which he will be eulogized by Jesse Jackson.

The popular host killed himself Feb. 1 with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He had in recent years faced health problems and divorced his wife after a fight with her led him to plead no contest to spousal battery.

Since his death, Cornelius has been honored around the country by fans and celebrities alike. “Soul Train” showcased legendary artists such as Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye and Barry White. It brought the best R&B, soul and hip-hop acts to TV and had teenagers dance to their music.

Cornelius was honored Saturday with public celebrations in Harlem and Chicago, where he founded “Soul Train” in 1970. The show became one of the longest-running syndicated shows in history, introducing audiences to many top music acts and providing a never-before-seen TV platform for black culture.

Breck died Monday in Vancouver, British Columbia, after a long illness, his wife, Diane, announced on the website The Big Valley Writing Desk.

A native of Haverhill, Mass., Breck was also a regular on the TV Westerns “Maverick” and “Black Saddle.” He had guest roles on series from the 1950s through the early 2000s including “Perry Mason,” ”The Virginian” and “Fantasy Island.”

His film appearances include “Thunder Road,” ”I Want to Live!” and “Benji.”

Breck was best known for his role as hot-tempered rancher Nick Barkley on “The Big Valley,” which aired from 1965 to 1969.

He and his wife were longtime Vancouver residents.

Image via Wikipedia

Madonna says she’s not happy that M.I.A. made an obscene gesture during the Super Bowl halftime show.

Madonna said on Ryan Seacrest’s radio show Friday that the gesture was pointless and “seemed out of place.” The British hip-hop artist, invited by Madonna to participate in Sunday’s halftime show in front of 114 million people, extended her middle finger to the camera.

Madonna said that “I understand it’s kind of punk rock and everything but to me, there was such a feeling of love and good energy and positivity, it seemed negative.” She said it was something a teenager would do.

The singer said she didn’t learn what M.I.A. had done until someone told her after the show.

Mary J. Blige brought out plenty of emotion as she performed in front of a packed house to support one of her favorite charities.

Blige sang several of her most famous songs including “No More Drama” and “Family Affair” at the Avalon nightclub on Thursday night to support the (RED) campaign that raises money to fight AIDS and HIV. She has supported the charity for years.

The singer gave a few emotional speeches where she talked about the importance of giving back.

“All those people we are rocking for are going to be just fine,” Blige said before performing her hit single “Just Fine.”

After her set, musician Skrillex acted as DJ, playing in a VIP area at the Belvedere-sponsored pre-Grammy event that also included singer Kelis, actress Malin Akerman and Oscar winner Forest Whitaker.

The Grammys will be held Sunday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Losing has never felt better to The Band Perry.

The sibling trio got their first Grammy nomination last year in the best country song category for their breakout crossover hit “If I Die Young.” Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now” took home the trophy, but the loss turned out to be bittersweet. It kept them eligible for the all-genre category they’re nominated in this year — best new artist.

“Our fingers are crossed. Our toes are crossed. Neil’s eyes are crossed,” lead singer Kimberly Perry joked, referring to one of her two brothers in the band (Reid is the other one). “We’re so excited to see what happens at the show.”

The band’s self-titled debut album has gone platinum and it spawned two No. 1 country hits: “If I Die Young” and their most recent chart topper, “All Your Life.”

The band is competing for the best new artist title against top acts from other genres, including singer-rapper Nicki Minaj, dance DJ Skrillex, rapper J.Cole, and indie folk band Bon Iver.

“After we got over the initial shock that we were nominated for a Grammy at all, I think the thing we were most intrigued by was the variety of artists in the best new artist category,” said Kimberly. “We’re just really, really thrilled to be representing country music. We kind of feel like ambassadors for our format, and regardless of what happens, we’re just so grateful to have the nomination.”

Music has been a part of the band’s life since they were little, and the siblings often cite their parents’ diverse musical tastes —from The Rolling Stones to Loretta Lynn— for shaping their own musical sound. Neil Perry said the Grammys have always been a big part of the Perry household.

“We would gather around the TV, get food and watch it like every year. So to actually be a part of it, it’s a big deal for the three of us. I’d say it ranks pretty high in the list of favorite moments of our musical career so far,” said Neil.

“Our mother said she wanted to see three things from us,” added Kimberly, “that we would eventually have a show in Vegas, that we would be inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, and that we would have a Grammy nomination. So we can at least mark one off the list.”

For now, they are trying to figure out how to stand out on the chaotic Grammy red carpet. Neil said they usually pull their looks together the night before an awards show, but it all starts with Kimberly’s outfit.

“I’ll pick a dress first, and they’ll follow suit after that. No pun intended,” said Kimberly, laughing.

The Grammys will be held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday.

__

Online: http://www.thebandperry.com

Jason Aldean usually maintains a fairly steely demeanor, yet country music’s hottest new male star admits to being more than a little excited about his three Grammy nominations.

“I’m not usually one to say it’s an honor to be nominated because I think that sounds so stupid, but in this case I think it is,” Aldean said. “When you look at how important the Grammys are and just how much that award means to an artist, to say you’re Grammy nominated is a cool thing. I also think saying you’re a Grammy Award-winner is a lot cooler.”

Aldean is up for country album of the year for “My Kinda Party,” best country solo performance for the hit “Dirt Road Anthem” and best country duo/group performance for “Don’t You Wanna Stay” with Kelly Clarkson.

He’ll also perform at Sunday’s ceremony in Los Angeles at the Staples Center. That will cap a period of growth in Aldean’s career that has brought him to the top of the genre. More than a million people attended his first arena tour last year (and he’s out on the road again); “My Kinda Party,” which won the Country Music Association Award for best album, has exceeded two million in sales; and he has just wrapped up recording his untitled fifth album, which will likely be released late this year.

Aldean says he’ll have a few surprises on the new album, just as he did on “Party.” Songs like the rap-sung “Anthem” and “Stay” helped expand Aldean’s musical palette, and both fans and Grammy voters responded.

“When you’re making records, you start trying to outdo yourself and worrying about topping your last album or matching what you did,” Aldean said. “I think each record is its own individual thing. They’re going to be different in their own ways. For me, I’m kind of a risk taker anyway. A lot of times I’m not even conscious of it.”

Bret Michaels isn’t above stealing a Grammy.

After crooning “Nothin’ But A Good Time,” the former Poison frontman — who has never attained Grammy gold — jokingly announced onstage at a Grammy Foundation event Thursday that he was on the prowl to nab a trophy.

The rocker was among more than a dozen performers at “One Night Only: A Celebration Of The Live Music Experience,” the 14th annual Grammy Foundation Music Preservation Project.

“This is as close as I’ve ever got to a Grammy,” said Michaels while standing next to a mammoth Grammy statue. “I’m the Susan Lucci of rock and roll.”

This year’s event paid tribute to the forms of live music, including concerts, festivals and venues ranging from The Troubadour in Los Angeles to the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tenn. Other performers included Mavis Staples, Ledisi, Dave Koz and Trombone Shorty, who teamed up at one point during the show for a jazzy rendition of “I’ll Take You There.”

“Tonight’s event enables us to highlight the Grammy Foundation’s efforts to keep our rich musical heritage alive for future generations — part of the Recording Academy’s ongoing educational mission,” Neil Portnow, president and CEO of the Recording Academy, told the diverse crowd of Grammy winners, nominees and music lovers inside the Saban Theatre.

The event began with selections from Antonin Dvorak’s New World Symphony by the student musicians from the Colburn Orchestra. Other performers included Grammy winners Shelby Lynne, Robert Cray and Jonny Lang, who dueted with “The Voice” finalist Beverly McClellan.

“The vibe of a live performance, there is nothing like it in the world,” said Ozzfest co-founder and “America’s Got Talent” judge Sharon Osbourne, who co-hosted the event. “It doesn’t matter if it’s for 100 people or 100,000 people. It gives me goosebumps. As we get ready for the Grammys, which honor the year’s best recordings, we should remember that all music begins as live music.”

Clips about live music performances from the foundation’s archives, including a tribute to the iconic Greenwich Village folk music coffeehouse Caffe Lena in New York City, were showcased between performances.

Laura “LP” Pergolizzi wowed the crowd with her ukulele skills, whistling prowess and soaring voice on her song “Into the Wild” before launching into a glassy cover of Radiohead’s “Creep,” which prompted fans in the audience to lavish the curly-haired singer with a standing ovation.

“Artists can break on YouTube or Facebook, but no matter what, you still need to get in front of a crowd of real live humans,” said Grammy-winning guitarist and event co-host Steve Vai. “When we get together and we’re watching, we’re communicating with the band by feeling them, and it creates this atmosphere, which is the live music experience that we just love so much.”

Michael Rapaport clearly loves music. It’s evident in every moment of his documentary, “Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest,” the actor’s directing debut about the influential hip-hop group. The film includes the rift that divided the Tribe as well as the tensions that linger today, but a deep admiration for the music itself shines through.

So with the Grammy Awards on Sunday, where “Beats, Rhymes & Life” is nominated for best long form music video, we asked Rapaport to take over the Five Most space to pick his favorite music documentaries. (The film, which came out theatrically last summer, also won top documentary honors from the Producers Guild of America this year.) But since he’s so enthusiastic — and was so nice to join us this week — we let him pick six, in order of preference and in his own words:

• “Gimme Shelter” (1970): The Rolling Stones in their prime. Directed by the Maysles Brothers, this is musically incredible. You get to see the Stones being rock stars that don’t exist anymore, and just as important, you see them as vulnerable and as stunned as the audience who witness the shocking events at the overbooked and underplanned Northern California concert that goes really, really wrong. Look for the cameo by a Hells Angels dude wearing a wolf mask.

• “Soul Power” (2008): The concert film that was the backdrop for Muhammad Ali’s “Rumble in the Jungle” against George Foreman. James Brown, Bill Withers, The Spinners and many more perform in the African heat. The sweat pouring off everybody involved should’ve gotten its own listing in the credit sequence. Ali is so excited when all of the musicians are listed, he’s enjoying the show as much as the fans are. I really can’t push or recommend this film harder. It’s my favorite straight-up concert film.

• “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” (2002): I wasn’t a fan nor had I ever heard of Wilco before watching this film and I love it. The cinematography — shot in black-and-white film by director Sam Jones, who’s best-known as a photographer — is so lush and so beautiful, you can literally watch this film on mute and you will enjoy it. The real-time story and conflict that takes place between Wilco and the record label and themselves was a big inspiration in making my film “Beats, Rhymes & Life.” Watching the construction of their album “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” right before your eyes will make any viewer a fan of the band.

• “Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser” (1988): This is my favorite jazz film. Watching Thelonious Monk spin around on stage in the opening performance is a scene I will always remember seeing for the first time. Every moment of this film is shot in deep black and white and jazzy color. Thelonious Monk has so much style and is such a unique personality. Hearing his son walk you through his dad’s mental breakdown is devastating at times. Watching Monk in the studio recording take after take live is like eating the best sushi meal of your life. And I have a secret to reveal: I’d bet my house that Monk’s funky and at times hard-to-understand dialect was the inspiration for Benecio Del Toro’s character in “The Usual Suspects.”

• “Style Wars” (1984): This may not be considered a straight music doc, but for me it’s the ultimate hip-hop film. It’s shot in the 1970s in NYC and articulates all four elements of hip-hop: MCing, DJing, graffiti and B-Boying during the culture’s youth, straight from the Boogie Down Bronx. Everything about this film is perfect and it also inspired me on “Beats, Rhymes & Life” as it takes on a real-time story line while walking you through the history of hip-hop during its purest time.

• “Buena Vista Social Club” (1999): This is a beautiful film about Ry Cooder’s making of the album. He rediscovers and actually forms a crew of 50-, 60- and some 70-year-old Cuban jazz artists and they made the Grammy Award-winning classic album. Watching these artists go from complete obscurity to performing in New York City at Carnegie Hall to this day reminds me to always be humble and never take any success for granted.

Image via Wikipedia

San Francisco is honoring legendary crooner Tony Bennett, whose famous song, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” was recorded 50 years ago.

Mayor Ed Lee, Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Rep. Nancy Pelosi are among those expected to attend a ceremony for Bennett in the City Hall Rotunda at noon on Tuesday, Valentine’s Day.

The event will include renditions of “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” by the San Francisco Boys and Girls Choruses and the San Francisco Symphony among others.

The song will also be broadcast at noon over the public address system in Union Square and Hallidie Plaza.

The event will conclude with a sing along of the song.

Joy Williams of The Civil Wars. (Christina Mendenhall / rhythmscene.com)

Joy Williams of Grammy-nominated duo The Civil Wars says she is pregnant.

It’s the first child for Williams and her husband-manager Nate Yetton. The baby is due in late June. The “Barton Hollow” singer made the announcement on Twitter and her publicist confirmed the news.

Williams and her singing partner John Paul White are up for two Grammys this weekend — best folk album and best country duo/group performance. They also will perform at Sunday’s awards show.

“My baby bump & I will see you on the red carpet,” Williams said on Twitter.

Related articles

• Civil Wars surprise themselves in sold-out show at Culture Room (pbpulse.com)
• The Golden Age Of Music: The Civil Wars (forbes.com)

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Police in Las Vegas say rap music mogul Suge Knight was arrested a traffic warrant and a misdemeanor drug charge.

Officer Laura Meltzer says the 46-year-old former Death Row Records executive was stopped driving a black Bentley with California plates about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday on a street just off Flamingo Road west of the Las Vegas Strip.

Meltzer says Knight was charged with making an unsafe lane change and possession of less than one ounce of a controlled substance and was released from jail without bail. Knight’s court date wasn’t immediately available.

Attorney David Chesnoff has represented Knight in previous Las Vegas cases. He’s traveling and wasn’t immediately available for comment.

Celebrity website TMZ first reported the arrest. It says Knight had marijuana with him when he was stopped.

Image via Wikipedia

Music mogul Russell Simmons wants New York’s governor to pull the plug on milk from cows.

The hip-hop impresario writes in a letter to Andrew Cuomo that milk should no longer be the state’s official beverage.

Simmons, a vegan who has taken on several animal rights causes with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, says milk from cows is less healthy than milk from rice, almonds or soy.

He tells The Associated Press he knows dairy is big business in New York but says other industries could spring up in its place.

Simmons and Cuomo go way back. They’re both from Queens, and they worked together a decade ago to help soften New York’s strict drug laws.

Cuomo’s office didn’t immediately respond Thursday to a request for comment.

A chance to kiss the buff, shirtless Richard Gere of the early ’80s? Sold, for $20,000!

It wasn’t exactly a time machine that was auctioned off at the annual amfAR AIDS charity gala kicking off New York Fashion Week on Wednesday evening. Rather, it was a black-and-white portrait of Gere by famed photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, who himself died of AIDS in 1989. Displaying the photo from the stage, cookbook author and TV personality Padma Lakshmi kissed it a few times to demonstrate its appeal.

The gala, held in the cavernous event space at Cipriani Wall Street, is a staple event on the fringes of New York Fashion Week. This year, it was hosted by Sarah Jessica Parker, and featured performances by Brooklyn rapper Theophilius London, R&B singer Janelle Monae, and opera singer Michelle Johnson, who sang in tribute to the late Elizabeth Taylor — founder of the AIDS charity.

But whatever was happening onstage, it was at least as interesting to stargaze among the guests, an eclectic mix of fashion, Hollywood, music and medicine. Fashion luminaries included designer Kenneth Cole, “Project Runway” host Heidi Klum (and judge Nina Garcia), Linda Evangelista and Cindy Crawford, who presented an award to Italian designer Roberto Cavalli.

Actress Julianne Moore was there, as was Stanley Tucci and director Woody Allen, seated between his wife and Mathilde Krim, founding chairman of the American Foundation for AIDS Research, or amfAR. Actress-singer Jennifer Hudson grooved to Monae’s performance. Lindsay Lohan showed up in a demure, long-sleeved white dress.

The event raised more than $1.4 million for AIDS research, the group said. Other honorees, besides Cavalli, were Chopard co-president Caroline Scheufele, and Goldman Sachs Gives.