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BEVERLY HILLS, California — Every year on Grammy Awards weekend, Clive Davis puts his stamp on the artist he feels will be the next blue-chip performer under his wing. The nod has become almost as important as winning a Grammy itself. This year, however, Davis’ biggest splash will be an act he discovered decades ago: Whitney Houston.

“She’s rehearsing around 9 p.m. tonight,” Davis said on Thursday afternoon, during practices for his legendary extravaganza at the Beverly Hilton. The music mogul — who has been Houston’s godfather figure as much as he has been one of the people guiding her career — hinted that Grammy-winning singer would have product in the marketplace sooner than we expect.

“You wait for the great songs to be written,” Davis said about the long-awaited comeback album from one of his most prized prodigies. “The great hits Whitney has given to the public for so many years — you keep encouraging and setting the bar. R. Kelly and Whitney just went into the studio with a great song called ‘I Look to You.’

“The same way her debut album took a while to put together, you just don’t do it by going into a computer. You wait for the material to justify a new album,” he added. “Pretty much, it’s come in.”

Davis said that Houston is going into the lab with hitmaker David Foster next week to record a ballad called “I Didn’t Know My Own Strength.” {Source}

Roll on Saturday! Really can’t wait to see and, more importantly, hear this one…

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Etta James might have put superstar Beyonce on blast for singing her signature song, “At Last,” at the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball after Barack Obama’s presidential inauguration, but the music legend said it was just a joke.

During a concert in Seattle on January 28, Etta told the crowd, “I tell you, that woman he has singing for him, singing my song, she gonna get her a** whipped… I can’t stand Beyonce, she had no business up there singing… my song that I’ve been singing forever.”

However on Thursday, Etta told The New York Daily News, “I didn’t really mean anything. Even as a little child, I’ve always had that comedian kind of attitude. … That’s probably what went into it.”

“Nobody was getting mad at me in Seattle,” she continued. “They were all laughing, and it was funny.”

The singer did admit to being a little hurt that she was not invited to sing for President Obama, saying she was “feeling left out of something that was basically mine, that I had done every time you look around.”

And when it came to rating Beyonce’s rendition of her iconic song, Etta said she liked it, but when asked if she could have performed it better, Etta answered, “I think so. That’s a shame to say that.”

As for President Obama, who she referred to as “the one with the big ears,” she believes he’s focused on more important things.

“I still had my joke about him. That might be horrible. The President might not ever like me in life,” she added. “He’s got other stuff [to worry about] besides Etta James.” {Source}

In an interview with the New York Post’s PopWatch blog, the West Philly MC blamed her disc’s repeated setbacks on her “whole music label situation” with Interscope, but said it should finally surface this spring or summer.

Initially set to hit stores in 2007 under the title Here I Am, the rapper/actress said the LP has undergone many changes. “It won’t be called ‘Here I Am’ anymore,’ she said. “Now it’s called ‘Flirt.’” In addition Eve says the music will be a lot more positive then her original effort. “I had to get in there and put in some upbeat music that I wasn’t depressed about,” she said of the new tracks. “It’s fun, it’s sexy, it’s totally me. Imagine if ‘Tambourine’ had kids — that’s what the CD sounds like.”

Despite the constant rescheduling and the new musical direction of the album, the former Ruff Ryder is confident that she won’t disappoint. “I am truly, truly sitting on some amazing music.” {Source}

I’m definitely looking forward to this one as Eve has been very consistent in recent years, both on a collabo tip and on her own merit. However, female rap doesn’t seem to be all the rage and hasn’t been for a while. Do you think Eve could still make an impact with this new LP?

Adele and Estelle have been added to the Grammy Awards growing list of performers.

The British singers were included in the latest round of A-listers now confirmed to play the show on Sunday.

They will join U2, Paul McCartney, Radiohead and Justin Timberlake in performing at the annual show.

Adele is up for four gongs at the ceremony including Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

Estelle will be on stage alongside hip hop grandee Kanye West.

Coldplay, Katy Perry, Jonas Brothers and Jennifer Hudson are also down to perform.

The 51st annual Grammy Awards will be held on February 8 at Staples Centre in Los Angeles. {Source}

It’s a near certainty that Estelle and Kanye will be performing ‘American Boy’. More power to her! It’s great to see a (talented and deserving) UK on the grandest of the stages.