Grammy Collaborations

My excitement about the Grammy Awards was quickly dampened when AC/DC opened the show.  I'm not a fan although I know they have zillions of followers around the globe. Thankfully the music awards show improved with 2 1/2 hours of statues, speeches and lots of great performances.  What I love most about this annual event are the collaborations: when current nominees share the stage with performers from different genres, legends from the past, or other voices that simply sound amazing together.  A good example of that last type of pairing was the duet Sam Smith did with Mary J. Blige. The combination of those two soulful voices on "Stay With Me" made for a powerful performance.

And how about Annie Lennox? She stole the show helping out newcomer Hozier on "Take Me To Church" and then let loose with "I Put A Spell On You" from her Grammy-nominated album "Nostalgia."  That kind of mashup of old and new makes my heart sing and makes me thankful for DVR technology so I can watch such highlights again and again.

Speaking of traditional nostalgic songs, did you see Tony Bennett sing with Lady Gaga? No giant eggs or meat dresses can take away from the fact that Gaga has a beautiful voice that's perfect for singing jazz standards. (Their album won in the Best Traditional Pop Vocal category.)

Oh, and how cool was it to see John Mayer playing guitar while Ed Sheeran sang last night?

Throughout the years, there have been many memorable Grammy collaborations:  Prince and Beyonce, Usher and James Brown, Elton John and Lady Gaga, Tina Turner and Beyonce, as well as Bruno Mars, Rihanna, and Sting.

Do you have a favorite Grammy collaboration or performance?