According to Edna Gundersen from USA Today:
BEVERLY HILLS — The annual Pre-Grammy Gala isn't just a Grammy preview. Sometimes it's a Grammy challenge. Saturday night's diva showdown by Mary J. Blige and Jennifer Hudson left the stage in ashes and left many wondering if any acts on Sunday's Grammy Awards would match their vocal firepower.
Clive Davis, Sony Music's chief creative officer, presided over the celebrity-studded bash at the Beverly Hilton, where stars from music, TV and film chattered over much of the evening's entertainment.
That is until around midnight, when Blige took the stage for No More Drama, a tune requested by Universal Music CEO Doug Morris, honored that night with the President's Merit Award. Cue the drama.
First, the band flubbed, and Blige cut the music short.
"Are we still practicing?" she asked curtly. "Do we have it together?"
She restarted, delivering a version drenched in naked emotion. Blige belted the lyrics with force, dropped to the floor and clutched the piano. The wrenching delivery continued with I Can See in Color, from the Precious soundtrack.
The crowd was revved up, and Hudson was ready to keep the engine burning. Singing People and The Way We Were, Hudson brought down the house with a soulful, strapping tribute to Barbra Streisand, attending the gala for the first time.
That is until around midnight, when Blige took the stage for No More Drama, a tune requested by Universal Music CEO Doug Morris, honored that night with the President's Merit Award. Cue the drama.
First, the band flubbed, and Blige cut the music short.
"Are we still practicing?" she asked curtly. "Do we have it together?"
She restarted, delivering a version drenched in naked emotion. Blige belted the lyrics with force, dropped to the floor and clutched the piano. The wrenching delivery continued with I Can See in Color, from the Precious soundtrack.
The crowd was revved up, and Hudson was ready to keep the engine burning. Singing People and The Way We Were, Hudson brought down the house with a soulful, strapping tribute to Barbra Streisand, attending the gala for the first time.
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