Hudson, Rock, Latifah & The Police Join Grammys

?Dreamgirls? award winner Jennifer Hudson, Queen Latifah, Melissa Etheridge, Chris Rock, Joan Baez and Stevie Wonder have been added to the Grammy Awards on February 11, but it is the confirmed reunion of legendary outfit The Police that has sent tongues wagging.

The British-American trio won five Grammys during their career making their on-stage reunion for the telecast all the more fitting.

Made up of frontman Sting, guitarist Andy Summers and the group?s lone Yankee — drummer Stuart Copeland, the band were one of the most successful in the world during the late 1970’s and 1980’s churning out super hits “Roxanne,” “Every Breath You Take,” “Don’t Stand So Close To Me,” and “King Of Pain.” They were known for their unique style — a blend of traditional rock and reggae — which was a new concept for audiences at the time.

As Sting came to be the “face” of the band, as well as writing the bulk of their material, tensions rose among the trio as they became more successful. Their Grammy-winning album “Synchronicity” in 1983 turned out to be their last. Although there was never an official “break-up” of the band, they each pursued solo projects upon the completion of the ?Synchronicity Tour,? reuniting only briefly over the years for a couple of strained appearances and recording sessions, including their induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2003.

Sting went on to become a mega-star in his own right, releasing seven platinum solo albums. He released his newest effort “Songs From the Labyrinth” in 2006 and it is currently on the charts.

Copeland has gone on to become a successful composer of soundtracks for film and television, including scoring “Wall Street” and “Talk Radio.” He also joined with Phish’s Trey Anastasio and Primus’ Les Claypool to form the jam-band “Oysterhead.”

Summers has also enjoyed a career scoring movies, with “Weekend at Bernie’s” and “Down and Out in Beverly Hills” among his credits. He penned a memoir ? ?One Train Later,? which detailed his Police years, in 2006.

Rumors have flown over the past month about a reunion as 2007 marks the band?s 30th anniversary.

Summers said he felt the Police split too early in an interview with Billboard last year.

“The more rational approach would have been, ‘OK, Sting, go make a solo record, and let’s get back together in two or three years,’ ” he told the music publication. “I’m certain we could have done that. Of course we could have. We were definitely not in a creative dry space. We could have easily carried on, and we could probably still be there. That wasn’t to be our fate. It went in another way. I regret we never paid it off with a last tour.”

Well, the pay-off is coming, as the reunited Police open the Grammy Awards with a performance that will be seen and heard around the world. There are no confirmed reports of anything Police-related beyond the Grammy performance, but Access Hollywood will keep you informed.

The 49th Annual Grammy Awards will take place live on Sunday, Feb. 11, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. It will be broadcast on the CBS Television Network at 8 p.m. (ET/PT).

Copyright © 2024 by NBC Universal, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

This material may not be republished, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Read More

Dolly Parton Reacts To Beyoncé Covering 'Jolene' On New Country Album 'Cowboy Carter'