GRAMMY® Nominees Chris Brown, Tony Bennett and Carrie Underwood Added to the Lineup for the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards®

ALICIA KEYS AND BONNIE RAITT TO REMEMBER ETTA JAMES

Marc Anthony, Lady Antebellum and Ryan Seacrest To Present at the Music Industry's Premier Event

Music's Biggest Night® — Hosted by Rapper/Actor LL COOL J — Airs Live on CBS Sunday, Feb. 12, 8 ET/PT

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Feb. 7, 2012 -- Current GRAMMY^® nominee Chris Brown ; nominees Tony Bennett and Carrie Underwood , who will perform together; and 14-time GRAMMY winner Alicia Keys and nine-time GRAMMY winner Bonnie Raitt , who will remember Etta James, have been added to the stellar lineup for the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards^® ( www.grammy.com ).

Two-time GRAMMY and three-time Latin GRAMMY^® winner Marc Anthony , six-time GRAMMY winners and current nominees Lady Antebellum, and television and radio host/producer Ryan Seacrest will appear as presenters. Music's Biggest Night^® — hosted by two-time GRAMMY winner LL COOL J — takes place live on Sunday, Feb. 12 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles and will be broadcast in high definition and 5.1 surround sound on the CBS Television Network from 8 – 11:30 p.m. (ET/PT).

The show also will be supported on radio worldwide via Dial Global, and covered online at GRAMMY.com and CBS.com, and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/thegrammys . Additional performers, presenters and special segments will be announced soon. For GRAMMY coverage, updates and breaking news, please visit The Recording Academy^®'s social networks on Twitter and Facebook: www.twitter.com/thegrammys , www.facebook.com/thegrammys .

Brown has three nominations: Best R&B Album for F.A.M.E., and Best Rap Performance (with Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes) and Best Rap Song for "Look At Me Now."

Fourteen-time GRAMMY Winner and Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Bennett has two nods: Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for "Body And Soul" (with Amy Winehouse), and Best Traditional Pop Album for Duets II (with Various Artists).

Five-time GRAMMY winner Underwood is nominated for Best Country Solo Performance for "Mama's Song."

Previously announced performers for the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards include Adele (in her first live performance since undergoing vocal cord surgery last fall); Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson ; Glen Campbell with The Band Perry and Blake Shelton ; Coldplay and Rihanna; Foo Fighters; Bruno Mars ; Paul McCartney ; Nicki Minaj; Katy Perry ; Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band; and Taylor Swift . Aldean, The Band Perry, Minaj, and Shelton will perform on the GRAMMY telecast for the first time. Previously announced presenters are Dierks Bentley , Jack Black , Drake, Fergie, Miranda Lambert , Gwyneth Paltrow , Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson, and Ringo Starr . LL COOL J has hosted "The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live!! — Countdown To Music's Biggest Night" since its inception in December 2008, and this is his first time hosting the annual GRAMMY Awards telecast.

The 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards are produced by John Cossette Productions and AEG Ehrlich Ventures for The Recording Academy^®. Ken Ehrlich is executive producer, Louis J. Horvitz is director, and David Wild and Ken Ehrlich are the writers.
Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers.

Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards — the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music — The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs. The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture.

For more information about The Academy, please visit www.grammy.com . For breaking news and exclusive content, follow @TheGRAMMYs on Twitter, like "The GRAMMYs" on Facebook, and join The GRAMMYs' social communities on YouTube, Tumblr, Foursquare, GetGlue, and Instagram.

SOURCE The Recording Academy

Tony Bennett: Duets II, Behind the Scenes of the Legendary Singer's History-Making Number One Album, on THIRTEEN's Great Performances Friday, January 27 at 9 p.m. on PBS

Lady Gaga, John Mayer, Michael Buble, k.d. lang, Aretha Franklin, Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson, Queen Latifah, Norah Jones, Josh Groban, Natalie Cole, Andrea Bocelli, Faith Hill, Alejandro Sanz, Carrie Underwood and Amy Winehouse join Bennett in the studio

NEW YORK, Dec. 27, 2011 -- Tony Bennett made music history with the Grammy-nominated CD Duets II when it debuted at the top of the Billboard Album charts, making Bennett the oldest vocal artist ever to achieve the number one spot. Recently nominated for three Grammys, including Best Traditional Pop Vocal, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, and Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s), the critically acclaimed album followed the 85-year-old singer's Grammy-winning 2006 Duets CD, which had, in turn, been released in honor of his 80th birthday.

Tony Bennett: Duets II , a presentation of THIRTEEN's Great Performances, features the singer's greatest hits, performed by Bennett and today's biggest stars, including John Mayer, Michael Buble, k.d. lang, Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson, Queen Latifah, Norah Jones, Josh Groban, Faith Hill, Alejandro Sanz, Carrie Underwood and more.

The sessions, filmed to capture the magic of these performers singing with the master of the Great American Songbook, airs on Friday, January 27, 2012, at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings).

Great Performances is a production of THIRTEEN for WNET, one of America's most prolific and respected public media providers. For nearly 50 years, WNET has been producing and broadcasting national and local arts programming to the New York community.

The album took more than six months to record, with each track recorded face-to-face with his singer partners in studios around the world, from LA to Nashville to London. Among the many highlights is Amy Winehouse's last recorded track ("Body and Soul"), which was produced in London's famous Abbey Road Studios in March. Other tracks were recorded in New York in late July: the Richard Rodgers-Lorenz Hart classic, "The Lady Is a Tramp," with Lady Gaga, and the Alan and Marilyn Bergman classic, "How Do You Keep the Music Playing," with Aretha Franklin , and "Stranger in Paradise," with Andrea Bocelli , recorded at the singer's Italian home (see full track listing below).

The CD received kudos from all quarters. The Wall Street Journal noted that the singer was "…constantly reaffirming his position as pop music's greatest living patriarch," and Associated Press observed, "Tony Bennett is as timeless as the songs he sings on 'Duets II.'"

The musical segments are highlighted by insights on the process from the performers, making for an up-close look at one of the year's most celebrated recordings. The sessions were filmed by Oscar-winning cinematographer Dion Beebe ("Chicago," "Memoirs of a Geisha," "Collateral"), providing a personal, behind-the-scenes look at Bennett's latest collaborations and his artistic approach with each song.

Entering his seventh decade as a recording artist with more than 100 albums and 15 Grammy Awards including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Bennett has earned his legendary status many times over. He remains the Columbia recording artist with the greatest longevity at the label. His 2007 primetime special, "Tony Bennett: An American Classic," won seven Emmy Awards and was directed by Academy Award winner Rob Marshall.

He has performed for Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Carter, Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Clinton, George W. Bush and Obama. He also worked with and marched alongside Martin Luther King in his 1965 civil rights march and was honored with the Martin Luther King's Salute to Greatness Award.

In addition to performing, he is a visual artist as well, with three of his original paintings featured in the permanent collection at the Smithsonian, including his portraits of Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington. His humanitarian efforts are renowned, and the United Nations honored him with their Humanitarian Award in 2007.

He has published three books — his autobiography, The Good Life, and two collections of his paintings, Tony Bennett: What My Heart Has Seen and Tony Bennett in the Studio: A Life of Art and Music. Bennett founded, in association with the Department of Education in New York City, the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts — a public arts high school in his hometown of Astoria, Queens. With his wife, Susan, he established Exploring the Arts, a charitable organization that supports arts education in NYC public high schools. Exploring the Arts supports 14 public high schools throughout New York City.

In the fall of 2007, a documentary of Bennett's life and career, produced by Clint Eastwood, "Tony Bennett: The Music Never Ends," aired on THIRTEEN's American Masters on PBS.

The full song program follows:

"The Lady Is a Tramp" (Lady Gaga)
"One for My Baby (And One More for the Road)" (John Mayer)
"Body and Soul" (Amy Winehouse)
"Don't Get Around Much Anymore" (Michael Buble)
"Blue Velvet" (k.d. lang)
"How Do You Keep the Music Playing" (Aretha Franklin)
"The Girl I Love" (Sheryl Crow)
"On the Sunny Side of the Street" (Willie Nelson)
"Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)" (Queen Latifah)
"Speak Low" (Norah Jones)
"This Is All I Ask" (Josh Groban)
"Watch What Happens" (Natalie Cole)
"Stranger in Paradise" (Andrea Bocelli)
"The Way You Look Tonight" (Faith Hill)
"Yesterday I Heard the Rain" (Alejandro Sanz)
"It Had to Be You" (Carrie Underwood)

Great Performances is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, Vivian Milstein, the LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust, the Starr Foundation, the Filomen M. D'Agostino Foundation, the Philip and Janice Levin Foundation, public television viewers, and PBS.

Tony Bennett: Duets II is produced by RPM TV Productions, Inc. For Great Performances , Bill O'Donnell is series producer; David Horn is executive producer.

Visit Great Performances Online at www.pbs.org/gperf for additional information about this and other programs.

Tony Bennett, Ray Romano & Phil Donahue Headline St. Jude Children's Research Hospital® 50th Anniversary Gala Benefit On January 7, 2012

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 20, 2011 -- Tony Bennett, Ray Romano and Phil Donahue will headline the celebration as stars from the entertainment industry show their support for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's 50th anniversary with a benefit gala in Los Angeles on January 7, 2012. Tony Bennett, a personal friend of St. Jude founder – the late entertainer Danny Thomas – will perform for the star-studded crowd along with Ray Romano, a good friend of the Thomas family and an ardent supporter of St. Jude, to help commemorate what would have been Thomas' 100th birthday. The 50th anniversary gala honors St. Jude's commitment to saving the lives of children fighting cancer and other deadly diseases.

"My father always said there would be no St. Jude without Hollywood," said Tony Thomas, son of Danny Thomas and one of the gala's co-chairs. "He spent the 1950's raising money for his dream, to build a hospital for research and care under one roof for children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. He reached out to his entertainment friends, who we now know as legends, to put on benefits around the country to raise money for a hospital yet to be built. Today, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital stands as a beacon of hope for families across America. My father would be so proud that Hollywood continues to support the hospital."

To honor Thomas' memory, the black tie audience will be entertained by the incomparable Tony Bennett as he performs from his latest album. Ray Romano will perform a special birthday tribute. Phil Donahue, husband of Danny's daughter, actress Marlo Thomas, will emcee the gala with members of the Thomas family on site. The gala will also feature a presentation from the United States Postal Service. Marlo Thomas, Tony Thomas, Terre Thomas and Robert Ellis serve as co-chairs of the event.

"Danny Thomas was an exceptionally generous man and I loved having had the opportunity to know him," said Tony Bennett, "He passed along his giving spirit to his family and I know he would be so proud that his mission to help children through St. Jude Children's Research Hospital has continued on so successfully. I am thrilled to be part of the 50th Anniversary to celebrate this wonderful organization and honor Danny."

Celebrities confirmed to join the celebration include Jason Bateman, Julie Bowen, Diahann Carroll, Cindy Crawford, Marcia Cross, Hilary and Haylie Duff, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Daisy Fuentes, Lance Gross, Jon Hamm, Harry Hamlin, Jared Harris, Mila Kunis, Maggie Lord, Elisabeth Moss, Elise Neal, Marisol Nichols, Jaime Pressly, Raven-Symone, Lisa Rinna, Amanda Seyfried, William Shatner, Cybill Shepherd, John Slattery, Alison Sweeney, Amber Valletta , Patrick Warburton, and heroic pilot Captain Chesley Sullenberger and astronaut Buzz Aldrin. The 50th anniversary celebration will be held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2012.

"As we embark on the year-long celebration of the opening of St. Jude 50 years ago, it is only fitting that we pay tribute at this special event to Danny Thomas, our founder and our most passionate champion," said Rick Shadyac Jr., CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising organization of St. Jude. "If Danny were still with us today, I know he would be touched by the army of supporters who have embraced St. Jude and joined the fight against childhood cancer and other deadly diseases."

Founded in 1962 with a mission to save the lives of children everywhere, St. Jude visionary and founder, entertainer Danny Thomas wanted to create a hopeful place that was accepting of all children whether or not the family could afford treatment. Today, St. Jude is the only children's hospital where a child is never turned away if a family can't pay and no family pays St. Jude for anything. For 50 years, St. Jude has made great discoveries in how to treat deadly childhood diseases like cancer, saving the lives of kids across America. Research at St. Jude has changed how the world treats leukemia, brain tumors, and sickle cell, pushing survival rates for childhood cancers from less than 20 percent in 1962 to almost 80 percent today.

About St. Jude Children's Research Hospital:

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is internationally recognized for its pioneering research and treatment of children with cancer and other life-threatening diseases. The hospital's research has helped push overall survival rates for childhood cancer from less than 20 percent when the institution opened to almost 80 percent today. It is the first and only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children, and no family ever pays St. Jude for care. For more information, go to http://www.stjude.org/ and follow St. Jude on www.facebook.com/stjude and www.twitter.com/stjude.

SOURCE St. Jude Children's Research Hospital