Michael Jackson's Kids Will Speak at the Grammys The King of Pop's progeny will be represented at the Grammy Awards.A source close to the Jackson family exclusively tells E! News that, as of late Friday evening, Michael Jackson's three children will not only attend the Grammys on Sunday, but will take the stage during the planned tribute to the pop icon to "read some sort of speech" about him.As we reported before, several other members of the Jackson family are already planning to be in the audience at Los Angeles' Staples Center, as well.Céline Dion, Carrie Underwood and Usher are among the current chart-toppers who will be participating in the Jackson tribute.Janet Jackson presided over a muscial tribute to her older brother, who died last June, at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.Gay Groups to Grammys: Denounce "Hateful" Reggae Nominee Now!Media watchdog group GLAAD and the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center protested the nomination as soon as it was announced, because Banton's song, "Boom, Bye Bye," includes lyrics about killing gay men by shooting or burning them.And just today, GLAAD and the L.A. Gay & lesbian Center bought a full-page ad in Hollywood tradepaper Variety in the form of an open letter to Recording Academy president Neil Portnow. "This type of music has fueled anti-gay violence here and especially in Banton's home country of Jamaica, where hate crimes against gay men and lesbians—including murder—are common and sometimes celebrated," the letter reads.In early December, the Recording Academy issued a statement defending the nomination on the basis of freedom of speech and creative expression."Artists of a variety of political or cultural perspectives have been nominated or featured on the telecast, despite protests and backlash," the statement read, in part.GLAAD and the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center's ad, cosigned by more than 20 gay rights groups, blasts the reasoning because "performers who glorify the murder of gay people through their music aren't reflecting a 'political or cultural perspective' or 'politics,' they're reflecting their hatred and promoting brutal and illegal violence against a group of innocent people."A copy of the ad, which also asks the academy to denounce violence of any sort during awards show live telecast on Sunday, was delivered to Portnoy's office yesterday, according to reps for GLAAD and the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center. They have yet to get a response.Banton will not be at this year's show because he is currently in a Florida jail awaiting trial on cocaine-related charges.Rihanna Flying Solo to Grammys—Where's the BF?It's Grammy time again, folks, and this year we're happy to report Rihanna will be in attendance at the awards show, rather than in admittance to the hospital like she was last year.Thankfully, Ri-Ri has moved on from that hideous woman-attacker Chris Brown, and despite the fact the pop princess claims she's single, we can swear she's still very much dating muscle-tat man Dodger Matt Kemp.However, E! can also confirm that her new boy will not be attending the Grammy Awards with her on Sunday.Yikes, trouble in paradise already?Read more…
