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 Bowie, a forerunner of Gaga's brand of provocative,
gender-bending performance imagery, died of cancer at age 69 on
Jan. 10, just two days after the release of what became his
critically acclaimed final studio album, "Blackstar."
Gaga, 29, a six-time Grammy laureate who, like Bowie, is known
for frequent self-reinvention, arrived on the red carpet dressed
in an outfit that channeled Bowie's signature androgynous look,
sporting a bright, blue embellished jacket-dress and bright
orange hair.
On stage she charted Bowie's half-century career with a medley
touching on 10 of his hits - "Space Oddity," "Changes," "Ziggy
Stardust," "Suffragette City," "Rebel Rebel," "Fashion," "Fame,"
"Under Pressure," "Let's Dance" and "Heroes."
The song-dance number was punctuated by a torrent of flashing
multi-colored lights and images projected on a large screen
behind her, including a closeup of her face adorned in Aladdin
Sane makeup - a nod to one of Bowie's personas - with a spider
crawling over her nose.
Bowie's work also garnered posthumous Grammy award recognition
on Monday as a new version of his composition "Sue (Or In a
Season of Crime)," re-recorded for his 26th and final studio
album, "Blackstar," earned the prize for best arrangement for
instrument and vocals.
That Grammy went to big-band orchestra leader and composer Maria
Schneider, who said she had no idea at the time she was
collaborating with Bowie on what would be his final project.
“It was the greatest privilege to work with David Bowie and to
experience his creativity,” she told reporters backstage.
"Sue" was originally included as a fresh track for Bowie's 2014
compilation album "Nothing Has Changed." The album "Blackstar"
was released two days before his death.
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Earlier in the show, another late pop talent, Eagles co-founder,
guitarist and songwriter Glenn Frey, was saluted by surviving
members of his band who joined Jackson Browne for a performance of
one of the Eagles' biggest hits, "Take It Easy."
Frey, who co-founded the Eagles with Don Henley in 1971 in Los
Angeles, died at age 67 in January of complications from a number of
ailments, including pneumonia.
Browne, who co-wrote the song, stood in for Frey on lead vocals,
with the Eagles' familiar backing harmonies and laid-back
instrumental accompaniment from Henley, along with Joe Walsh,
Timothy B. Schmit and Bernie Leadon.
In other musical homages to the fallen of pop music, Stevie Wonder
joined the a cappella group Pentatonix for a tribute to Maurice
White, late founder of the R&B funk band Earth, Wind & Fire, with a
performance of the title track off the band's hit album, "That's the
Way of the World."
And Bonnie Raitt teamed up with Chris Stapleton and Gary Clark Jr.
on "The Thrill Is Gone" in salute of the late blues icon B.B. King.
(Reporting by Steve Gorman; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Bill Rigby)
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