Houston Wins Three Top Grammy Awards

And the winner again . . . Whitney Houston.

Although the scene may have shifted from the American Music Awards last month in Los Angeles to the Grammy Awards here on Tuesday night, the result was the same.

Houston, whose success with the massive hit “I Will Always Love You” earned her an armful of awards in the fan-based American Music Awards, walked away with three more major Grammys. They included record and album of the year, as voted by 7,000 members of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences.

In some ways, the nationally televised event from Radio City Music Hall seemed like a Houston TV special.

Wearing a white sequined evening gown, she opened the program by singing “I Will Always Love You,” the song from the soundtrack album “The Bodyguard,” which has sold more than 25 million copies worldwide.

Moments later, Dolly Parton, who wrote the tune in the early 1970s, and David Foster, who produced Houston’s hit version of it, stepped to the podium to announce the award for best female pop vocal.

“On behalf of myself and the Internal Revenue Service, I’d like to thank Whitney for making my song such an enormous hit,” Parton said. “When I wrote that song 22 years ago, I had a heartache. But it’s amazing how healing money can be.”

Thirty minutes after accepting that award, Houston returned to the podium to accept the record of the year Grammy for the same recording.

“I want to thank everybody who bought the record, who loved it” she said. “God bless you. Peace.”

Everyone else Tuesday seemed like part of the supporting cast--even producer and arranger Foster, who won four awards largely for his work with Houston, and composer Alan Menken, who won four awards for music associated with another soundtrack, for the animated movie “Aladdin.”

But the real co-star was Frank Sinatra, whose appearance for a Grammy Legends award resulted in the evening’s biggest embarrassment.

After a poignant introduction by U2’s lead singer Bono, Sinatra was well into a long, casual speech when he was suddenly interrupted by an announcement of other Grammy winners. Telecast host Garry Shandling said later, “Mr. Sinatra should have (been allowed to finish) his speech.”

Houston’s only loss during the three-hour ceremony was in the female R & B vocal category, which was won by Toni Braxton, who was also named best new artist.

Foster’s awards pushed his Grammy total to 12, while Menken’s career total soared to nine. His latest included best song and best song for a motion picture--”A Whole New World,” co-written by Tim Rice. Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle’s recording of “A Whole New World” was also voted best pop vocal by a duo. Quincy Jones, the all-time non-classical Grammy leader, won his 26th for a collaboration with the late Miles Davis.

Other multiple winners included Sting, who was honored for male pop vocal and long-form video, and saxophonist Joe Henderson, for jazz instrumental solo and jazz instrumental by an individual or group. “The Complete Billie Holiday on Verve 1945-1959” earned three awards, including best album notes, recording package and historical album.

Tony Bennett scored perhaps the evening’s biggest upset when he defeated the highly favored Barbra Streisand in the traditional pop vocal category. Bruce Hornsby and Branford Marsalis took the best pop instrumental performance title.

U2’s “Zooropa” was named best alternative album, while Meat Loaf captured best rock vocal with his comeback hit “I’d Do Anything for Love (but I Won’t Do That)”. Aerosmith won in the rock group voting, while the Stone Temple Pilots upset the more critically admired Smashing Pumpkins in the hard rock category.

Veteran Ozzy Osbourne was cited in the metal competition.

In classical categories, the much-awarded Chicago Symphony, under two guest conductors, took, or was associated with, top Grammys in five areas.

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Grammy’s Gold Medals

The winners in some of the top categories in Tuesday night’s Grammy Awards:

RECORD OF THE YEAR

“I Will Always Love You”

Artist: Whitney Houston

Producer: David Foster

*

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

“The Bodyguard”

Artist: Whitney Houston

Producers: David Foster, Narada Michael Walden, L.A. Reid, Babyface, Whitney Houston, BeBe Winans

*

SONG OF THE YEAR “A Whole New World (Aladdin’s Theme)” / Alan Menken and Tim Rice *

BEST POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE, FEMALE “I Will Always Love You” / Whitney Houston *

BEST POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE, MALE “If I Ever Lose My Faith in You” / Sting