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Grammys: Inside Clive Davis’ Annual Gala

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In case you missed it, here are some notes from record mogul Clive Davis‘ annual pre-Grammy party Saturday night at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA, where booze got drunk, chicken got ate, songs got performed, and tushes got kissed.

–After a rousingly robotic “Boom Boom Pow” with her usual crew, Fergie Blackeyedpea (with guest guitarist Slash) acquitted herself nicely on “Sweet Child o’ Mine.” Really. Girl can sing.

–For someone who makes a very good living as broadcaster, Ryan Seacrest inspired a chorus of crickets with his awkward, rambling intro of veteran record man Davis. Looking shinier than a newly minted dime, Seacrest dropped a “Pants on the Ground” reference that was musty two weeks ago, mentioned Bing (not Crosby, but he did get mentioned by someone else), and belabored a “riff” about the possibility of Davis being his real father.

–When Davis himself made a joke about this night being different from all other nights (twice!), I couldn’t help but wonder if Jay-Z, who had a nice table up front, has ever attended a Passover seder.

–Some other random words and phrases uttered from the stage at various moments throughout the evening: Dr. Luke, copyrights live on, St. Barts, Haiti, Sam Goody, Carlos Santana and Rob Thomas (who, after we all hopped into a Wayback Machine, duetted on that song they duetted on in, what, 1972?).

–Savior of the Record Industry Ke$ha launched her performance of “Tik Tok” from atop a table where folks were presumably scrambling to shield their dinner plates. Girl can’t sing. Or dance.

–The night’s most thrilling moment: Mary J. Blige admonishing her band after a false start but recovering beautifully with a rendition of “No More Drama” that was filled with so much of it.

Adam and Kris were here. So were Katy and Russell. And Wyclef. Those Kings of Leon. Even Barbra! Here’s who else earned a shout-out at a music industry event held in the year 2010: Brian Grazer, Jane Fonda, Kelsey Grammer, Penny Marshall, and Joan and Jackie Collins.