"THE GRAMMY®s Will Go On: A Death In The Family" To Air On Saturday, Feb. 9, On CBS

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan. 31, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- "The GRAMMY^®s Will Go On: A Death In The Family" is a new one-hour special that looks at how the show's producers, host, and musical artists made last-minute changes to the program against the backdrop of tragic and unforeseen circumstances. Set to air on Saturday, Feb. 9 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on the CBS Television Network, the special features never-before-seen rehearsal footage and behind-the-scenes interviews with various artists and the GRAMMY production team and revisits the extraordinary 48 hours leading up to the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards^® last Feb.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110621/LA23309LOGO)

Additionally, it includes personal accounts of the day's occurrences and Whitney Houston's passing by Clive Davis, Dave Grohl, Jennifer Hudson, host LL COOL J, Bruno Mars, Katy Perry, Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Springsteen, Taylor Swift, and Joe Walsh, as well as perspective from the GRAMMY production team including executive producer Ken Ehrlich, director Louis J. Horvitz, co-producer Terry Lickona, President/CEO of The Recording Academy^® Neil Portnow, talent producer Chantel Sausedo, and writer David Wild. To view a clip of this unique special, please visit: http://youtu.be/VwM4QtgU4KQ.    

Behind the scenes at the GRAMMY Awards is a fascinating subject to the general public in any year, but last year's 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards was particularly compelling. With the death of Whitney Houston 24 hours before the telecast, the show needed to address many changes. From LL COOL J's opening prayer, to Jennifer Hudson's unannounced performance of Houston's GRAMMY-winning classic "I Will Always Love You," and Paul McCartney's all-star lineup and the last-minute decision to close the show with the closing medley from the Beatles historic album Abbey Road (to name a few) — there were a number of last-minute changes that demonstrate what this annual live production does best: deliver a critically acclaimed telecast despite unexpected circumstances and challenges. The collection of unique one-of-a-kind performances and the resulting record-setting ratings (nearly 40 million viewers — the second highest-rated GRAMMY telecast ever — and the biggest social TV event in history to date with more than 13 million social media comments), all make the 54th GRAMMY telecast a fascinating story to be told.

"A Death In The Family" was produced by AEG Ehrlich Ventures, LLC, CBS, and The Recording Academy^®. Ken Ehrlich and Susan Zirinsky are executive producers.

The music industry's premier event, the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards^®, will take place live on Sunday, Feb. 10, at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles and will be broadcast in high-definition TV 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. For updates and breaking news, please visit The Recording Academy's social networks on Twitter and Facebook.

Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, songwriters, 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 Foursquare, GetGlue, Google +, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, and YouTube.

SOURCE The Recording Academy