In the last few years, it has turned into a rather shameful affair of big whigs patting each other on the back for ripping artists off and completely ignoring the independent and fringe acts who in my opinion, really were making the life altering music. But even the top tier artists this year missed out on the big awards. Last week I was reading one commentary where the writer was wondering where the hell Springsteen's Magic was on the Album of the Year list and then he followed it wondering where the hell Daughtry was. I read it, laughed and immediately agreed with him. I'm no fan of Daughtry but can anyone really argue with the connection that he has made with people over the last year. I rather admire it. He didn't win American Idol and went out, did his own thing and was wildly successful. However, beneath it all, the Grammys are a sham and it seems everyone knows this except the industry peeps.

However, as I went through my Tivo last night, I stopped dead in my tracks over one performance; Amy Winehouse. For the record, I'm a fan of her music, I think she's an immense talent, however, her shenanigans have largely overshadowed all of this which has frustrated me to no extent. However, in the early morning hours at a London club, Cuba Gooding Jr. introduced her and she physically didn't look like she should be there�but then that commanding and sinuous voice riveted the entire world. This moment in time wasn't about awards, it wasn't about money or accolades, it was about an artist recapturing her aura, essence, and presence and the performance showcased her divine inner light that she transmutes when she sings. She may not be the most original artist on the planet, but watching her sing "You Know I'm No Good" and "Rehab", I remembered why I fell in love with the album Back To Black in the first place. This was an artist baring her soul to the world and that is why I and many of you who are reading this love music. We look at artists hoping they can shed some inner light and secrets about life we have yet to uncover and when they don't�we hope they make us forget about the real world for a few fleeting moments and Amy Winehouse did just this with the performance. Whether it is the first step towards something bigger and brighter or a last hurrah before she delves into a life of obscurity we'll have to wait and see. In the meantime, welcome back Amy.