Adele sweeps Grammys amid Whitney Houston tributes

AFP - British soul diva Adele made a triumphant return to the stage at the Grammys Sunday, winning a clean sweep of six awards and a standing ovation, in a show clouded by the death of Whitney Houston.

The 23-year-old Londoner, who has been out of action since October to undergo throat surgery, wowed a star-studded audience with a storming rendition of her worldwide hit "Rolling in the Deep."

The tune won best song Grammy, to add to Adele's haul of awards for best record, best album for her breakthrough "21," best short video, best pop album and best pop artist – wins in all six categories in which she was nominated.

"This record is inspired by something that is really normal ... just a rubbish relationship," said Adele, adding: "It's been the most life-changing year."

"Oh, I got a bit of snot!" she said in her trademark cockney accent, wiping her nose and fighting back tears at the climax of the three-and-a-half hour show, which ended with a Beatles medley led by Paul McCartney.

The other hotly-anticipated comeback of the night was by iconic 1960s California surfer band the Beach Boys, who played together live on stage for the first time in over two decades.

A three-song tribute started with a close-harmony version of "Surfer Girl" by Maroon 5, and then the falsetto strains of "Wouldn't It Be Nice" by Foster the People, against a backdrop of multicolor surf boards.

After a standing ovation, the Beach Boys themselves, all now in their 60s, then took to the stage to play "Good Vibrations," with famously glum-looking Brian Wilson almost smiling as he hit the high notes with his old bandmates.

Another blast from the past came in the form of country legend Glen Campbell, currently on a farewell tour after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's, who had the audience singing along with his classic "Rhinestone Cowboy."

After Adele – who equaled Beyonce's record of six Grammys for a female artist – the Foo Fighters were the next biggest winners, taking five Grammys including best rock song for "Walk" and best rock album for "Wasting Light."

Kanye West, who started the evening with the most nominations – seven, one ahead of Adele – went home with four including best rap song for "All of the Lights" and best rap album for "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy."

But while Adele was the big winner, the show was punctuated with tributes to Houston, the 1980s and 1990s superstar who died on Saturday at age 48 at the Beverly Hilton hotel on the eve of the US music industry's big awards night.

The Grammy show began with a prayer for Houston from host LL Cool J.

"There is no way around this. We've had a death in our family," he said, adding: "The only thing that feels right is to begin with a prayer for a woman who we loved, for our fallen sister."

The audience, with stars including McCartney in the front row, then watched a clip of Houston singing one of her greatest hits, "I Will Always Love You," and gave her a standing ovation.

"Whitney, we will always love you," said the US rapper host. "This night is about something truly universal and healing; this night is about music."

Later in the show, singer Jennifer Hudson – who was presented with a Grammy by Houston in 2009 – gripped the audience in silence with a classy rendition of "I Will Always Love You," the smash hit from Houston's film "The Bodyguard."

"Whitney, we love you," she said as she closed the performance sung to a piano accompaniment, spotlighted in the dark in a plain black dress.

Houston's family issued a statement before the show, saying: "We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Whitney. This is an unimaginable tragedy and we will miss her terribly."

The LA County coroner's office reiterated that there appeared to be no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.

"At this time... there are no signs of foul play," Assistant Chief Coroner for Los Angeles County Ed Winter told reporters shortly before the Grammys show kicked off.