Now Playing
The Recording Academy
There seem to be differing accounts as to why Lauryn Hill failed to appear at the 58th annual Grammy Awards on Monday night.
Grammy President Neil Portnow yesterday told USA Today that the singer simple failed to show up at the last minute after having performed at a dress rehearsal hours before.
But a rep for Hill told Billboard that the Grammys had announced she would be performing even though she had not guaranteed she would take part in the ceremony.
“In regards to the comments [Thursday] morning from The Grammys, CBS did announce Ms. Hill’s performance, there were official Grammy television ads that ran for a couple of days naming Ms. Hill as a performer on the show,” the statement said. “Her camp was unhappy about this. They had made it clear from the start that although Ms. Hill was going to attempt to make the show, she could not confirm, as there were too many logistical issues that could potentially prevent the performance from happening.”
The rep adds: “The performance was also supposed to be a surprise. This was discussed with Grammy organizers, and the TV spots were pulled. As previously mentioned, Ms. Hill attempted a last minute rush to L.A., to see if this could happen, but unfortunately timing that day kept it from being a reality. Ms. Hill truly appreciated the invitation, and the efforts made by all parties to try and make the performance happen.”
As previously reported, Hill was supposed to perform with The Weeknd, who went at it alone with versions of his hits “In the Night” and “Can’t Feel My Face.”
Copyright © 2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
