Grammy stars free to sing out on war
By GEORGE BUSH and ISAAC GUZMAN (Daily News Staff Writers)
Get ready for antiwar protests at tomorrow night's Grammy Awards ceremony.
Despite a report that CBS executives had considered blocking politically outspoken rockers, the network said last night it would not pull the plug on anyone protesting a war against Iraq.
The Drudge Report, an Internet news site, quoted an anonymous CBS chieftain as saying the network would cut the microphone of any rocker who engaged in antiwar rhetoric.
But CBS quickly moved to squelch the story.
"There will be no restrictions on artistic expression or opinions expressed during acceptance speeches," said CBS spokesman Chris Ender.
Musician Sheryl Crow, who made headlines when she wore a "War Is Not the Answer" T-shirt at the American Music Awards in January, plans to hand out 300 "No War" buttons tomorrow.
"If we can't turn to our artists, who can we look to?" Crow told the Daily News. "I think there will be artists stepping forward and making statements."
At Thursday's Brit Awards in London, Chris Martin of English band Coldplay said, "We are all going to die when George Bush has his way. But it's great to go out with a bang."
The Grammys will be handed out during a 3-1/2-hour telecast from Madison Square Garden.
Originally published on February 22, 2003