LOS ANGELES - She admits she can't carry a tune. But yes, that was former Attorney General Janet Reno rubbing elbows with the rappers and rockers on the Grammys' green carpet.
Reno, who has Parkinson's disease, spoke softly but passionately about the forthcoming album "Song of America." She was joined by producer David Macias to promote the 50-track album. Reno doesn't sing or play an instrument on "Song of America," but it was her brainchild.
"I thought about it several years ago when my nephew was playing folk songs that he had written," she said. "It's a wonderful way of reaching young people who are turned off by history."
"Song of America" features Roger McGuinn of The Byrds, Mavis Staples, John Prine and Alison Krauss. It traces the history of the United States through music from 1620 to the present. All profits from the album go to music education.
---
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Kathy Griffith wasn't afraid to ask the stupid questions.
The comedian-actress, who played sidekick to Star Jones Reynolds on the green carpet for E!, fired sarcastic queries to stars ranging from Jordan Knight to R&B singer Anita Baker.
Most seemed unfazed. Sometimes the stars fired back.
When Griffith asked gospel singer Steven Curtis Chapman who made his suit, he answered Lord & Taylor, the traditional department store label.
"I love both Lord and Taylor," exclaimed Griffith.
"Well, Lord's more my favorite," said Chapman.
Gotcha!
Griffith mixed it up with some serious questions as well, which seemed like more of an afterthought for the funny lady. Unlike her Golden Globes foray, in which Griffith claimed 10-year-old actress Dakota Fanning was fresh out of rehab, no celebs showed offense.
Alison Krauss and director Quentin Tarantino played along with Griffith, but rapper Eve didn't.
"Do you guys ever get a pint of Hagen-Dasz, put on the PJs, and, you know, just dish?" Griffith asked Eve about her relationship with collaborator and friend Gwen Stefani.
Eve said no, and quickly strutted off before the camera could cut away.
---
LOS ANGELES (AP) - While taking a break from matchbox twenty to make a solo album, singer Rob Thomas discovered it's a lonely process.
"There's that period where you sit in a room and you don't have these five people deliberating," Thomas said at Sunday's Grammy Awards. "For one second, you get a little scared: Do I really know what the hell I'm doing or have I just been kind of leaning on everybody else for the last 10 years?"
Thomas hasn't abandoned the band, whose other members are doing solo projects, too.
"You always want to test your limits and so it's great when you can do that and still be able to come back to matchbox in a couple of years and pick up where we left off," he said.
Thomas' album comes out in April.
---
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Ben Harper let slip the almost-official name of his baby girl.
Harper said he and actress-wife Laura Dern have just about settled on Jaya for the 3-month-old child who was born at home.
Asked what took so long, Harper said, "Would you want the wrong name?"
Harper said the Hindu name is loosely translated as "praise to God."
The couple also have a son, Ellery Walker, who was born in 2001.
Harper's "11th Commandment" won a Grammy for pop instrumental performance.
---
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Blues guitarist Elvin Bishop played guitar on the Grammy stage and left the singing to Keith Urban on Bishop's old hit "Fooled Around and Fell in Love."
Bishop used music to get through last year's trial of the man convicted of killing his 22-year-old daughter Selina in 2000. Bishop's mother and her companion were shot to death as part of the plot to extort $100,000.
"That was really a rough thing," Bishop said backstage. "The two things that got me through were music - I wrote some pretty good tunes - (and) learning Japanese. It takes so much concentration to learn all those symbols and things."
---
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Helping the Red Sox win Boston's first World Series in 86 years isn't enough for pitcher Bronson Arroyo. He wants to be a rock star.
Arroyo's first album called "Covering the Bases" is due out in July. The singer-guitarist does covers of classic rock songs and is backed by Kenny Aronoff, drummer for Melissa Etheridge.
Any chance of playing in New York on the same bill as Bernie Williams of the New York Yankees, who is a classical guitarist?
"They might start throwing things at me," Arroyo said.
---
Associated Press Writer Derrik J. Lang in New York contributed to this report.
The Augusta Chronicle ©2012 Morris Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved.