Lady Gaga to perform Bowie tribute
Lady Gaga is to perform an "experimental tribute" to the late David Bowie at the Grammy Awards.
The 29-year-old pop superstar will honour her idol - who is to be the posthumous recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award - at the ceremony on February 15 with a special performance.
The musical director for the tribute will be Nile Rodgers, who produced Bowie's 1983 album 'Let's Dance' and remained friends with him until his passing from cancer at the age of 69 in January.
Ken Ehrlich, executive producer of the Grammy Awards, said: "We had already booked Lady Gaga on this year's show, but when David passed - almost in a single moment - we knew we had to change direction. We immediately spoke and agreed that she should be the one to honour David. She's perfect for it."
Ehrlich was also contacted by several other artists who wanted to participate in the Bowie tribute and although "some of whom might have made sense; the vast majority didn't" and he decided to stick with his choice of Gaga.
Her performance is set to last around seven minutes and cover "at least three or four" Bowie songs.
As well as the performance from the 'Born This Way' hitmaker - who is nominated along with Diane Warren for Best Song Written For Visual Media for 'Til It Happens To You' - other acts confirmed to be playing live on the night include Adele, James Bay, Ellie Goulding, Tori Kelly, Kendrick Lamar, Carrie Underwood and The Weeknd among others.
There will also be a multi-artist tribute to blues legend B. B. King, who died last May, and something is also planned to remember the Eagles founding member Glenn Frey, who also died in January at the age of 67.
In the wake of Bowie's death, Gaga admitted she was influenced by every facet of him as an artist from his incredible songs to his outlandish fashion and ability to create different stage personas for his music.
She said: "When I fell in love with David Bowie, when I was living on the Lower East Side (in New York City), I always felt that his glamour was something he was using to express a message to people that was very healing for their souls."
The 58th Grammy Awards ceremony will be held on Monday, February 15, 2016, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, and will be hosted by LL Cool J and broadcast live on CBS.
