Foo Fighters, Coldplay, Jennifer Hudson Set to Honor Neil Diamond at MusiCares Gala

If you've ever wanted to see Dave Grohl rock for Neil Diamond, your moment has arrived. Diamond, 2008's MusiCares Person of the Year, will be honored at a ceremony featuring performances by the Foo Fighters, Coldplay, Jennifer Hudson and the honoree himself. The gala will take place Friday, February 6th — two days before the Grammys — at Los Angeles' Convention Center. Proceeds from the event will benefit the MusiCares program, which ensures that music people have a place to turn in times of financial, medical and personal need.

Over the years, Diamond's charitable contributions have been well-documented, and recently the singer donated to efforts like hurricane relief in the wake of Texas' Hurricane Ike. Diamond joins past honorees including Brian Wilson, Bono, Paul Simon, Sting, Aretha Franklin and many more over the award's 19-year history. In addition to the all-star concert lineup, the night will also feature a silent auction, with many "one-of-a-kind celebrity memorabilia" available during an online auction. Additional performers for the night include Adele, Tim McGraw, Josh Groban and Raul Malo. Performers for the 51st annual Grammys Awards have not yet been announced, but it's a safe bet that some of the artists performing at the MusiCares ceremony will double up and play the actual awards show as well.

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Song Stories

“Push It”

Salt-N-Pepa | 1987

Originating as a B side to their cover of the Stax classic “Tramp,” Cheryl “Salt” James, Sandi “Pepa” Denton and Dee Dee “DJ Spinderella” Roper came up with the goods on this career-making, Grammy-nominated platinum single about working it on the dancefloor. “Push It” has been sampled and spliced to death since it debuted in 1987, yet the original track is as fresh and fly as when SNP — among the few original women of hip-hop — debuted it. “Most men will never believe ‘Push It’ was never about sex,” said James. “And that’s why the record went to Number One,” said Denton. “Everybody thought it was about sex.”

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