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At the 54th Annual Grammy Awards, Bruce Springsteen got started slightly off-key. Reeling the from the news of the death of the music industry's own Whitney Houston, the Boss sounded tone-deaf as he asked, "America, are you alive out there?"
He then launched into the song "We Take Care of Our Own." In Springsteen's defense, he starts many of his shows with that same question, a lyric from his song "Radio Nowhere."
The song was immediately followed by a touching memorial to the dead songstress. The host, LL Cool J, reminded the audience that "tonight we celebrate music, and we celebrate Whitney."
"We've had a death in the family," said LL Cool J, as he started the show with a prayer for Houston and a clip of the music legend singing "I Will Always Love You" from the 36th Annual Grammy Awards.

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