Former 'Idol' Clarkson tops Texas nominees at Grammys

While U2 walked off with the most awards at five, an American Idol was the big winner from Texas at Wednesday night's 48th Annual Grammy Awards.

(enlarge photo)

Kelly Clarkson accepts the award for best female pop vocal performance for 'Since U Been Gone'.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

(enlarge photo)

Bono from the group U2 accepts the award for album of the year for 'How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb'.

More Grammy Photos

• Red Carpet arrivals
• Winners
• Presenters and Performances

• Also: Full list of Grammy Award winners

Burleson native Kelly Clarkson took home two gold Victrolas, one for pop vocal album for "Breakaway" and the other for female pop vocal performance with "Since U Been Gone."

U2 took home nods for album and rock album for "How to Dismantle and Atomic Bomb," song and rock performance for "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own," and rock song for "City of Blinding Lights." (U2 producer Steve Lillywhite took producer of the year honors).

Mariah Carey continued her comeback with three awards, including contemporary R&B album. Houston's Beyonce Knowles, along with Stevie Wonder, won R&B performance by a duo or group for "So Amazing."

Little Joe y La Familia took home the Tejano album statue for "Chicanisimo," while Yolanda Adams won for gospel song for "Be Blessed."

Delbert McClinton nabbed a contemporary blues album nod for "Cost of Living," (his label, New West, has an Austin outpost.) John Legend nabbed best new artist, as well as male R&B vocal and R&B album.

Performance highlights included an opening number from cartoon band Gorillaz and occasional flesh-and-blood cartoon Madonna, a closing all-star tribute to New Orleans, a couple of appearances by Sir Paul McCartney and a powerful "Gold Digger" from Kanye West and Jamie Foxx.

West won rap solo performance for "Gold Digger" and best rap song for "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" and best rap album for "Late Registration," but lost record of the year to Green Day's "Boulevard of Broken Dreams."

But the evening's surreal highlight was a brief performance from the reclusive Sly Stone, funk's J.D. Salinger. Stone appeared from backstage in a white suit and giant blonde Mohawk. He performed two choruses of "I Want to Take You Higher" during an all-star medley of Family Stone songs, and left the stage. Insert higher joke here. — Joe Gross