LOS ANGELES — Say this for Clive Davis' annual pre-Grammy gala: It might be the only party in Los Angeles where Frankie Valli is as likely to spark a singalong as Lil Wayne.
Both men set off the star-packed ballroom Saturday night at the Beverly Hilton — Valli early in the evening with a zesty rendition of "Can't Take My Eyes Off You," Wayne a few hours later with his louche rap hit "Lollipop." Did the 88-year-old pop smoothie and the raspy-voiced hip-hop eccentric mingle backstage, maybe trade war stories (or plot a viral TikTok duet)? Who knows. But each seemed to delight in the fact that he was reaching — and pleasing — the other's audience.
Held in person for the first time since 2020, Davis' signature Grammy weekend event — which the 90-year-old record exec presents in partnership with the Recording Academy — drew its usual blend of far-flung A-listers from the overlapping worlds of music, movies, politics and tech. Tom Hanks and Joni Mitchell and Metallica's Lars Ulrich were there, as were Smokey Robinson, Lil Nas X, Apple CEO Tim Cook and former U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who was accompanied by her husband, Paul, just months after he was attacked in the couple's San Francisco home. Both got an enthusiastic round of applause as Davis introduced them from the stage.
