Rihanna

Rihanna, Beyonce, the Foo Fighters, Carrie Underwood, Aretha Franklin, and Mary J. Blige are among the first performers announced for the 50th Annual Grammy Awards, according to a press release. Rihanna, who is up for four awards, will appear in a special 50th anniversary segment with The Time, who are reuniting for the performance that will bridge music from the 1980s to the present. Beyonce and Underwood have both been nominated for Grammys. The Foo Fighters will participate in this year's "My Grammy Moment," which will feature an orchestral performance of the song "The Pretender," led by a special guest conductor--Led Zeppelin's multi-instrumentalist John Paul Jones. Up to 20 unsigned musicians will be given the opportunity to play with the Foo Fighters as part of the orchestra created specifically for the Grammys. Three of those musicians will vie to be a featured instrumentalist during the performance, which will be an entirely new take on the band's Grammy-nominated hit song. The Foo Fighters, four-time Grammy winners, received five nominations this year including record of the year, best rock song and album of the year. This year's Grammy show also will feature the 2008 MusiCares Person of the Year, Aretha Franklin, performing with Blige in a Gospel segment that also will include Grammy nominees the Clark Sisters, Israel and New Breed, and Trin-I-Tee:5:7. Franklin and Blige are both nominated for best Gospel performance. The awards show will be presented Feb. 10 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and broadcast on CBS television beginning at 8 pm. (ET/PT). Additional performers, presenters and special segments will be announced soon.