Grammy embrace of Chris Brown draws criticism

NEW YORK — The Grammy Awards' warm embrace of Chris Brown three years after his assault of Rihanna has drawn the ire of viewers who claim the controversial R&B star shouldn't have been rewarded with such attention.

Brown was front-and-center three times during Sunday's Grammys. He won best R&B album for "F.A.M.E.," he performed a single from his upcoming album, "Turn Up the Music," and he opened a dance tribute to "Soul Train" creator Don Cornelius.

The imagery of Brown's Grammy glory was striking because it was, literally, a return to the scene of the crime. On the eve of the 2009 Grammys, Brown beat his then-girlfriend Rihanna, for which he later pled guilty to a charge of assault and was sentenced to five years of probation and six months of community labor.

Since then, Brown has worked to repair his image, undergoing domestic violence counseling and rediscovering popularity with his hit album "F.A.M.E. (Forgiving All My Enemies)." Last year, his restraining order was eased. The former order required Brown to stay 50 yards away from 23-year-old Rihanna, but the restriction was reduced to 10 yards if they were at a music industry event.

On Sunday evening, Twitter was abuzz with questions of Brown's significant role in the proceedings. Many critics argued against the Grammys' decision to celebrate Brown and endorse his comeback.

New Yorker music critic Sasha Frere-Jones called Brown's return "one of the Grammys' weirdest choices ever," and cited R&B singer Drake as the more deserving star in the genre to celebrate.

In an op-ed, Valerie Strauss for The Washington Post said that while people deserve second chances, "That doesn't mean they deserve a chance to strut around the Grammy stage a few years after being convicted of felony assault."

Jeffrey Goldberg for The Atlantic tweeted: "I don't look for the Grammys for moral clarity, but, really? Do the words 'felony assault' mean anything at all?"

On Monday, Neil Portnow, president of The Recording Academy, defended Brown's role in the telecast, saying the Grammys ultimately proceed out of the academy's voting.

"That's really where the judgment comes from: music professionals listening to the music of other professionals," said Portnow. "Clearly, our voting membership rated highly Chris' musical work this past year.

"If we're going to get in trying to personally evaluate artists in terms of their personal lives, that's a slippery slope that we wouldn't want to get into," he added.