Grammy tribute pairs Blige and Bocelli for Haiti

Soul singer Mary J. Blige and Italian pop tenor Andrea Bocelli will perform "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by Simon and Garfunkel at the Grammy Awards in an effort to raise funds for Red Cross efforts in Haiti.

The performance also pays tribute to the song and its writer Paul Simon on the 40th anniversary of the Grammy wins for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Album of the Year in 1970.

The Blige and Bocelli collaboration follows the charity telethon for Haiti relief shown around the world January 22, which has raised more than $66 million. Stevie Wonder sang a cover of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" at the event.

The Hope for Haiti Now charity album debuts at number one on the Billboard 200 chart with 171,000 sold over two days last weekend, according to Nielsen SoundScan, becoming the first digital-exclusive recording to top the tally in its nearly 54-year history.

The Grammys will also release a single and video of the Blige/Bocelli performance on iTunes after the broadcast of the awards ceremony in Los Angeles, January 31 at 8 pm ET.

The 2010 Grammy Nominees album debuted on the Billboard chart at number five with sales expected to jump in the next two weeks following the broadcast of the Grammy Awards on Sunday.

RC