plus: Peggy Lee [ tickets ] dies at 81. The Neptunes sign with Arista. Liver cancer claims John Jackson. Title sponsor for Houston's Aerial Theater. Amazon makes a profit, finally.

The Recording Academy confirmed on Tuesday (1/22) that U2 [ tickets ] and Alicia Keys [ tickets ] will perform during the 44th Annual Grammy Awards, which will be broadcast live on CBS on Feb. 7.

Meanwhile, 'NSync, via its official website, announced that it will perform its single "Girlfriend" at the ceremony with a "special guest."

U2 is nominated for eight Grammys, leading the field. Keys has six nominations.

For the second straight year, comedian Jon Stewart will host the Grammy telecast.

Singer-composer Peggy Lee, best known for her hits "Fever" and "Is That All There Is," died of a heart attack on Monday night (1/21). She was 81.

Lee released more than 60 albums during a half-century in the music business.

"My children ... and I were comforted by the fact that she was at home, and that I was able to be by her side," her daughter, Nicki Lee Foster, wrote on Lee's official website.

Lee was the lead plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit that was settled last week when Universal Music agreed to pay $4.75 million in back royalties to up to 300 performers.

Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo--better known as production-songwriting team the Neptunes--have agreed to a deal with Arista Records. They will sign and produce acts for Arista and their own Star Track Entertainment label.

Acclaimed blues and ragtime artist John Jackson--who had played with B.B. King,, Bob Dylan and Eric Clapton, among many others--died of complications from liver cancer on Sunday (1/20). He was 77.

Houston's Aerial Theater has been renamed the Verizon Wireless Theater, Clear Channel Communications announced.

Amazon.com, which has lost almost $3 billion since it went public in 1997, posted its first-ever net profit in the fourth quarter. The net profit was $5 million, or 1 cent a share, the company reported.