Sparks gets clothes — and a duet partner
Nekesa Moody

LOS ANGELES—Jordin Sparks didn’t just get designer clothes when she went to the Grammys’ official gifting suite — she also found a musical partner.
The “American Idol” champ performed an impromptu duet with Grammy-nominated R&B singer Tank on Friday while the pair took a break from selecting potential outfits at the Grammy Style Studio.
“He’s so amazing!” the 18-year-old singer gushed as she saw Tank playing a melody on a piano in the room. Moments later, he coaxed Sparks to join him in a performance. They put their heads together for a moment, then improvised to come up with a song with the chorus “I don’t ever want to lose you.” They sang it for a couple of minutes as a crowd gathered and broke out into applause. “We just made it up,” said Tank, who is nominated for best R&B album for his disc “Sex, Pain and Love” and best R&B male performance for the hit “Don’t Go.” Even though the collaboration was brief, it was successful: Tank said Sparks would now be on his upcoming album. “She’s been recruited,” he said with a smile.
The Grammy Style Studio was available to celebrities who wanted to get designer jewelry and clothes for Sunday’s Grammy awards. While some items were free, and makeup and hair stylists are available to tend to the stars, many of the expensive items were available for loan only. Singer T-Pain and rapper Lupe Fiasco strolled through, and Paula Abdul tried on jackets while an assistant followed with a Chihuahua in tow.
Sparks said she didn’t have her Grammy outfit yet, but was admiring a purple beaded gown and some other glamorous dresses. “I’m kind of going for very pretty dresses, nice dresses that are cut very well and stuff that sort of flatters the figure — you gotta flatter it,” Sparks said. “(But) I could always use new clothes!”