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It was a subtle start to a legendary streak. Since that ceremony, Beyonc\u00e9 has won more Grammys than any other recording artist<\/a>. But in 2001, there was only a hint of the career to come. Williams, who had recently joined the group, stayed silent during their acceptance speech, but looked exuberant. At the end of her thank yous, Beyonc\u00e9 leaned into the mic, looked out into the crowd, and then looked back at her bandmates. \u201cThank you to Michelle, for blessing Destiny\u2019s Child. And thank you, Kelly. I love you very much.\u201d Williams and Rowlands replied, \u201cWe love you, Beyonc\u00e9!\u201d<\/p>\n One of America\u2019s most controversial hugs.<\/p>\n <\/span>Dave Hogan\/Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n Destiny\u2019s Child\u2019s win was just an opening act. Throughout the ceremony, the audience was waiting for a highly touted\u2014and, yes, instantly controversial<\/a>\u2014performance. Eminem was scheduled to perform his hit \u201cStan\u201d with Elton John<\/strong>, in a duet that paired a gay icon with a rapper whose homophobic language was so extreme that his Grammy appearance was protested by GLAAD<\/a>.<\/p>\n Inside the arena, things were also tense. When R&B singer Joe<\/strong> gave Eminem the Grammy for best rap album, he prefaced it with this: \u201cIt\u2019s Mr. Controversy himself, Eminem.\u201d Host Jon Stewart<\/strong> spent most of the evening teasing the performance; one joke about how Eminem \u201cagreed to go to the bathroom with George Michael as well\u201d reflects the era\u2019s blas\u00e9 homophobia as much as the rapper\u2019s graphic lyrics did.<\/p>\n The staging of the performance\u2014a bedroom set and a desk, with John off to the side, his piano on a platform\u2014highlighted \u201cStan\u201d\u2019s conceit: a pair of dramatic monologues, one from an obsessed fan and the other from an artist who doesn\u2019t notice him until it\u2019s too late. When Eminem performed the verses ascribed to Stan, he skulked menacingly around the stage. When he started rapping the last verse, in character as Slim Shady, he sat behind a desk, finally relaxing. Though John was playing in the shadows, he bounced behind the piano, his energy and enjoyment obvious.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n