Former First Lady Joins Powerhouse Female Artists At 61st GRAMMYs

(CBS4) - Alicia Keys opened the 61st Grammy Awards with a message of unity through music. Moments later she welcomed fellow female powerhouses in the entertainment industry.

Lady Gaga, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Michelle Obama and Jennifer Lopez joined Keys in sharing their messages of how music has changed their lives.

"They said I was weird, that my look, that my choices, that my sound wouldn't work. But music told me not to listen to them," Gaga said.

PHOTO GALLERY: 2019 GRAMMY Awards Red Carpet Gallery

The crowd roared as the former First Lady began speaking.

Obama spoke of how music has played an integral role in her life in the last 10 years.

"Music has always helped me tell my story," Obama said at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. "Whether we like country or rap or rock, music helps us share ourselves. It allows us to hear one another."

(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)