By Nelson A. King LOS ANGELES, Feb. 11,  - The 55th Grammy Awards here Sunday night paid tribute to legendary Jamaican reggae superstar Robert Nesta Marley, renowned worldwide as Bob Marley.

But, for a moment, it appeared as though there would hardly be any tribute to the late great reggae artist when about two-thirds of a set that was supposed to honour him was used by other performers.

Bruno Mars and sting kicked off the tribute by singing not anything from Marley’s massive repertoire but their own songs.

Mars did reggae-influenced “Locked Out of Heaven,” and Sting sang The Police’s “Walking on the Moon”.

Then the massive audience at the Staples Center here and millions around the world, viewing on television, got what they were waiting for.

As the audience rose to its dancing feet, Barbadian singing sensation Rihanna and Marley’s sons, Ziggy and Damian, joined Mars and Sting on stage.

They did a rousing version of “Could You Be Loved”, electrifying the crowd.

Earlier, the Master of Ceremonies, LL Cool J, had promised a tribute to the late poet, musician and titan of reggae “like we’ve never seen before”.

But many argued that it was hardly a “tribute,” with only a rendition of an abbreviated version of Marley’s “Could You Be Loved”.

Mars, however, sought to console the audience, stating “none of this would be possible without Bob Marley”, who died 1981, of malignant melanoma, a dangerous type of cancer discovered in his toe

For her part, Rihanna received a standing ovation for her stirring performance of “Stay”.  She lost the award for best rap/sung collaboration to Jay-Z, Kanye and Frank Ocean.

A Grammy Award, originally called Gramophone Award, or Grammy, is an accolade by the United States’ National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) that recognizes outstanding achievement in the music industry.

The annual presentation ceremony features performances by prominent artists