Grammy Maestro Mottola Sees a Jax Comeback

It was a big night for Tommy Mottola, and the Sony honcho could not contain his excitement as he waited at Jimmy's in Beverly Hills for the arrival of his three biggest Grammy winners — Lauryn Hill, Celine Dion and Will Smith.

"We won 24 Grammys," an elated Mottola said proudly. "This is the biggest year in the history of Sony."

And he's even managed to achieve this with nary a contribution from Sony's most reclusive star, Michael Jackson. But that's about to change.

"Michael has been recording in New York and Los Angeles, working with producers like David Foster and Rodney Jenkins," Mottola says. "I've heard some of the music, and it's unbelievable. This is some of the best music Michael's ever made." The Jackson album will be released this Christmas, he added.

Mottola was basking in the Grammy glow Wednesday night, seemingly happy with the single life.

He said he spends his working days living in Manhattan and his weekends in Bedford, in Westchester County, where he resided with Mariah Carey until their breakup in 1997.

Mottola said he feels very grateful to be past that period of his life, and the media attention that accompanied his divorce. "I don't want to be in the papers anymore," he said. "That was then. This is now. Today I have a life."

From Mitchell Fink, NY Daily News