Kelly Rowland wasn't really alone when she announced from the podium at last night's American Music Awards, "I miss my girls!"

Surely, TV viewers and producers of the American Music Awards also missed the other two-thirds of Destiny's Child, which won two trophies — Favorite R&B Group and Album. Rowland accepted solo and tearfully. "Beyoncé and Michelle, wherever you are, I love you so much!" she wept.

Also missing in action were Green Day, Eminem, Black Eyed Peas, R. Kelly and 50 Cent.

That meant there was room for lots of veteran acts to take the stage during the show on ABC.

While it was great seeing the reunited Eurythmics, the Rolling Stones looked juiceless; Cyndi Lauper tried too hard to fit in with the kiddies. The AMAs were so desperate for flashy performances they even let Lindsay Lohan make her singing debut on primetime TV. Wisely, they lined up many loud backup singers behind her to bury her warbling on "Edge of Seventeen."

Wasn't the AMA's recent move to November supposed to solve the problem of absentees?

For decades the American Music Awards had no trouble booking top talent when the kudocast aired in early January, but then the Grammys got tough after losing out to the AMAs in Nielsen ratings.

Allegedly, Grammy chiefs told music A-listers they couldn't perform on the Grammycast in February if they had appeared on Dick Clark's music awards show a month earlier. Suddenly, Britney Spears, 'N Sync, Diddy and Toni Braxton were no longer available to do the AMAs, and the show quickly plummeted in the ratings.

Furious, Clark sued the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences and moved the AMAs to November. That was supposed to solve the talent problem, but apparently it still goes on.

Maybe the AMAs have just lost their luster and momentum. Since winners and nominees are chosen by sampling the opinions of frequent music buyers, they're the equivalent of the People's Choice Awards.

Perhaps the show should just forget trying to look legit by keeping the winners' names a Big Secret. If the AMAs followed the lead of the People's Choice Awards — just tattle ahead of time — then maybe winners would all show up. And perform too.