Jennifer Hudson + Usher Honor Whitney Houston on Tribute Special
R&B superstars Jennifer Hudson and Usher were among the singers and celebrities who paid tribute to Whitney Houston during the CBS special 'We Will Always Love You: A Grammy Salute to Whitney Houston,' which aired Friday (Nov. 16).
The late pop icon, who passed away on Feb. 9 of an accidental drowning, had a major influence on everyone involved in the show. Although Whitney is no longer with us, her musical legacy continues to gloriously live on.
Hudson, rocking Whitney's 80s-inspired look with her bouffant hairstyle, got the crowd jumping with a medley of the singer's classic hits. She started with the empowering anthem 'I'm Every Woman' and finished with 'I Wanna Dance with Somebody.' At one point, J.Hud approached Whitney's daughter, Bobbi Kristina, and the two interlocked hands in a show of solidarity.
Later in the show, Usher sung a tender rendition of 'I Believe In You and Me,' a Four Tops song Whitney performed for the 'Preacher’s Wife' soundtrack. "You taught us to dream, you taught us to believe," the crooner said as vintage photos of a young Whitney Houston and her family flashed across the big screen.
Other performers included Celine Dion, who performed a rendition of 'The Greatest Love of All,' and gospel artists CeCe Winans and Yolanda Adams duetted on 'Count on Me.'
Actors LL Cool J, Taraji P. Henson and Halle Berry also paid tribute to Nippy during the telecast. "She inspired a generation of little girls and women to believe in their own dreams and to know that they had within themselves the greatest gift of all," a choked-up Berry said. "I was one of those little girls who then became a woman who never ever, ever stopped loving Whitney Houston."
We will always love Whitney Houston. May she forever rest eternally in peace.
Watch Usher Perform 'I Believe In You & Me' on Grammy Salute To Whitney Houston