Jersey Couture ?Style Rivals? & ?It?s A Man, Baby?
Ali Campoverdi Ali Larter Alice Dodd Alicia Keys Alicia Witt
Ali Campoverdi Ali Larter Alice Dodd Alicia Keys Alicia Witt
Hudson's stirring cover of Houston's 'I Will Always Love You' was an emotional homage to late singer.
By Gil Kaufman
Jennifer Hudson performs at the Grammys on Sunday
Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
There is a whole generation of modern divas who grew up worshipping at the altar of Whitney Houston. Everyone from Mariah Carey to Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson, Rihanna and Beyoncé owes a huge debt to the legendary singer, who died at age 48 on Saturday on the eve of the 54th annual Grammy Awards.
But on an evening when many artists stopped to pay homage to the 1980s diva, whose gifts knew no bounds before her personal problems eroded a once-untouchable talent, it was Jennifer Hudson who reminded the gathered music-industry elite about how much had been lost.
Like Houston, Hudson came up as a church kid, singing at Pleasant Gift Missionary Baptist on Chicago's rough South Side at age 7 before embarking on a path that would take her to the top of the charts and earn her an Oscar for her breakout first film role in "Dreamgirls." (That part came nearly 15 years after Houston won accolades in her big-screen debut in "The Bodyguard.") And, like Houston, Hudson was signed by Clive Davis, the legendary music man credited with making Whitney's career; the two women were labelmates on his J Records imprint. As he tirelessly was for Houston — even in her declining years — Davis has been an outspoken and steady champion of Hudson ever since.
Much of Houston's pain and drama came from a sometimes destructive relationship with her ex-husband, singer Bobby Brown, and a devastating spiral of drug and alcohol addiction that would eventually rob her of her precious voice, and, according to reports, her life. Hudson's public pain had its sources elsewhere, from the rejection of "American Idol" to struggles with weight and, most tragically, the horrific 2008 murders of her mother, brother and nephew.
Sunday night's last-minute request to sing a tribute to Houston was likely a mixed blessing for Hudson: an honor, a burden and a calling.
But when she took the stage alone in a spotlight to sing the first a cappella notes of Houston's signature show-stopper, a remake of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You" from the "Bodyguard" soundtrack, there was no mistaking the weight of the moment.
Poised and, most importantly, clearly determined to make the moment about Houston and not herself, Hudson brought a gospel edge to the soaring ballad, infusing it with emotion and reverence. Her slight inhale before the dip into the first chorus looked as much about Hudson catching her breath as it did about her collecting her strength to push through and make Whitney proud. Raising her hands and eyes to the ceiling, then clenching them shut to hit the big note near the end, Hudson genuinely appeared on the verge of tears as she nailed a performance for the ages. The swooping, operatic sustained highs were not about showing off her prowess, but felt like the best kind of eulogy Jennifer could offer to her idol: an homage to an effortless vocal power we may never hear the likes of again.
Dion Summers, the vice president of music programming at Sirius/XM satellite radio (which launched a Houston tribute channel over the weekend), said the choice of Hudson was spot-on. "It kind of reminded me of the time after Michael Jackson died when Chris Brown opened up the BET awards," Summers said. "That was the heir apparent. Everyone's emotions were still raw and in both situations the artist had just died and it felt right. ... I'm sure the Grammy producers felt that."
Aside from the Davis and church connections, Summers said Hudson's addition of gospel runs and even the way she styled her hair was a clear attempt to channel Houston's essence. "She opened up from [a dark stage] just like Whitney did in 1994 [at the Grammys] with 'I Will Always Love You,' and if you noticed, [Hudson] gave a very restrained, graceful performance. We know Jennifer to have big pipes and she didn't try to out-Whitney Whitney. I thought it was very classy. I think Jennifer walked that balance between tribute and taking the song over and she was just right in the pocket."
Stick with MTV News all for all the Grammy red-carpet fashion, Grammy winners and performance recaps until the hangover wears off!
Related Videos Related Photos Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1679162/jennifer-hudson-whitney-houston-tribute-grammys.jhtml
FSU Cowgirls Gabrielle Union Garcelle Beauvais Genelle Frenoy Georgianna Robertson
Source: http://feeds.celebritybabies.com/~r/celebrity-babies/~3/zvslqbraoic/
Ehrinn Cummings Elena Lyons Elisabeth Röhm Elisha Cuthbert Eliza Dushku
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/beatcrave/~3/AxWYshznoaM/
FSU Cowgirls Gabrielle Union Garcelle Beauvais Genelle Frenoy Georgianna Robertson
Source: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=3061469&vid=697418 "> http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=3061469&vid=697418
Arielle Kebbel Ashanti Ashlee Simpson Ashley Greene Ashley Olsen
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pinkisthenewblog/~3/pvTXMzP1khM/
Aubrey ODay Audrina Patridge Autumn Reeser Avril Lavigne Bali Rodriguez
'She was the ultimate legend. The ultimate woman,' Beyonce says in a statement to MTV News about Houston, who died Saturday in L.A.
By Jocelyn Vena
Beyonce, Jewel, Mary J. Blige and Whitney Houston perform on "Vh1 Divas" in 2003
Photo: Frank Micelotta/ Getty Images
<P>One day after pop music lost one of its icons and greatest voices, Whitney Houston, Beyoncé is opening up about the death of the pop superstar. She recalled meeting the singer for the first time 15 years ago, just as she was breaking into the industry herself. </p><div class="player-placeholder right" id="id:1679030" width="240" height="211"></div><p> "The loss of Whitney Houston is painful. I remember meeting Whitney for the first time when I was 15. She was the ultimate legend. The ultimate woman. Not only was she confident, poised, stunningly beautiful and intelligent, but she was sincere and kind," she said in a statement to MTV News. "She took the time to make everyone feel like they were very important to her." Beyoncé continued in the statement that Houston's killer vocal abilities helped make her the superstar she was. "I, like every singer, always wanted to be just like her. Her voice was perfect. Strong but soothing. Soulful and classic. Her vibrato, her cadence, her control. So many of my life's memories are attached to a Whitney Houston song," she said. "She is our queen and she opened doors and provided a blueprint for all of us. God bless her." Her statement comes on the same day that Houston will be remembered at the 2012 Grammy Awards. B's "Dreamgirls" co-star Jennifer Hudson will lead the Grammy tribute to the late icon, along with Houston's longtime friend and collaborator, Chaka Khan. She joins a long list of divas who have recalled Houston's undeniable influence on their own careers, including Rihanna, Nicki Minaj and Christina Aguilera. "Heartbroken and in tears over the shocking death of my friend, the incomparable Ms. Whitney Houston," Mariah Carey wrote about the loss of Houston, who was found dead in her Los Angeles hotel on Saturday."My heartfelt condolences to Whitney's family and to all her millions of fans throughout the world. She will never be forgotten as one of the greatest voices to ever grace the earth." It's not only pop divas who are recounting her influence, but also producers from the world of EDM. "She had the swagger and she had the voice," Diplo told MTV News during our pre-show live stream. "I was listening to a bunch of records last night, and I was amazed at how deeply I felt about her records as a child." <b>MTV News' Sway and James Montgomery will be live from the Grammys red carpet all evening to get reactions from music's biggest stars on the death of Whitney Houston. Watch reactions and remembrances at MTV.com.</b> <i>Share your condolences with Whitney's family and friends on our Facebook page.</i></p>
Related Videos Related Photos Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1679065/whitney-houston-beyonce.jhtml "> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1679065/whitney-houston-beyonce.jhtml