During the 2012 BET Awards, R&B diva Mariah Carey was summoned to tribute her late friend Whitney Houston.
“The first time I heard Whitney’s voice, I was mesmerized like the rest of the world. Just an unknown, budding singer myself, I was captivated by the power in her range, the richness of her tone and her unique ability to wrap a lyric in emotion,” she said. “We really got to know each other as people. Not divas – okay, maybe occasionally it did get a little diva-ish – but that was just for laughs. I miss my friend. I miss hearing her voice and laughter. But we’ll always have the music.”
Following her speech, Carey, who fought back tears, tweeted backstage about the “emotional moment.”
“Just got off stage at BET awards, had an emotional moment paying tribute to my incredible friend Whitney Houston, RIP (sic),” she tweeted after her speech.
The anticipated BET tribute also saw moving performances from Whitney’s protégées Brandy and Monica. Monica performed “I Love The Lord” and Brandy sang Whitney’s classic hits “I’m Your Baby Tonight” and “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.”
In addition, Whitney’s family members including mother Cissy Houston and brother Gary also remembered their shining star.
Founder and Creator of Singersroom.com and IncredibleWork.com. Follow me on Instagram at @gary.gentles.
