Regarded among the greatest vocalists of all time, Whitney Houston cemented her legacy with eternal pop hits like “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me.)” Tragically, she was just 48 years old when she passed in 2012 due to accidental drowning. A vocal powerhouse in her own right, Jennifer Hudson has previously paid homage to Houston at the 2010 BET Honors and the 54th annual GRAMMY Awards. And the EGOT winner did it again Sunday (Oct. 6) when she honored “The Voice” during the American Music Awards’ 50th anniversary special.
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Hudson flexed her vocal prowess with a breathtaking rendition of Houston’s tune, “I Will Always Love You.” One of the toughest cover songs in music, Hudson did the Houston classic justice—and some more, as fans couldn’t get enough of her tribute performance.
“Jennifer Hudson just showed y’all why we need VOCALISTS back in Rnb music, one fan wrote on X. “Bring back power ballads and big voices!”
Another fan added, “Jennifer Hudson performing I will always love you was the highlight of the night #AMAs this is probably one of JHUDs best performance man. In pocket.Whitney told her in 2010 she passed the torch to her backstage at BET. Great choice as a tribute.”
Jennifer Hudson Has Long Admired “Goddess” Whitney Houston
With 22 AMA Awards, Whitney Houston still reigns as one of the ceremony’s top winners of all time. And if anyone can do her justice, it’s Jennifer Hudson.
“I don’t think I can recall a time that I didn’t know of Whitney,” Hudson said in an interview prior to the ceremony. “I recall seeing her at a young age just being completely captivated by this goddess, this voice that was like from heaven or something. It resonated with me at, like, seven years old.”
While Hudson’s performance certainly stole the show, the AMAs offered a slew of star-studded performances. From Green Day to a Nelly-fronted St. Lunatics reunion, the AMAs brought out all the stops on Sunday.
(Photo by Michael Buckner/Penske Media via Getty Images)
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