2012 Billboard Music Awards: Watch John Legend & Jordin Sparks’ Whitney Houston Tribute

Duets cast member John Legend and Jordin Sparks, star of the upcoming film Sparkle, paid tribute to Whitney Houston at the Billboard Music Awards this evening. The late singer, who passed away in February at the age of 48, was honored with the Billboard Millennium Award at the Las Vegas ceremony. Her sister Pat Houston and daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown were on hand to accept the statue.

Legend performed Houston’s version of “The Greatest Love Of All”, a #1 hit on the Hot 100 for her in 1986, while Sparks, who will feature alongside Whitney in Sparkle, sang “I Will Always Love You”.

Jennifer Hudson also paid tribute to Houston by singing “I Will Always Love You”, at the Grammy Awards in February. This evening the audience at the Billboard event showed their approval of Sparks’ take on the song, which was originally written and recorded by Dolly Parton, by giving her a standing ovation amid a roar of cheers.

“I just really want to say thank you to everyone who supported us through it all — not just when it was good, but when it was bad too,” an emotional Bobbi Kristina said on stage, following the musical tribute to her mother.

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