But if you need a big voice to match the biggest voice, you can't really miss with Christina Aguilera, who brought the house at Sunday night's (Nov. 19) 2017 event to their feet with a soul-stirring medley of Houston's greatest hits.
Following a heart-warming intro by Oscar-winning actress Viola Davis, Aguilera leaned in hard from the top, standing center stage in a spotlight to sing an a cappella intro to the soundtrack's iconc smash hit, "I Will Always Love You." As the band came in, Aguilera -- dressed in a low-cut black silk dress -- didn't disappoint, crushing the high note in her inimitable style and adding in just the right amount of vocal runs to pay homage to Houston's incredible range.
As the red curtain rose to reveal the band and two big screens rolling footage of Houston and Kevin Costner from the film, Aguilera moved into "I Have Nothing," rising from a growl to a clear note as the cameras cut to audience members slowing waving their hands and getting emotional at the memory of the fallen pop icon.
A torchy take on "Run to You" appeared to have Aguilera's former "Lady Marmalade" singing partner P!nk mesmerized, as she sang along from her seat. With a gospel choir filling the stage, Christina took it to church for a raucous run through "I'm Every Woman," urging the crowd to get on the feet, saying, "This is a Whitney celebration... the greatest vocalist" and dedicating the disco stomper to every woman in the house.
"I am honored and humbled to be asked to participate in such a special tribute of a timeless soundtrack that has been a huge inspiration not only in my own personal life and career, but to countless aspiring singers -- touching music lovers worldwide and influencing the history of music itself," Aguilera said of the honor before the show.
Houston won 22 AMAs throughout her illustrious music career. She died unexpectedly in February 2012.
Watch the tribute below:
