Mariah Carey Gives Teary Tribute to Whitney Houston at BET Awards

While most of the time the cameras at the BET awards were fixated on Kanye West and Kim Kardashian as they yucked it up with Beyonce and Jay-Z, there was a significant loss in the room and that was R&B singer Whitney Houston, who died earlier this year in February.

Helping start the night off right in tribute to Whitney Houston was Mariah Carey, who has only kind words to say about the singer, who the media often pitted her against, as the two were known as having two of the most powerful voices in the industry.

Teary eyed and clearly shaken by her death, Carey said of Houston, “The first time I heard Whitney’s voice, I was mesmerized like the rest of the world. I was captivated by the power in her range and her unique ability to wrap a lyric in an emotion.”

Carey also hinted at the false rivalry the media put on them as she mentioned the last time she saw Whitney Houston overseas, “Even then folks were surprised to see us sitting next to each other, clearly enjoying each others’ company. I miss my friend, I miss hearing her voice in laughter, but we’ll always have the music,” she said as she held back tears.

During the ceremony Houston was remembered by Monica, Brandy, and Houston’s mother Cissy, was also in attendance at the awards. Cissy’s own dedication made everyone teary eyed, and the camera made sure to capture Kanye West tearing up. The medley tribute included “I Love the Lord,” “I’m Your Baby Tonight” “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.”