Adele was the big winner at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards last night, but she wasn’t the only one. CBS also scored big time. The network’s telecast of the Grammys was the biggest audience in almost 30 years with a massive 41 million tuning in. That number represents a 50% increase over last year’s show. I’m sure some tuned in to see Adele’s comeback from throat surgery, Lady Gaga’s outfit and Rihanna & Coldplay’s duet, but arguably a good chunk watched the show to see how the ceremony would honor Whitney Houston.

Given that Houston passed away just the day before, I wasn’t expecting a huge tribute. All things considered, I thought LL Cool J’s speech at the beginning and Jennifer Hudson’s rousing performance of “I Will Always Love You” were perfect. Beautiful, respectful and elegant. Just how I’d like to remember my Whitney. Speaking of Hudson’s performance, did anyone else get misty during that? It’s amazing how the ballad’s lyrics took on a different meaning in this context. I’ll never think of the song in the same way again.

Even though I’ve always been a huge Whitney Houston fan, I’m a little shocked that her death has affected me more than Michael Jackson’s did. Since news of her death broke, I’ve been obsessed with watching old clips, listening to her music and reading all the latest developments surrounding her untimely death. One of the gems I discovered was this wicked clip of Whit singing “How Will I Know” with no backing track. The YouTube vid only features her beautiful mezzo-soprano voice. Definitely no auto-tuning used here. Listen to the clip below. It’s a must-hear for anyone who’s ever enjoyed a Houston song.

Whitney Houston’s Vocal Only “How Will I Know”

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