Jennifer Hudson Chokes Back Tears Singing "I Will Always Love You"
Credit: Kevin Mazur/WireImage.com
She did Whitney proud.
Besides perhaps Adele, Jennifer Hudson was the most anticipated performer at Sunday's Grammys -- even though she signed on to the awards show just one day ago.
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Hudson, 30, was tapped to memorialize the late Whitney Houston (found dead Saturday afternoon in her hotel room in Beverly Hills) in a truly daunting way -- by lending her voice to the biggest hit of Houston's legendary career, "I Will Always Love You."
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After the annual segment of the show dedicated to music greats who passed away in the past year -- including Amy Winehouse, Etta James and Clarence Clemons, among others -- Hudson cautiously ascended to stage center for the gut-wrenching goodbye ballad.
Choking back tears, the Dreamgirls star offered a stripped-down, elegant version of the classic song (sung by Houston on The Bodyguard soundtrack and written by Dolly Parton) -- all the more impressive considering the nerve-wracking rehearsals began only Sunday morning. A backstage source told Us Hudson began "sobbing hysterically" while practicing the song.
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