To honor the late Whitney Houston at the American Music Awards’ 50th Anniversary Special, Jennifer Hudson joined the star-studded lineup to take on two of Houston’s songs: the first, an obscure jazz medley-opener sung by Whitney at the 21st AMAs in 1994; the second, one of the biggest hits of Whitney’s entire career.
Jennifer Hudson’s exceptional performance has already racked up over 1M views to date, wowing fans, haters, and readers across the globe as she masters songs by one of soul’s greatest singers.
Opening her six-minute set, Jennifer broke “I Loves You, Porgy” out of pop obscurity; a song composed by George Gershwin and his brother Ira in 1935 and later covered by Nina Simone on her 1957 debut album, “Little Girl Blue.”
Whitney had performed “I Loves You, Porgy” in a medley alongside “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” and “I Have Nothing,” when she appeared at the AMAs in ‘94 — but Jennifer Hudson put her own spin on the classic, amping up the game entirely by following it with a single that spent an incredible 14 weeks at the top of the US Billboard Charts: Whitney Houston’s all-time greatest hit, “I Will Always Love You.”
Gowned in black silk with diamante gloves, choker and an ethereal black train, Jennifer Hudson beautifully perfected the powerhouse pop hit with every ounce of tenderness and soul-stirring extravagance heard in Whitney’s 1992 single. But contrary to many young listeners’ assumptions, Whitney’s greatest hit was actually a cover of Dolly Parton’s 1970s original, her outstanding version completely stealing the limelight away from Dolly’s ultra-successful country classic for decades to come.
Pitch-perfect and emotional, the AMA audience was blown away by Jennifer’s stunning live rendition, leading some online viewers to call this performance “elite,” while commenting how proud Whitney would likely be at this flawless cover.
Eerily, this performance aired one day before the death of Whitney Houston’s mother, Cissy Houston, who passed away in her New Jersey hometown at the age of 91.
With Jennifer Hudson now being 43 years old, her fans have praised the evolution of her voice since her 2008 debut, alongside the massive degree of control she has gained over her vocals. As Caleb Crowder poignantly noted, “Every single note she sung was earned with all the years of experience she has [had],” compared to some vocalists whose vocal presence sadly diminishes with their age.
Jennifer Hudson was one of many stars studding the line-up of the AMAs 50th Anniversary Special, alongside Mariah Carey, Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight, Green Day, Raye, Stay Kids and more. Carrie Underwood and Jennifer Lopez also rocked up to the event, which aired in early October this year.
