LOS ANGELES (CNN) – Hearts were heavy on a night to celebrate the best the music industry has to offer. A little more than 24 hours after learning that Whitney Houston died in a Beverly Hills hotel room, her peers came together both to mourn and to pay tribute.
“There is no way around this. We've had a death in our family,” LL cool J said to open the evening. the rap artist and actor then led the room in prayer before playing a clip of Houston's unforgettable Grammy performance of “I will always love you.”
Later in the evening, Jennifer Hudson performed the same song in a tribute to the singer who died Saturday.
Many are still in shock over the loss, and in awe of the contributions she made to the world of music.
“If there was no Whitney there would be no Jennifer Hudson, Christina, no Alicia Keys, no Beyonce,” singer Eric Benet said on the red carpet.
Ed Winter, the assistant chief in the Los Angeles County Coroner's office, said that cause of death cannot be determined because of a pending toxicology test. Results from the tests could take six to eight weeks.
Houston's much publicized struggle with drugs and her tumultuous marriage to Bobby Brown made her fodder for the tabloids. there is no word yet on funeral arrangements for the pop singer.
Despite the bad times, she is being remembered as one of the greatest voices of our time, as the music industry pays tribute to the late Houston.
“It feels like there's this heavy cloud but what better place to celebrate her life than the Grammys,” singer Miranda Lambert said.
Copyright 2012 Recording Academy, CBS, Arista Records, Getty Images, Pacific Coast News via CNN. All rights reserved.
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