from mtv.com
She will be joined by Ledisi and Melanie Fiona at the show, airing live on Sunday on VH1.
There’s only two days until some of the biggest acts in the world take the stage for this year’s “VH1 Divas.” With Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, Kelly Rowland and Kelly Clarkson among the performers set to dazzle on Sunday, December 16, it seems like the night probably couldn’t get any more divafied. But, alas, while the night will celebrate all things diva, it will also pay tribute to a fallen diva: the one and only Whitney Houston.
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Whitney Houston Tribute Had Jordin Sparks Feeling ‘Pressure’
Up until now, it’s been a bit of a mystery about who will take the stage in Houston’s honor, but we have now learned from VH1 that Jordin Sparks, Ledisi and Melanie Fiona have been tapped to take on some of the singer’s most legendary tunes, including “I’m Every Woman,” “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” “It’s Not Right, But It’s Okay” and “How Will I Know.” Of course, given that the show is airing live, we think that anything can happen. “Divas” host Adam Lambert has already teased he will take on a Madonna tune, but we wouldn’t mind if he joined his fellow divas for a Houston track as well.
Sparks is an especially fitting person to pay tribute to Houston considering they have a history with one another. They appeared together in the 2012 film, “Sparkle,” even singing side by side on the soundtrack single, “Celebrate.” The former “American idol” contestant also has experience paying homage to her musical mentor. She sang Houston’s monumental hit, “I Will Always Love You,” at the Billboard Music Awards earlier this year.
“I put myself completely, 100 percent onstage every time I perform,” Sparks told MTV News back in May about that tribute, adding that she was giving “everything” for her Houston tribute. “It’s just very special. I feel very honored to be able to honor Whitney in this way and to sing one of her songs. I’ve actually never performed this song before ever. It’s one of the songs I’ve always been like, ‘Leave that alone,’ so it’s nerve-racking for me,” she admitted. “It’s a lot of pressure I’m putting on myself, because I want to do it amazingly, but at the same time, whatever happens, I just want to be able to speak through the music.”
Houston had performed on “Divas” several times before, including show stopping performances in 1999 when she headlined, in 2002 as Mary J. Blige’s special guest, and again as a headliner in 2003, which served as her last appearance on the show. As a part of the event, she even took the stage with then husband, Bobby Brown, during the broadcast.
The tribute comes 10 months since the singer passed away back in February, one night before the Grammy Awards. “Divas” will also pay homage to fellow show vet, Donna Summer, who also died earlier this year.
“VH1 Divas” 2012 will air live on VH1 on Sunday, December 16 at 9 p.m. ET when it all goes down in Los Angeles at the Shrine Auditorium.
