SNL and NPR pay tribute to Whitney Houston

[pokerfan]

Houston's death came on the eve of the Grammy Awards. It's a showcase where she once reigned, and her death was sure to cast a heavy pall on Sunday's ceremony.

"I am absolutely heartbroken at the news of Whitney's passing," music producer Quincy Jones said in a written statement. "I always regretted not having had the opportunity to work with her. She was a true original and a talent beyond compare. I will miss her terribly."

At her peak, Houston was the golden girl of the music industry. From the middle of the 1980s to the late '90s, she was one of the world's best-selling artists. She wowed audiences with effortless, powerful and peerless vocals that were rooted in the black church but made palatable to the masses with a pop sheen.

http://www.npr.org/2012/02/11/146752819/music-superstar-whitney-houston-dies-ap-reports

Everyone at Saturday Night Live must have been as shocked as the rest of the world to get the news that Whitney Houston died today at the age of 48, only a day before she was supposed to appear at the Grammys, and when she was due at a party in just a few hours. Given the short notice, there wasn’t much time to prepare a proper tribute. Instead, they put up a still photo of Houston’s appearance on the show with Molly Shannon, who was in character as Mary Catherine Gallagher.

Should they have put up the photo at all? I think that they did the best they could under the circumstances, and seeing a photo of Whitney smiling and looking healthy on the show probably said more than a longer tribute would have.

Watch below via NBC:

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/watch-snls-tribute-to-whitney-houston

[greyl]

1. SNL handled it well. nt

[Pab Sungenis]

4. About the only other thing they could have done

was dig up one of her musical performances from the past, and bumped a sketch for it. But by 6 PM Saturday the show is pretty much nailed down (except for the need to cut two sketches to determine the final lineup) so they may not have had a chance to go through the tape library, find a suitable performance, and figure out what would go for it.

[TreasonousBastard]

5. Sure did. I remember that sketch, and Whitney was fantastic in it.

[DeSwiss]

2. RIP Whitney.

[MADem]

3. Tasteful and understated. nt

[Enrique]

6. i'm confused

Did Whitney have some special relationship to SNL that I'm not aware of?

[obamanut2012]

8. She was a musical gues a few times

As well as performing a few times in skits,

[RB TexLa]

9. She performed a few times, was in a couple of skits as well as was parodied by Maya Rudolph

on the weekend update segments. It's not the same as if a Steve Martan, Alex Bawldwin or former cast member had passed but enough of a relationship that I'm sure the cast and people associated with the show felt the emotion to pay a tribute to her. As well as the young age and sudden nature of it effected them as much as everyone else. I enjoyed her music, never saw her in concert or was the biggest fan but I went through a number of songs of her's on youtube last night.

[obamanut2012]

7. I remember that sketch with Molly Shannon

I watched it live. Hysterical.

[a la izquierda]

10. I remember it too, and just thinking about it now made me chuckle...

that was one funny skit.

[obamanut2012]

11. Mary Katherine was not very pleased!