LL Cool J, host of the 54th Grammy Awards, has paid a moving tribute to Whitney Houston at the ceremony today.
"How do we speak to this time, to this day? There's no away around this: we've had a death in our family. So at least for me – for me – it only feels right to begin with a prayer for a woman who we loved, for our fallen sister Whitney Houston. Heavaenly Father, thank you for sharing our sister Whitney with us," he said before leading a prayer.
The Grammy Awards shifted into a Houston memorial after her death yesterday, as attendees celebrated the pop star and the show hurriedly assembled a tribute featuring Jennifer Hudson.
Grammy show producer Ken Ehrlich turned to Hudson, the actress and American Idol finalist, last night after the 48-year-old Houston was found dead in her hotel room at the Beverly Hills Hilton. Ehrlich said there wasn't enough time for a "full-blown tribute," but that the show had to "recognize Whitney's remarkable contribution to music fans in general."
With just hours to prepare a fitting tribute, the Grammys had to act quickly – and it all began with LL Cool J’s opening monologue.
3 News / AP