Jennifer Hudson pays tribute to Whitney Houston at Grammys

LOS ANGELES - With an opening prayer and a moving tribute from Jennifer Hudson, the Grammy Awards played the part of impromptu memorial for Whitney Houston just a day after the six-time Grammy winner was found dead in her Beverly Hills hotel room.

Watch video of the tribute on LATimes.com.

Following the "in memoriam" segment, Hudson, the actress and former "American Idol" finalist, performed a tribute to the 48-year-old Houston by singing her hit ballad "I Will Always Love You." It was a tender, simple performance that encapsulated the glamour and vocal power Houston embodied.

She sang the last words of the song as: "Whitney, we love you."

Bathed in a solemn spotlight, Hudson performed in a sleek black gown, accompanied only by piano. She received a standing ovation while portraits of music luminaries who died in the past year were lit above her.

That Houston's death came so soon before the CBS broadcast meant "a full-blown tribute" wasn't possible, said Grammy show producer Ken Ehrlich. He turned to Hudson on Saturday evening to hurriedly assemble a performance that Neil Portnow, president of the Recording Academy, said was pulled together in hours of frantic phone calls.