Feb. 12 was one of the biggest nights for music history. The 54th annual Grammy awards are always a heavily watched event and this year was no different. In light of recent tragic events, the award show was centered on a tribute to vocal legend, Whitney Houston. Commencing at five o’clock, E! News hosted live from the red carpet, talking mostly about the life and sudden death of Whitney Houston. Many tears were shed as Hollywood mourned the death of a celebrated star.

The actual show started to air at seven o’clock on CBS. Hosting this year was LL Cool J who showed deepest appreciation and respect for Whitney by opening the show with a prayer, blessing her and her family. The first of many performers of the night was Bruce Springsteen, starting a trend for great performances. Other performers such as Bruno Mars, Alicia Keys, and Jennifer Hudson honored Houston by mentioning her name during their acts. Singing one of Whitney’s famously known songs “I Will Always Love You,” Jennifer Hudson’s deep and controlled voice chilled the crowd’s spirit. It was a deeply sincere and touching performance that wowed everyone in attendance as well as viewers on TV. The duet of Rihanna and Coldplay puzzled the audience a little with different vocal tones; however Maroon 5 and the Beach Boys pulled their performance off remarkably well.

Many would agree that it was Adele’s night, as she shined during her first performance since having throat surgery in November. Singing “Rolling In The Deep,” she once again blew the crowd away proving a successful comeback. And come back is exactly what she did, taking home six Grammys for titles such as Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Song of the Year.

Although it was arguably not one of her best performances, country singer Taylor Swift performed “Mean” and also took home two Grammys for ‘best country song’ and ‘best country solo performance.’

The 54th annual Grammy awards will be remembered for decades not only because of show stopping performances, but because it is the year the music industry lost a legend. Whitney Houston touched the lives of artists and fans alike and her voice will cause her to live on.