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The Grammy award show was to go live in 24 hours when the news of Whitney Houston's sudden death in a hotel bathtub changed everything as producers scrambled to put together a fitting tribute to the singer.
Now a new documentary A Death In The Family: The Show Must Go On, goes behind the scenes of the 54th Grammys to show how the music award went through so many changes at the last moment.
Host LL Cool J decided to open the ceremony with a prayer. Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson pitched in for an unannounced performance of Houston's Grammy-winning classic I Will Always Love You. Also, Paul McCartney's all-star lineup was added at the last minute so was the decision to end the show with the closing medley from the Beatles' historic album Abbey Road.
"I knew we were in for a rough day and night after this all had happened," recalls Grammy telecast executive producer Ken Ehrlich. He said that they went for a rewrite of the script from the page one to honour Houston, making the gala a sombre affair.
The short documentary features interviews with Grammy-winning artists Dave Grohl, Jennifer Hudson, Bruce Springsteen, and Joe Walsh and includes never-before-seen rehearsal footage.
"I was on my way to the pre-Grammy party and Ken called. He said I was on for Whitney and my first reaction was 'I would do anything to honour her memory.' But I did not know I could get through it," Hudson says about her emotionally charged performance in the documentary.
Read: Whitney Houston's mother is writing a tell-all book about the superstar
Now a new documentary A Death In The Family: The ShowMust Go On, goes behind the scenes of the 54thGrammys to show how the music award went through so manychanges at the last moment.
Host LL Cool J decided to open the ceremony with aprayer. Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson pitched in for anunannounced performance of Houston's Grammy-winning classic IWill Always Love You. Also, Paul McCartney's all-star lineupwas added at the last minute so was the decision to end theshow with the closing medley from the Beatles' historic albumAbbey Road.
"I knew we were in for a rough day and night after thisall had happened," recalls Grammy telecast executive producerKen Ehrlich. He said that they went for a rewrite of thescript from the page one to honour Houston, making the gala asombre affair.
The short documentary features interviews withGrammy-winning artists Dave Grohl, Jennifer Hudson, BruceSpringsteen, and Joe Walsh and includes never-before-seenrehearsal footage.
"I was on my way to the pre-Grammy party and Ken called.He said I was on for Whitney and my first reaction was 'Iwould do anything to honour her memory.' But I did not know Icould get through it," Hudson says about her emotionallycharged performance in the documentary.
Read: Whitney Houston's mother is writing a tell-all book about the superstar
