(Gibson) Entertainment figures have been paying tribute to singer Whitney Houston, who passed away last weekend. Simon Cowell called her "one of the greatest singers of all time."Amy Winehouse's father Mitch said he was "absolutely devastated" and tweeted: "Amy, Etta, Whitney. Their music will NEVER die. What a great girl group in heaven. Mitch."
Producer Quincy Jones released a statement saying, "I am absolutely heartbroken at the news of Whitney's passing. 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. There are so few people like her in the world. They are a rarefied breed, these are true superstar, legendary divas and I say divas in the nicest possible way. She had one of the greatest voices I have ever heard in my life, ever."
Grammy Awards host LL Cool J opened Sunday night's ceremony with a prayer for Houston saying, "There is no way around this. We've had a death in our family. The only thing that feels right is to begin with a prayer for a woman who we loved – for our fallen sister, Whitney Houston." more on this story