Aretha Franklin paid tribute to her goddaughter Whitney Houston at a private concert last night in Charlotte, North Carolina. "Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like you to share this moment with me in acknowledging one of the greatest singers that ever stood before an audience," Franklin said over an extended intro to Houston's signature ballad, "I Will Always Love You." Franklin's arrangement of the song is more of a gospel tune than a show-stopper, and reaches a climax that is at once gentle and cathartic.

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