Among lots of performances at the American Music Awards on Sunday, a tribute to NJ's own Whitney Houston has attracted mixed reviews. The live medley done by Christina Aguilera was timed to honor the 25th anniversary of The Bodyguard movie and soundtrack.

Aguilera had shared excitement about honoring one of her idols, the late icon from Newark. The pop star took on three of the soundtrack's powerful hits, and some have argued she fell short. P!nk's face among the AMAs crowd, during the performance became an overnight meme for showing disdain or confusion.

AMAs tribute to NJ Whitney Houston Christina Aguilera
AMAs tribute to NJ's own Whitney Houston: hit or miss? (Radovan Lazic via Youtube)
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However, P!nk (a Pennsylvania native) was quick to shoot down any shade. P!nk tweeted that Aguilera killed it and added, "This about Whitney, and I am in awe of Christina's talent. Show the clip where I'm in tears, you negative Nancy's."

Other viewers reacting on Twitter suggested missed opportunities to take on the late star's soaring vocal range, like Jennifer Hudson (who nailed a Grammys tribute just after Houston's 2012) and Ariana Grande.

Leading up to the awards, the estate of Whitney Houston endorsed the tribute choice. A statement from surviving family members (including her mother, Cissy Houston) mentioned that Whitney had called Christina "one of the best voices she enjoyed in this generation of music."

Overall, one thing music fans seem to agree on is that Whitney herself was such a rare act to follow, that nearly anyone would fall short. Below, check out Houston's performance at the American Music Awards in 1994, when she won 8 AMAs for her soundtrack work for The Bodyguard.

And, Houston's legacy lives on at the GRAMMY Museum in Newark. Cissy Houston performed at the grand opening ceremony in October. Among its "New Jersey legend" exhibits is the dress Whitney wore when she won three GRAMMY awards for The Bodyguard soundtrack.

 

Proud Jersey Girl Erin Vogt’s first reporting gig involved her Fisher Price tape recorder. As a wife and momma of two kiddies, she firmly believes that life’s too short to drink bad coffee. A fan of the beach, Dave Grohl and karma, in no particular order.

Follow her on Twitter and on Facebook as ProudJersey.

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